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Dodgers Prospects: Andy Pages – A Name to Familiarize Yourself With

Pages has some serious tools

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The Dodgers have a history of international signings working out well for them. The first player that may come to mind is Yasiel Puig but now Andy Pages is making a name for himself. Pages was signed by the Dodgers in October 2018 for a $300,000 signing bonus. It was not difficult for the Dodgers eyes to be drawn to Pages as he was considered to be one of the top hitters within his age group in Cuba.

Pre-2021 Highlights

When Pages was 15 years old he slashed .314/.484/.581 over 161 plate appearances. At the age of 16 Pages saw himself playing in the 18U league which did not faze him one bit. Pages slashed .248/.384/.376 in 129 plate appearances. Pages found himself playing in 42 games in the Dominican Summer League in 2018. He posted a slash line of .236/.393/.486/.879 while slugging 9 homers in 178 plate appearances.

Pages then appeared in just 10 games with the Arizona League Dodgers. In 2019 he put up impressive numbers in the Pioneer League which only put his name on the map more. In 63 games and 279 plate appearances, Pages smashed 19 home runs paired with a .298/.398/.651/1.049 slash line. The only downside to Pages’ young career thus far has been that his swing has a tendency to get a bit long resulting in a high strikeout rate. In 2019, Pages struck out 28.3% of the time in 63 games and in 2021 he is sitting at a 24.7% strikeout rate in 100 games.

Offensive Scouting Report

Pages also has a tendency to get pull happy. He had a 51.3 pull% between 2 teams in 2018, a 49.4 pull% in 2019, and a whopping 51.5 pull% here in 2021. Pitchers will continue to take advantage by pitching Pages away until he proves he can handle it. The upside is that Pages is in the right system to make adjustments to stop pitchers from exposing his long lofty swing as he furthers his development.

Pages’ biggest strength is clearly his bat. His elite bat speed and plus power makes him one of the highest upside bats within the Dodgers farm system. Pages has an upright stance where he relaxes his hands by his shoulder and an upright bat almost making you think you are watching Justin Turner hit.

Pages may be young (20 years old) but his approach is that of a big league hitter. He does show a great feel for the zone and has no problem taking advantage of high fastballs and hanging breaking balls. Pages rarely hits the ball on the ground. In 2018 and 2019 he surpassed a flyball rate of 50%. When he connects, he connects and he will let you know with his enthused bat flips.

Pages has no problem elevating that baseball and getting the barrel to and through the ball as well as the zone. Pages possesses excellent bat-to-ball skills and continues to prove that in 2021 slashing .255/.383/.529/.912 with 75 RBI. His 26 home runs make him the leader in all three High-A divisions. Pages was even named to the MiLB Prospect Team of the Week covering games from July 26-August 1 after he slashed .435/.500/.913 with 10 hits, 2 2B, 3 homers, 9 RBI, 5 runs in 23 at-bats over 6 games.

The Arm

Pages is likely to find himself in a corner outfield spot even though he has proved he can handle center field. Being only 20 years old you can expect him to fill out more which could slow down his step a little bit. He shows average routes to the ball but has shown that he can cover enough ground to make up for it with his ability to read the ball off the bat well. When you think of Pages’ defensive abilities his arm is what stands out more than his fielding ability. He carries an above-average arm that has earned a plus-plus grade from some scouts. The arm has not been extremely accurate but does have great on-line carry and the natural arm strength he carries with him helps with that. The power and strength Pages provides profiles him as a right fielder down the line should the Dodgers choose.

Outlook

The most important thing to remember with Andy Pages is that he is only 20 years old and has already shown a great amount of potential. He has the chance to show the Dodgers what kind of prospect he can be ever since he was almost traded to the Los Angels in the 2020 offseason. It is fair to say the Dodgers are glad that trade fell through and now Pages finds himself as the Dodgers 6th ranked prospect.

The raw power he has showcased enhances his chances to have a strong role for the Dodgers down the line no matter where he ends up defensively. It is fair to say Dodger fans can expect Pages to be knocking on the door to the big leagues in 2023-2024. Every fan should be getting to know the name Andy Pages moving forward.

Andy Pages

Written by jackpryor0025

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