A Wisconsin prep product, Lux was one of the few high schoolers in the 2016 draft class that showed the defensive skillset of a future big league shortstop, earning him a first-round selection (20th overall) by the Dodgers this June and a juicy seven-figure signing bonus. Lux has begun his pro career at the Arizona complexes, seeing action in 12 games thus far, and demonstrating impressive presence, and a willingness and ability to slow the game down both in the box and on the dirt.

With a good understanding of the strike zone, and an ability to work counts and find his pitches, Lux has already stood out for patience and selective aggression against the ancient arms he’s faced in Rookie ball. It may be a year or two before the body fully catches up to the secondary skills, at which point the hard contact produced will start to blossom into more consistent gap and over-the-fence pop. Some in-game errors notwithstanding, nothing in Lux’s actions at the six spot have evaluators questioning the pre-draft projection that the former Arizona State commit can stick at shortstop long term, and as he matures physically, he should see an increase in his effective range and arm strength.

There’s a long way to go before Lux establishes himself as an impact prospect, but the ingredients are all there for an above-average defensive shortstop with a top-of-the-order stick to emerge from the developmental oven. There’s little reason for the Dodgers to rush Lux, and expectations seem to be that he’ll be given a long leash in Rookie ball and fall instructs before being challenged with an A-ball assignment.