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The Dodgers are leaning into technology to refine Dalton Rushing‘s catching skills and help him adjust to the challenges posed by the Automated Ball-Strike system, per Fabian Ardaya at The New York Times. This is the kind of detail that tells you a lot about how the organization thinks about player development — they’re not just throwing Rushing behind the plate and hoping it clicks. They’re actively building a framework around him.

Rushing has been one of the more exciting catching prospects in the Dodgers’ system for a while now. The 2022 first-round pick out of Louisville came into pro ball with a bat that turned heads immediately — left-handed power from the catcher position is rare and valuable. But as anyone who follows this team knows, catching in the modern game is about far more than what you do at the plate. Framing, game-calling, blocking, and now navigating an automated strike zone all matter. Rushing’s offensive tools were never the question. The question has always been whether the defensive side of the equation would come along fast enough to keep him behind the plate full-time rather than shifting him to first base or a corner outfield spot. The fact that the Dodgers are investing this kind of technological infrastructure into his receiving work suggests they see a viable everyday catcher here, not just a bat they need to find a position for.

The ABS element is particularly interesting. The automated strike zone has changed the calculus for catchers across the minors and now into the majors. Traditional pitch framing — the art of subtly presenting borderline pitches to steal strikes — matters less when a computer is making the call. But that doesn’t mean receiving is irrelevant. Catchers still need to handle pitches cleanly, give their pitchers confidence, and understand the geometry of the zone in a way that helps them set up hitters. The Dodgers using tech to help Rushing internalize the ABS zone and adjust his mechanics accordingly is smart, forward-thinking work. It’s the kind of edge this organization has consistently sought.

I think this is a meaningful window into how the Dodgers view Rushing’s future. They’re not hedging — they’re doubling down on him as a catcher. With the tools they’re putting around him, they clearly believe the defensive development is achievable. For a team that has cycled through catching options for years, developing a homegrown answer at the position with this kind of offensive upside would be a significant win. Rushing still has work to do, but the organizational commitment here is clear, and that matters.

Source(s): Fabian Ardaya (The New York Times) | First reported: June 4, 2026 2:44 AM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers