Stock Up, Stock Down for Los Angeles Dodgers' Top 5 Prospects for Week 1

The Los Angeles Dodgers have welcomed top prospects Corey Seager, Julio Urias and Joc Pederson to the big league level in recent seasons and there's more high-end talent on the way.

Cody Bellinger, Alex Verdugo, Wille Calhoun and Walker Buehler headline the top homegrown draft talents, while a free-spending approach on the international market has netted Yadier Alvarez, Yusniel Diaz and a host of other intriguing prospects.

It's one of the deepest minor league systems in the league with a number of players capable of jumping into the organizational top 10 with strong seasons, but for now, it's the aforementioned group that will receive the bulk of the attention.

With that in mind, ahead is a look at how the team's top five prospects—according to MLB.com—are performing and whether their stock is trending up or down as a result.

Note: The following is an update on the team's top five prospects who are currently active at some level of the minors. This time around, that meant No. 2 prospect Yadier Alvarez was excluded, as he's currently being held back at extended spring training.

No. 6 Prospect: CF Yusniel Diaz, High-A Rancho Cucamonga

Last Week: 7 G, 9-for-27, 3 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2/3 BB/K

Overview

Yusniel Diaz checks in among the team's top prospects due more to his long-term potential than anything he's done on the field to date.

The 20-year-old spent the bulk of last season at the High-A level, where he hit a respectable .272/.333/.418 with 23 extra-base hits in 348 plate appearances.

The Cuban defector—who inked a $15.5 million bonus with a matching tax penalty back in 2015—has returned to High-A Rancho Cucamonga to start the 2017 season, but the way his bat has caught fire, he might not be there for long.

After starting the season 1-for-15, he's gone 8-for-12 in his past three games, including back-to-back three-hit performances.

Stock: Up

No. 5 Prospect: RHP Walker Buehler, High-A Rancho Cucamonga

Last Week: 1 GS, ND, 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K

Overview

Walker Buehler slipped to the Dodgers at No. 24 in the 2015 draft after dealing with elbow issues during his junior season at Vanderbilt that eventually led to Tommy John surgery in August.

He threw just five innings in his pro debut after finally returning to the mound, but it hasn't taken him long to turn heads.

"It's elite stuff," pitching coach Rick Honeycutt told Ken Gurnick of MLB.com this spring. "You take any of these young men and you see their stuff, and all you want to know is, when is the right time? And they tell you when is the right time. But the actual pitch-ability and actual stuff ranks up there pretty much with anybody."

His fastball touched 99 and was backed with good off-speed stuff in his season debut on Monday, per Taylor Blake Ward of Scout.com.

As the organization starts to let out the leash a bit, a midseason promotion to Double-A and a 2018 arrival in the big leagues isn't out of the question.

Stock: Even

No. 4 Prospect: 2B Willie Calhoun, Triple-A Oklahoma City

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Last Week: 8 G, 9-for-26, 3 2B, 3 RBI, 5 R, 1/1 BB/K

Overview

We all know Willie Calhoun can hit.

The 22-year-old posted a .788 OPS with 25 doubles, 27 home runs and 88 RBI at the Double-A level last year—his first full professional season after being taken in the fourth round of the 2015 draft.

The question is where he'll wind up defensively.

For the time being, he's still lining up at second base, but a long-term move to a corner outfield spot remains his most likely path to a big league job.

So far, so good with the jump to Triple-A, and if he continues to impress against higher-level pitching, it will undoubtedly push up his timetable to a potential second-half arrival.

Stock: Even

No. 3 Prospect: RF Alex Verdugo, Triple-A Oklahoma City

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Last Week: 6 G, 10-for-24, 3 2B, 2 3B, 2 RBI, 4 R, 2/4 BB/K

Overview

Alex Verdugo isn't quite viewed as an elite-level prospect due to questions about how much power he'll develop, especially considering he's projected to play right field.

However, his 60-grade hit tool should be enough to carry his offensive value, even if he winds up being a 12- to 15-homer guy at the next level.

The 20-year-old hit .273/.336/.407 with 23 doubles, 13 home runs and 63 RBI in Double-A last season, adding 12 outfield assists thanks to his 70-grade arm.

He's probably the most polished of the team's top prospects at this point and he could be the first from this group to arrive in the majors in 2017.

Stock: Up

No. 1 Prospect: 1B/OF Cody Bellinger, Triple-A Oklahoma City

Matt York/Associated Press

Last Week: 7 G, 11-for-28, 3 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R, 2/9 BB/K

Overview

With a smooth lefty swing and perhaps the most current playable power of any prospect in baseball, Cody Bellinger is going to make an impact in Los Angeles at some point this season.

The 21-year-old is blocked at first base by 34-year-old Adrian Gonzalez—who is signed through the 2018 season—but he has the athleticism to play all three outfield spots, and he could be manning left field before the All-Star break.

Bellinger posted an .872 OPS with 26 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A last season and in the process trimmed his strikeout rate (27.6 to 19.7 percent) and raised his walk rate (9.6 to 12.6 percent).

His 9-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 30 plate appearances so far this season isn't great, but there's no ignoring the .393 batting average and seeing the ball well often leads to a more aggressive approach.

All signs point to future stardom.

Stock: Up

All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and MiLB.com, and accurate through Thursday, April 13.