With first Double-A homer, No. 2 prospect Hope adds to Dodgers' plethora of OF production

There may not be a commodity in baseball currently hotter than a Dodgers outfielder.

Zyhir Hope added to the hype Saturday night. MLB's No. 24 prospect slugged his first Double-A homer for Tulsa, a three-run shot in the sixth inning off left-hander Mason Molina (Cardinals) that wound up being the deciding factor in a 5-3 win over Springfield at Hammons Field.

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It’s been an uncharacteristically slow overall start to 2026 for Hope (.241 average, .695 OPS), who came out like gangbusters in his first two full pro campaigns. The 21-year-old hit just .184 across 38 Cactus League at-bats after being invited to Major League Spring Training for the second time.

But in the small sample size early-season numbers provide, Saturday was a step in the right direction for Hope, particularly against southpaws, whom he hit just .215 against last year with nine extra-base hits in 152 plate appearances. Add in that the knock gave him a modest seven-game hitting streak to open the year and things can quickly begin to percolate for a prospect with Hope’s pedigree, kind of like a sharpshooter who finally sees one go through the hoop on the basketball court.

Entering the night, Dodgers outfielders led the Majors in all three slash categories (.344/.406/.536), wOBA (.419) and wRC+ (167). Not to mention, they have one of the Minors’ hottest hitters in No. 10 prospect James Tibbs III, who crushed seven roundtrippers in his first eight games for Triple-A Oklahoma City, including a three-homer night. Also in that lineup is No. 19 prospect Ryan Ward, who drilled a walk-off homer Saturday.

Take one step down the Minor League ladder and you’ll first bump into Josue De Paula, the club’s No. 1 prospect and No. 12 overall. Hitting .343 with a .939 OPS, he’s formed a formidable tandem with Hope at the heart of the Tulsa order.

One level below them is the pairing of Eduardo Quintero (No. 3) and Mike Sirota (No. 4) -- both Top 100 overall prospects -- who patrol the outfield grass for High-A Great Lakes.

So how to stand out? Hope has talked about being a "student of the game" as he makes his way up through the system. But he’s also able to lean on De Paula, whom he’s been teammates with on primetime stages like the All-Star Futures Game.

Hope, the Dodgers’ No. 2 prospect, will be 21 for all of the 2026 campaign. He’s three years younger than the average Texas League player and has faced a pitcher younger than him in just 3.4 percent of his career plate appearances.

The beauty of Los Angeles' overabundance of outfield production is that they can marry Hope's natural ability with patience, enabling him to slug his way through each stop en route to Hollywood.