Minor League Baseball

Los Angeles Dodgers' Zyhir Hope Makes Pair of Web Gems in Spring Training Opener

Top prospect Zyhir Hope made a diving catch and a leaping grab at the wall for the Los Angeles Dodgers in their Cactus League showdown against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday.

Sam Connon

Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers players stand on the field during the national anthem prior to the spring training game against the Chicago Cubs at Camelback Ranch-Glendale.
Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers players stand on the field during the national anthem prior to the spring training game against the Chicago Cubs at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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Zyhir Hope, once a member of the Chicago Cubs' farm system, got a chance to flash some leather against his old organization on Thursday.

Hope's new team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, were facing off against the Cubs in the first Cactus League contest of 2025. Trailing 6-3 in the fifth inning, Los Angeles subbed the 20-year-old in as their left fielder.

It didn't take too long for Hope to see action in the field, as Christian Franklin roped a line drive to left with one down in the top of that very same frame. Hope came running in on the ball and made a diving catch, drawing applause from the crowd at Camelback Ranch.

After popping out to short in his first at-bat of spring training, Hope added to his defensive highlight reel. The non-roster invitee crashed into the wall to record the final out in the sixth, preventing a run from scoring.

The Cubs went on to win 12-4 as Hope finished 0-for-2 at the plate with one walk, but his performance in the field still made for quite the debut.

Hope was Chicago's 11th round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. A few months later, he and pitching prospect Jackson Ferris were traded to the Dodgers in exchange for infielder Michael Busch.

While the Cubs surely appreciated the 21 home runs, 65 RBIs and 2.8 WAR Busch contributed in 2024, Hope enters 2025 ranked as the No. 75 prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline. Hope has been pegged as the No. 6 prospect in the Dodgers' farm system with a major league ETA of 2027.

Hope has hit .289 with 12 home runs, 16 doubles, 45 RBIs, 12 stolen bases and a .911 OPS across 72 games in his minor league career thus far, splitting time between rookie ball and Single-A. The Dodgers also sent him to the Arizona Fall League to round out 2024, although he hit .228 with a .747 OPS at that level.

Los Angeles and Chicago will go head-to-head again Friday afternoon at 3:05 p.m. ET, with the rematch set to take place at the Cubs' Sloan park.

Related MiLB Stories

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  • RUSHING MOVING AROUND: The Dodgers may want Dalton Rushing to continue developing as a catcher, but the top prospect is seeing action at first base in spring training. CLICK HERE

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a staff writer for “Minor League Baseball on SI’’ and other "On SI'' baseball sites. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for “UCLA on SI’’ and won awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for “New England Patriots on SI’’ and was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk. Follow Sam on Twitter @SamConnon.

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