Caleb Ferguson

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #6 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Ferguson had Tommy John surgery his senior year of high school, but the Dodgers gave him $100,000 to sign as a 38th-rounder even with the injury. After rehab and three years of careful workload management, the Dodgers turned Ferguson loose in 2017, and he went out and won the California League ERA title. He followed with 10 dominant starts at Double-A and Triple-A to open 2018 and reached the majors in June.
  
  Scouting Report: Previously able to touch 94 mph only in his first inning before dropping to 89-92, Ferguson improved his nutrition and fitness in 2018 and better sustained his velocity. With a slimmer and stronger body, his fastball now sits 93-95 mph and touches 97 in relief, and he holds it over multiple innings. His main secondary is an above-average upper 70s curveball with 12-to-6 bite that he controls better than his fastball. Ferguson's fringy changeup is raw and rarely used, but his fastball-curveball is combo potent enough he still had reverse-splits, posting better numbers against righties (.661 OPS) than lefties (.733) in his major league debut.
  
  The Future: Ferguson has already shown himself to be a relief asset in the majors. Depending on the Dodgers' needs and if he's given the chance to develop his third pitch, he could still grow into a rotation piece.
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #20 prospect in 2018
  Ferguson had Tommy John surgery his senior year at West Jefferson (Ohio) High and intended to honor his commitment to West Virginia, but the Dodgers drafted him in the 38th round a few weeks after surgery and signed him for $100,000. Ferguson slowly worked his way back and pitched a full season in 2017 for the first time in four years. He led the high Class A California League in ERA (2.87) and finished third in strikeouts (140) at Rancho Cucamonga. Ferguson is a physical lefthander who flashes intriguing stuff with a low-90s fastball that will touch 94 mph and a 12-to-6 curveball with bite in the mid-70s. The two pitches get him swings and misses, but he often nibbles with his fastball and his curveball feel comes and goes, resulting in a high walk rate (4.0 per nine innings). He also has a fledgling changeup that shows late action and fade. Ferguson's arm is late in his delivery and causes him trouble repeating his release point, leaving evaluators skeptical his control will get better. Most see Ferguson as a future lefty specialist if he can improve the consistency of his curveball. He will remain a starter for now at Double-A Tulsa in 2018.

• February, 2019 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Ferguson had Tommy John surgery his senior year of high school, but the Dodgers gave him $100,000 to sign as a 38th-rounder even with the injury. After rehab and three years of careful workload management, the Dodgers turned Ferguson loose in 2017, and he went out and won the California League ERA title. He followed with 10 dominant starts at Double-A and Triple-A to open 2018 and reached the majors in June.
  
  Scouting Report: Previously able to touch 94 mph only in his first inning before dropping to 89-92, Ferguson improved his nutrition and fitness in 2018 and better sustained his velocity. With a slimmer and stronger body, his fastball now sits 93-95 mph and touches 97 in relief, and he holds it over multiple innings. His main secondary is an above-average upper 70s curveball with 12-to-6 bite that he controls better than his fastball. Ferguson's fringy changeup is raw and rarely used, but his fastball-curveball is combo potent enough he still had reverse-splits, posting better numbers against righties (.661 OPS) than lefties (.733) in his major league debut.
  
  The Future: Ferguson has already shown himself to be a relief asset in the majors. Depending on the Dodgers' needs and if he's given the chance to develop his third pitch, he could still grow into a rotation piece.