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Dodgers No. 9 prospect Christian Zazueta was untouchable in his latest High-A start, retiring all 15 batters he faced across five perfect innings while racking up seven strikeouts, per MLB.com staff. Fifteen up, fifteen down — that’s about as clean as it gets at any level.

Zazueta has been climbing the Dodgers’ prospect rankings steadily, and outings like this are exactly why. The left-hander has shown an advanced feel for pitching that belies his age and level, combining solid command with the ability to miss bats at a high rate. Seven strikeouts in five innings is a 12.6 K/9 pace, and doing it without allowing a single baserunner speaks to the kind of precision the Dodgers’ pitching development machine loves to cultivate. He’s been one of the more intriguing arms in the system — not necessarily the guy with the loudest stuff, but someone who knows how to pitch and consistently attacks the zone with purpose.

For a franchise that has built its sustained success in large part on developing pitching from within, Zazueta fits the mold perfectly. The Dodgers have a long track record of identifying and nurturing arms through their minor league system — guys who may not light up radar guns at 100 mph but who understand sequencing, location, and how to get outs efficiently. Zazueta’s ability to work through a lineup without anyone reaching base shows the kind of command and composure that translates as pitchers move up through the system.

From a big-picture perspective, starts like this matter because our pitching depth is always going to be tested. With Tyler Glasnow still working his way back and the front office likely eyeing trade deadline acquisitions, homegrown arms who can develop into legitimate options down the road give the organization flexibility. Zazueta isn’t knocking on the door of the big leagues tomorrow, but a High-A arm putting up perfect outings with seven punchouts is exactly the kind of development step you want to see. He’s one to keep on your radar as the season progresses — the Dodgers clearly have something cooking with this kid, and nights like this are how prospects start turning heads beyond just the organizational rankings.

I’ll be watching his next few starts closely. Sustaining this kind of dominance at High-A — even in small stretches — is what separates the prospects who keep climbing from the ones who plateau. So far, Zazueta looks like a climber.

Source(s): Staff (MLB.com) | First reported: June 19, 2026 2:45 PM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers