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Dalton Rushing had quite the weekend.
It all started in Los Angeles, where the Dodgers’ No. 1 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, was honored with the Branch Rickey Award for being the Los Angeles Dodgers’ minor league hitter of the year at Dodger Stadium. It ended in Utah, where he hit two home runs.
“That’s pretty amazing. Dodger Stadium and the Dodgers fans are just incredible. It’s one of the best atmospheres in sports, if not the best,” Rushing shared with MLB.com. “I get so much support from the fans. They know all the prospects, all the players, and they cheer from the front row, encouraging me to get ready and join the team. It’s a special feeling to hear those things.
“It’s pretty special.”
The No. 36 prospect in Major League Baseball made the most of a day off to accept his award and watch his Triple-A teammates play. Rushing flew out of Los Angeles at 9 a.m. on Saturday and returned to Utah just in time for Oklahoma City’s second-to-last regular-season game at Smith’s Ballpark.
“At first, I thought, ‘Wow, this is going to be a long day,’” he recalled. “But in baseball, the less you think, the better things usually turn out for you.”
He started strong, hitting a 432-foot two-run homer in the first inning followed by a 461-foot home run in the third inning — his longest in Triple-A — with an impressive exit velocity of 109 mph.
The 23-year-old always knew he had power, but some adjustments in his approach this season allowed him to showcase it.
“Coming into this year, my main goal was to swing the bat more,” Rushing explained. “I understood the risks but also saw the potential rewards. By doing so, my strikeout rate remained consistent with last year while my walk rate dipped slightly. It’s a sacrifice you make as a hitter to drive in more runs for the team. I think that’s the key difference. I approached every at-bat this year with that mindset.”
These adjustments have paid off, with Rushing totaling 114 hits between Double-A and Triple-A, including 26 home runs. He boasts a .273 batting average and a .900 OPS as the minor league regular season nears its end.
Since moving up to Triple-A, he has hit .279 with a .918 OPS in 36 games.
Photo Credit: BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK
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