Los Angeles Dodgers Dynasty Sleepers, Breakouts, and Busts

Discover sleepers and breakouts from the Los Angeles Dodgers for dynasty fantasy baseball both on the MLB and prospect side.

Where do you even start with this team? They are loaded from top to bottom with talent; how could we possibly find a sleeper on this team? Much less a bust? Well, we still have to work through these teams, even if it is harder to pick for each category and call our shots.

Let’s talk Dodgers dynasty sleepers, breakouts, and busts.

Los Angeles Dodgers Dynasty Sleepers, Breakouts, and Busts

MLB Sleeper: Teoscar Hernandez, OF

I love the fit for Hernandez in Los Angeles with a star-studded lineup around him. Most probably don’t even realize how productive Hernandez has been over the last three seasons. Yes, the shortened 2021 combined with 2022 may be a bit of an outlier, especially on the batting average side, as Hernandez hit .295 over 802 plate appearances and averaged 36 home runs per 600 plate appearances. But that does not mean he has not been a strong fantasy asset.

Between 2022 and 2023, Hernandez accumulated 1213 plate appearances and hit 51 home runs while slashing .262/.310/.460. If you are in an OBP league, move Hernandez down your board a round or two, but he still has a lot to offer.

Now, in the Dodgers lineup, it feels like a strong opportunity for Hernandez's counting stats to tick up. Most projections like him to hit between 25 and 30 home runs while adding seven to nine stolen bases. There is a lot of value in that kind of profile, and he won’t cost a ton to acquire in a dynasty.

MLB Breakout: Gavin Lux, SS

Lux is slated to be the everyday shortstop in Los Angeles, and with the breakout tag, we just need to keep our fingers crossed that the Dodgers don’t trade for Willy Adames or sign Tim Anderson.

Lux had his Minor League breakout in 2019 when he reached the Majors and showed a solid feel to hit, power, and speed. After playing only 19 games inconsistently during the 2020 pandemic, Lux played 102 games in Los Angeles, where he managed just a .242/.328/.364 slash with seven home runs. 2022 was more of the same, even though Lux played more consistently, though we did see the average tick up to .276 and the OBP at .346.

Last offseason, Lux added over six mph of bat speed which is huge and would translate to something close to seven mph of exit velocity. While it may not be an added six mph every swing, it is still notable.

Unfortunately, Lux missed all of 2023 due to a torn ACL but spent plenty of time working on his upper half strength before fully being able to rehab his lower half. Spring Training will be telling of what Lux looks like, but right now, I feel like breakout potential is there.

MLB Bust: Walker Buehler, RHP

This category was so hard to pick I wanted to skip it all together. Finding a bust in a loaded lineup is hard, and I am not sure Jason Heyward is even valued enough to count for this exercise.

So, I made the hard choice to pick Walker Buehler. This is not because I don’t like Buehler’s talent; we have seen him be an innings-eating ace for several seasons. But, I do think there are bigger risks with a second Tommy John surgery and the fact that Buehler’s 2024 debut is still to be determined.

Buehler is slated to face hitters “soon” but that does not give me a ton of confidence buying into him. While we saw a small sample when he pitched in Triple-A last, Buehler’s arsenal post-Tommy John is still to be determined.

While I don’t think Buehler is a complete “bust” per se, it is highly possible that his dynasty stock takes a bit of a hit especially early in the season, making him a solid dynasty sell. As one of the tougher players to evaluate, this pick could go either way.

Prospect Sleeper: Andy Pages, OF

It feels like at this point, most have faded or forgotten about Andy Pages for various reasons, but still only 22 years old, maybe he is actually a sleeper in the Dodgers farm system.

Prospect fatigue has hit Pages hard despite only being 22 years old and much improved year-over-year performances. In 2023, Pages missed much of the season but slashed .277/.425/.482 with three home runs in 34 games. Unfortunately, a torn labrum ended his season in May after being promoted to Triple-A. 

Pages has big-time power and lift the ball with ease. The exciting thing is the exit velocities are not eye-popping, but the ball still travels with authority. The power is firmly plus and probably has room for more in the tank.

In 2023, Pages cut 25 pounds and showed improved contact skills, having a 78 percent contact rate before his injury. He looked like a better athlete on the field and moved better, which is a good sign moving forward. 

Pages is a selective hitter who does not chase often out of the zone and posts high OBPs, checking in with a career .378 OBP. His long-term outlook may hinge on how he looks returning from Labrum surgery, as we often see hitters take a while to get back to peak levels. Still, Pages has 30 home runs pop with strong OBP skills.

Prospect Breakout: Hyun-Seok Jang, RHP

Jang was projected to be the top pick in the KBO draft before the Dodgers gave him a $900k bonus to join their organization in August 2023. Jang is young and has no professional experience, but when the Dodgers trade players to add international bonus money to make a signing like this, you should pay attention. 

Despite being young, Jang already has a well-rounded arsenal, throwing four pitches, led by a fastball that sits 93-95 but reaches the upper 90s on occasion that he throws for a ton of strikes. Some scouts believe he could add more velocity given the bigger 6’4” frame.

From a breaking ball standpoint, Jang throws a power slider that is already in the mid-80s with high spin and sweeping action. The curveball sits in the upper 70s with nice downward action.

Jang still needs to work on his changeup development, but if it does come along, he could have a solid four-pitch arsenal. Jang tends to overthrow at times, but he still is a consistent strike-thrower. It is hard to put a projection on him, considering he has not pitched professionally, but there is a lot of like in his profile.

Seeing Jang pitch for the first time stateside in 2024 is going to be a blast and there is a chance that he could rocket up boards.

Be Sure to Check Out Our Dodgers Top Prospects