Dodgers top pitching prospect announces lofty goals for 2026

Los Angeles Dodgers No. 6 pick Jackson Ferris revealed his plans to make his MLB debut in the 2026 season.

Ferris is currently the Dodgers’ highest-rated pitching prospect and spent the entire 2025 season with Double-A Tulsa.

“At the end of the day, I have to force their hand,” Ferris told Doug McKain of Dodgers Nation. “Do what I can, and hopefully this year can end up being the year.”

The right-hander has been with the team since 2024, when he came to the Dodgers organization with outfielder Zyhir Hope in exchange for Michael Busch and Yency Almonte.

How did Jackson Ferris perform in 2026?

The 2022 second-round pick made 26 appearances for the Drillers in 2025, including 24 starts. He threw a total of 126 innings last season and had a 3.86 ERA, leading all pitchers with 10 or more starts. His 135 strikeouts also led the team by a wide margin, while the next player recorded 24.

Ferris also played briefly in Double-A during the 2024 season, posting a 2.54 ERA through seven starts.

MLB rates both his fastball and slider highly, comparing him to current Dodgers starting pitcher Blake Snell.

“Ferris’ fastball sits at 90-90 mph and hits 97, and his combination of extension, flat approach angle and carry makes it difficult to run,” MLB.com’s scouting report reads. “Los Angeles had him ditch an upper-80s sweeper that Chicago had helped him develop in favor of a harder, tighter mid-80s slider, which he throws more easily for strikes and which looks like an asset. His low-70s downer curveball has a similar advantage, although it wasn’t as effective in 2024 because he spent more time concentrating on his new slider.”

“Ferris’ mid-80s change shows he’s become a solid offering but could use a more consistent fade and sink, and upgrading that will be a focus in 2025. He operates with a somewhat complicated delivery that can get out of sync, but he’s doing a better job of repeating it and throwing strikes as he gets stronger. He’s drawn physical comparisons to Blake Snell and has better stuff and mechanics at the same stage of their career.”

Do you think Jackson Ferris will be in the MLB this season?