Our final preview comes with the opening days for Double A, High A and Single A on the horizon. The Dodgers welcome a new affiliate, the Ontario Tower Buzzers, to their full season roster as a brand new addition at the Single A level. John Shoemaker, a Dodgers coaching legend, helms the Buzzers in his 50th year with the organization.
Last season (as the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes) was a success for the Dodgers’ Single A squad, as they went 70-62 and finished first overall in the California League South Division while winning the first half crown. Unfortunately, they dropped both games in the divisional round of the playoffs.
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A new season with a new affiliate will provide both familiar faces as well as hidden gems being uncovered. Some of the organization’s top young talent should take the field for the Buzzers this year. Unlike the previous entries in this series, the Single A roster has been announced so we can break down who we know will be starting the year in Ontario.
Emil Morales headlines the offense after an impressive stateside debut in 2025 and a strong spring training performance. The 19 year old shortstop hit .339/.420/.548 in 30 games during his A ball debut last year.
Joendry Vargas will also be returning to Single A to begin the inaugural Ontario season. Still just 20 years old, Joendry has lots of time to prove he can be an impact infielder after missing most of 2025 due to injury.
In the outfield, there’s athleticism to spare. Landyn Vidourek hit well in his brief stint with Rancho during his pro debut and has tools galore, including one of the strongest outfield arms in the system. Brendan Tunink looks a lot like Vidourek, just without the arm strength.
The pitching staff should feature some of the most promising but raw arms on the farm.
Marlon Nieves was another disappointing no-show at Spring Breakout but he put together eight promising starts with the Quakes last year. Luis Carias has a similar build/profile: mid to upper 90s heat with a potential plus breaking ball.
A pair of 2025 draft picks will be making their professional debuts in Ontario this year. Cam Leiter, the Dodgers’ second round pick and nephew of Mark and Al, will debut with the Tower Buzzers to start the season. He’ll be joined by 7th rounder Mason Estrada, who dominated for MIT last spring.
Let’s take our final stab at an opening day lineup:
RF Landyn VidourekSS Emil MoralesLF Jaron Elkins3B Chase Harlan2B Joendry Vargas1B Easton SheltonDH AJ SoldraCF Brendan TuninkC Conner O’NealP Marlon Nieves
There’s a huge amount of upside on this squad. Expect to see some breakouts and promotions from the names mentioned above.
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That does it for our preview series as the minor league regular season opens in full this week. Be sure to check back regularly and follow on social media for all the latest Dodgers prospect news!
