Could Jakob Wright Be The Dodgers’ Next Sleeper Pitching Prospect?

Image credit: Jakob Wright (Photo by Bill Mitchell)

Each year following the draft, you can scan the Dodgers’ picks and know there’s at least one pitcher who will rise up rankings in the next calendar year. From Ryan Pepiot and Landon Knack to Gavin Stone and Emmet Sheehan, there’s a long line of quality Dodgers pitching prospects in recent memory.

While no breakout arms from the 2024 draft class have yet to emerge, Jakob Wright is a name to watch in 2025. 

A 6-foot lefthander ranked as the Dodgers’ No. 23 prospect for 2025, Wright spent three seasons at Cal Poly, redshirting his freshman year in 2022 before spending the majority of 2023 and 2024 in the Mustangs; rotation. After an up-and-down full season in 2023, Wright made 15 starts in 2024, pitching to a 9-3 record with a 2.97 ERA and a 27% strikeout rate. The Dodgers selected Wright in the fourth round that summer, and he signed for $553, 800.

The Dodgers held Wright back after the draft, and he did not make his professional debut until April 6 of this season. In his first start, he tossed 3.2 scoreless innings, allowing two hits, two walks and striking out five. Wright mixed a four-seam fastball, sinker, cutter and changeup. His velocity was noticeably up from his time at Cal Poly, as his fastball sat 93-95 mph—a four mph jump from college. This newly-added velocity wasn’t the only change in Wright’s repertoire, as he replaced a slurvy low-80s breaking ball with a mid-to-upper-80s cutter with high spin rates. 

This new version of Wright is in stark contrast to his amateur career, when he mostly worked off a cut-fastball and the aforementioned slurvy breaking ball. Now, Wright is showing more power and a collection of pitches that all move in different directions. His new sinker, in particular, looks like it could be a welcomed addition to his arsenal. He threw it seven times in his first start, and it showed the ability to create sink and armside run with good velocity. 

This development of both the sinker and cutter have Wright primed for a potential breakout. It’s a good blend of pitchability, stuff and an unusual look for a lefthander. He now has the ability to generate outs with swings and misses and ground balls in a way his previous profile did not. 

It’s still extremely early, but the returns so far suggest Wright could be the Dodgers pitching prospect to follow in 2025. Only time will tell if he’ll prove to be another diamond-in-the-rough find by the reigning world champions.