Dustin May

Position: RHSP
Level: Double-A
Affiliate: Tulsa Drillers
League: Texas League
Born: 09/06/1997 (Age: 26)
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 180
B/T: Right / Right
Acquired: 3rd Rd., 2016 MLB First-Year Player Draft (LAD)

Prospect Spotlight

The Dodgers’ third-rounder from a Dallas-area high school in 2016, May has emerged as the top pitching prospect in the organization. We recently ranked him the #47 prospect in baseball on the Top 125 entering 2019, and he backed up that praise with a strong season debut for Double-A Tulsa. The 21-year-old righty struck out nine in five scoreless innings of work, scattering two hits and a walk.

May’s fastball sat 94-to-97 mph this outing, able to reach back for a high-90s bolt late into the game. His long levers and deceptive three-quarters slot make it even tougher to pick up, playing as a plus pitch that could finish a 60-grade offering in the big leagues. May has limited walks well for a young power arm, but there’s some crossfire in his delivery that still impedes his in-zone command right now. He breezed through five innings against Arkansas, though he was battling his stride direction at times and often yanking fastballs across the plate to his gloveside. May’s best secondary is a hard slurvy breaker, coming in at 83-to-86 mph with hybrid slant between a curve and true slider. It flashes swing/miss potential and is aided by his funky release point. He’s working to improve his 82-to-84 mph changeup, a pitch he worked in more to lefties with a bit of fade.

May is a high-upside mix of stuff, present control, and remaining projection. There are still a few tweaks to iron out, though there’s ample time to do so. It’s impressive enough that he’s reached the high-minors so quickly, and May’s athleticism and track record of improving year-to-year bode well for him reaching his ceiling as a mid-rotation starter.