Jon Duplantier and Drew Avans aren’t blue-chip prospects.
Duplantier, 30, is in his second stint with the Dodgers organization and his third organization overall in the last two seasons. Avans, 28, was a 33rd-round draft pick in 2018 who just completed his fourth full season with the Dodgers’ top minor league affiliate without ever getting called up to the big leagues.
Yet both players are exemplary of an often-overlooked reason Oklahoma City hasn’t posted a losing record since 2019: The same player development machine that regularly keeps the Dodgers’ farm system ranked among the top 5 in MLB holds benefits for veteran minor leaguers as well.