Dodgers: Ryan Noda Among Prospects at Risk of Being Lost in MLB Rule 5 Draft

This winter, the MLB Rule 5 draft was put on hold as a result of the lockout. However, once the league and players union reach an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement in early 2022, it is expected to resume. With that in mind, there are several Dodgers who could be chosen in the subsequent rule 5 draft.

The 2021 draft prospects include minor league outfielder Jeren Kendall, who Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic sees as LA's most likely loss in the draft. Here's a takeaway from his analysis of the athlete.

Taking Kendall straight out of Double-A would certainly be a high-risk selection, but the tools that made him a first-round pick in 2017 still remain. … If there’s a team that looks at Kendall’s career 36.7 percent strikeout rate and feels it can correct some things, maybe it takes a chance.

While Kendall is regarded as a great defensive outfielder, his batting has been disappointing. With the Dodgers, he's hit just .219 over four seasons and struck out 448 times in 311 games. When he does manage to get on base, pitchers should have their heads on a swivel because he can run. In 2018, he stole a career-high 37 bases.

It's more than likely any team that takes a chance on Kendall won't be contending for the World Series title in 2022. But he's a low-risk, high-reward candidate for a squad searching for outfield assistance.

Dodgers Nation prospects expert, Tim Rogers, identified Leonel Valera, Drew Avans, and Ryan Noda as three more players who show promise if selected by other teams. Tim highlighted Valera last month as one of the Dodgers prospects who should be protected from the Rule 5 draft on the 40-man roster.

“It seems that Leonel Valera has been on and off prospect lists for the last five years,” Tim said at the time. "There is a lot of raw ability but the production might not indicate another team might take him.”

Due to the large number of free-agent infielders on the market, Valera may be safe this time.

Drew Avans showed some on-base skills, but not much else. Last summer, at the age of 25, he finally arrived in Triple-A, and it's possible he did enough (.275/.388/.438, 15 2B, 5 HRs, 32 RBIs) to get noticed. Most likely by a team in the middle of rebuilding.

Finally, Ryan Noda was the player to be named later in the Ross Stripling trade from 2020. In 2021, according to some metrics, this outfielder/first baseman had his finest season as a professional. Over 113 games at Double-A level, the 25-year-old hit .250/.383/.521 with 29 home runs. Casey Porter of Dodgers 2080, focused on that big power a few months ago.