Dalton Rushing

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #1 prospect in 2025
  BA Grade/Risk: 60/High.
  
  Track Record: Looking back, the catching situation at Louisville in 2021 was one of the best position groups in the nation. The Cardinals’ starter that year was Henry Davis, whom the Pirates drafted No. 1 overall that summer. The following year, with Davis in pro ball, Rushing got his chance to shine. He swatted 23 homers, posted a 1.156 OPS and was drafted by the Dodgers in the second round—40th overall—in 2022. In the two full seasons since, Rushing has impressed with a combination of hitting ability, a keen eye and plenty of power.
  
  Scouting Report: Rushing is a strong-bodied lefthanded hitter with the power output to match. He racked up 48 extra-base hits in 2024, including 26 home runs, which placed second in the system. His batted-ball data, including 90th percentile and maximum exit velocities of 106 and 111 mph, showed that Rushing is capable of making frequent loud contact. Those traits have been present throughout the course of his career, but 2024 was the first time as a pro when his actual output matched his expected numbers. The biggest reason for the uptick was an improvement against premium velocity. At High-A in 2023, he struggled against pitches 94 mph and harder. A year later he hit .284/.415/.493 against those pitches. Rushing entered the season with a stated goal of improving his strikeout rate, which he accomplished. He lowered it by nearly four percentage points to 20.5% while playing at Double-A and Triple-A. Now, the question is which glove he’ll wear on his left hand when he takes the field for his major league debut. The Dodgers gave Rushing more and more exposure to left field in 2024, especially once he reached Triple-A. Scouts who saw Rushing’s work behind the plate reported a player with reliable hands, enough mobility to block pitches in the dirt and the above-average arm strength to control the running game. He finished the year with just five passed balls and a 30% caught stealing rate across both levels. Data captured in Triple-A pointed to a swifter runner than one would expect from a catcher. His sprint speed in the Pacific Coast League was 28.4 feet per second, the same figure produced in the big leagues by J.T. Realmuto and Connor Wong, the two fastest MLB catchers in 2024. That speed also helps him in the outfield, where he’s still got plenty of work to do but should be athletic enough to be an average defender. First base is also an option.
  
  The Future: With Will Smith—another Louisville product—under contract until 2033, the Dodgers have their catching spot locked down. Rushing’s bat will easily profile in an outfield corner and should add another jolt of power to their lineup, likely as soon as 2025.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 60 | Run: 50 | Fielding: 50 | Arm: 50
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #1 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 55/High
  
  Track Record: Rushing spent his first two seasons at Louisville as the backup catcher behind 2021 first overall pick Henry Davis but flourished once he got the chance to start. He hit a team-high 23 homers for the Cardinals in his lone season as the starter in 2022 and was drafted 40th overall by the Dodgers. He hit .424 in 28 games for Low-A Rancho Cucamonga after signing and continued to shine in his first full season in 2023. Rushing went on the injured list twice with a lingering concussion but still had 15 home runs in 89 games at High-A Great Lakes.
  
  Scouting Report: A hard-hitting linebacker in high school, Rushing is a muscular, broad-chested specimen who can squat 700 pounds. He’s a patient hitter with excellent strike-zone discipline and demolishes pitches over the plate with a violent, compact swing. He frequently posts exit velocities over 110 mph and shows nearly plus-plus power with towering home runs to right field. Rushing’s hands aren’t particularly fluid and he can be beat by velocity up in the zone, but his discipline and power give him a chance to be a fringe-average hitter who reaches 30 home runs per season. Rushing is a good athlete behind the plate and flashes soft hands, but his receiving remains raw. He is still honing his technique and stances and projects to be a fringe-average defender. He has above-average arm strength that is hamstrung by poor accuracy. Rushing is a fiery competitor, but sometimes he gets too intense and gets off track with his game-calling and management.
  
  The Future: Rushing will continue to develop as a catcher but may end up at first base, with Will Smith entrenched behind the plate for the Dodgers. He has the bat to be an impact, middle-of-the-order hitter at any position.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 65 | Run: 45 | Field: 45 | Arm: 55
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #8 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
  
  Track Record: Rushing spent his first two seasons at Louisville backing up future No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis at catcher and didn't get a chance to start until his junior year. He impressed with a standout showing in the Cape Cod League before the season and followed with a team-high 23 home runs in the spring. The Dodgers drafted Rushing with the 40th overall pick in 2022 after he wowed them during interviews at the draft combine and signed him for $1,956,800. Rushing continued to mash after signing, hitting .424 with eight home runs in 30 games for Low-A Rancho Cucamonga and solidifying the Dodgers' belief he was a first-round talent who fell.
  
  Scouting Report: A standout linebacker in high school, Rushing is a muscular, physical slugger who squats 700 pounds and does immense damage with his raw strength. He unloads on balls with a compact, violent swing and crushes them to all fields, frequently clearing 400 feet. He has exceptional plate discipline and an advanced feel for picking out pitches he can drive, helping him project to be an average hitter with plus power. Rushing has holes in his swing, primarily against fastballs up and in, but the Dodgers believe adjustments to his posture will rectify the issue. Rushing is a good athlete despite his bulk and is an average runner underway. He maintains that athleticism behind the plate, but he is very raw as a receiver and is a below-average defender overall. Rushing's glove frequently gets beat by the ball to the spot, and he has timing issues in his framing and blocking. His plus arm strength is hindered by below-average throwing accuracy. Rushing has the elite work ethic and competitive makeup to improve.
  
  The Future: Rushing projects to be a slugger who hits in the middle of the order regardless of position. He'll focus on improving his defense to stay behind the plate in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50. Power: 60. Speed: 45. Fielding: 40. Arm: 55

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #44 prospect in 2022 draft
  School: Louisville Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted
  Age At Draft: 21.4
  BA Grade: 50/High
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 30 | Field: 45 | Arm: 60
  A compact and strong catcher with a 6-foot-1, 220-pound frame, Rushing has been an impressive hitter throughout his collegiate career but didn’t get a chance to show his catching chops regularly until the 2022 season. Rushing split time at first base and catcher during his first two years—when 2021 No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis was on the same team—and played mostly first base in the Cape Cod League with Bourne in 2021, where he acquitted himself nicely, hitting .314/.401/.542 with six home runs and nine doubles. This spring, Rushing has been one of the more impressive college hitters in the country. Through 61 games, Rushing hit .311/.477/.693 with 22 home runs, 15 doubles and 49 walks (17.3 BB%) to 55 strikeouts (19.4%). Rushing has some holes in his swing, and he has struggled against 93-plus mph velocity throughout his career, but he swings at pitches he can do damage with and makes plenty of impact when he makes contact, with strong exit velocity numbers and good barrel rates. While Rushing’s offensive performance certainly improved his stock, what really pushed him into top-two round territory was his defensive play later in the season behind the plate. Scouts came away impressed with his defensive ability and wondered why he wasn’t catching every day for the Cardinals, with fine receiving skills and plus arm strength. He threw out 31% of basestealers and should only improve his defensive foundation while getting more reps and development time at the position in pro ball.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #26 prospect in 2024
• Ranked Baseball America's #44 prospect in 2023

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
  
  Track Record: Rushing spent his first two seasons at Louisville backing up future No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis at catcher and didn't get a chance to start until his junior year. He impressed with a standout showing in the Cape Cod League before the season and followed with a team-high 23 home runs in the spring. The Dodgers drafted Rushing with the 40th overall pick in 2022 after he wowed them during interviews at the draft combine and signed him for $1,956,800. Rushing continued to mash after signing, hitting .424 with eight home runs in 30 games for Low-A Rancho Cucamonga and solidifying the Dodgers' belief he was a first-round talent who fell.
  
  Scouting Report: A standout linebacker in high school, Rushing is a muscular, physical slugger who squats 700 pounds and does immense damage with his raw strength. He unloads on balls with a compact, violent swing and crushes them to all fields, frequently clearing 400 feet. He has exceptional plate discipline and an advanced feel for picking out pitches he can drive, helping him project to be an average hitter with plus power. Rushing has holes in his swing, primarily against fastballs up and in, but the Dodgers believe adjustments to his posture will rectify the issue. Rushing is a good athlete despite his bulk and is an average runner underway. He maintains that athleticism behind the plate, but he is very raw as a receiver and is a below-average defender overall. Rushing's glove frequently gets beat by the ball to the spot, and he has timing issues in his framing and blocking. His plus arm strength is hindered by below-average throwing accuracy. Rushing has the elite work ethic and competitive makeup to improve.
  
  The Future: Rushing projects to be a slugger who hits in the middle of the order regardless of position. He'll focus on improving his defense to stay behind the plate in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50. Power: 60. Speed: 45. Fielding: 40. Arm: 55
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
  
  Track Record: Rushing spent his first two seasons at Louisville backing up future No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis at catcher and didn't get a chance to start until his junior year. He impressed with a standout showing in the Cape Cod League before the season and followed with a team-high 23 home runs in the spring. The Dodgers drafted Rushing with the 40th overall pick in 2022 after he wowed them during interviews at the draft combine and signed him for $1,956,800. Rushing continued to mash after signing, hitting .424 with eight home runs in 30 games for Low-A Rancho Cucamonga and solidifying the Dodgers' belief he was a first-round talent who fell.
  
  Scouting Report: A standout linebacker in high school, Rushing is a muscular, physical slugger who squats 700 pounds and does immense damage with his raw strength. He unloads on balls with a compact, violent swing and crushes them to all fields, frequently clearing 400 feet. He has exceptional plate discipline and an advanced feel for picking out pitches he can drive, helping him project to be an average hitter with plus power. Rushing has holes in his swing, primarily against fastballs up and in, but the Dodgers believe adjustments to his posture will rectify the issue. Rushing is a good athlete despite his bulk and is an average runner underway. He maintains that athleticism behind the plate, but he is very raw as a receiver and is a below-average defender overall. Rushing's glove frequently gets beat by the ball to the spot, and he has timing issues in his framing and blocking. His plus arm strength is hindered by below-average throwing accuracy. Rushing has the elite work ethic and competitive makeup to improve.
  
  The Future: Rushing projects to be a slugger who hits in the middle of the order regardless of position. He'll focus on improving his defense to stay behind the plate in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50. Power: 60. Speed: 45. Fielding: 40. Arm: 55
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  August Update: A compact and strong catcher with a 6-foot-1, 220-pound frame, Rushing has been an impressive hitter throughout his collegiate career but didn&#39t get a chance to show his catching chops regularly until the 2022 season. Rushing split time at first base and catcher during his first two years—when 2021 No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis was on the same team—and played mostly first base in the Cape Cod League with Bourne in 2021, where he acquitted himself nicely, hitting .314/.401/.542 with six home runs and nine doubles. This spring, Rushing has been one of the more impressive college hitters in the country. Through 61 games, Rushing hit .311/.477/.693 with 22 home runs, 15 doubles and 49 walks (17.3 BB%) to 55 strikeouts (19.4%). Rushing has some holes in his swing, and he has struggled against 93-plus mph velocity throughout his career, but he swings at pitches he can do damage with and makes plenty of impact when he makes contact, with strong exit velocity numbers and good barrel rates. While Rushing&#39s offensive performance certainly improved his stock, what really pushed him into top-two round territory was his defensive play later in the season behind the plate. Scouts came away impressed with his defensive ability and wondered why he wasn&#39t catching every day for the Cardinals, with fine receiving skills and plus arm strength. He threw out 31% of basestealers and should only improve his defensive foundation while getting more reps and development time at the position in pro ball.