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  "description": "Live Looks and video from Ontario vs. Rancho Cucamonga",
  "path": "/live-looks-jhonny-level-ching-hsien-ko-argenis-cayama/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-20T11:00:09.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.prospectslive.com",
  "textContent": "This year the Dodgers didn’t just open a new minor‑league affiliate they dropped a full‑blown experience into the California League with the debut of the Ontario Tower Buzzers. Sitting just north of their old Rancho Cucamonga home, the moment you walk into the new ballpark, it’s clear this isn’t a typical California League venue. Most Cal League stadiums seat around 5,000 and stick to the basics simple concourses and a concession stand on each baseline. Ontario breaks that mold entirely. It holds 6,500 fans, features suites, and includes a full second level lined with activities for kids and an impressive variety of food options. I even found a designated area before the game where fans can watch players take batting practice up close.\n\nThe stadium also fits naturally into the growing Ontario sports complex, joining the Toyota Arena, home of the Ontario Clippers, and adding another major attraction to the area. But the most unusual feature something no other Cal League Park offers is in the outfield. Instead of the usual no‑access backdrop, Ontario built seating and a grass berm beyond the outfield wall, giving fans a completely different way to watch the game. Every other stadium in the league keeps all seating in foul territory, so this design immediately sets Ontario apart.\n\nOverall, the ballpark is beautiful, lively, and built with long‑term appeal in mind. It feels like a venue that will stay packed for years, not just because it’s new, but because it genuinely elevates the standard for the entire league.\n\n## Brady Smith P, LAD\n\n2.2 IP 4H 2R 1BB 5K\n\nBrady Smith is a projectable, wiry 6’2”, 170‑lb right‑hander drafted by the Dodgers in the 3rd round of the 2023 draft out of Grainger HS in Tennessee. His frame is lean with significant physical projection, and his operation is built around a four‑pitch mix that already shows balance and feel. The fastball sits 89–92 mph and touches 93, with room for velocity gains as he adds strength. His secondaries are unusually mature for a prep arm: a low‑80s slider, an upper‑70s curveball with bite and depth, and a low‑80s changeup, all which flash average and give him a legitimate starter’s foundation.\n\n0:00\n\n/1:02\n\n1×\n\nIn pro ball, Smith has shown both the upside and volatility typical of a young projection arm. His 2025–26 minor‑league line (42.2 IP, 69 K, 1.45 WHIP) reflects real bat‑missing ability but also bouts of wildness, with walk rates that spike when his delivery drifts. The Dodgers have kept him in a starting role, emphasizing strike‑throwing consistency and physical development. When he’s synced up, the fastball/slider combo plays above the raw velocity, and the full mix gives him a chance to remain a rotation arm. The long‑term outlook is that of a projectable, athletic right‑hander whose ceiling depends on strength gains and command refinement.\n\nSmith’s fastball plays better than the raw velocity because of his angle and the way his arm works. He gets natural ride when he stays behind it. The Dodgers can get additional 2–3 mph to this type of frame, so a future sitting band of 92–94 with 95–96 peaks is realistic once he fills out. Command is inconsistent, but the shape is starter‑friendly. The slider is his most reliable secondary. Short, late action with enough sweep to miss bats against righties. When he maintains his release height, it flashes above‑average, development tends to sharpen this pitch type into a real weapon, especially for RHPs with his arm slot. The curveball a true vertical shape with depth. It’s distinct from the slider not a blended slurve which is a good sign for long‑term pitch design. He shows feel for spin and can land it early in counts. Projection leans toward an average MLB offering. The changeup still the least consistent pitch in the mix, but it shows the right ingredients: arm‑speed replication, early fade, and occasional tumble. Needs more separation off the fastball and more conviction, but the foundation is there for a usable fourth pitch. Smith has a true four‑pitch starter’s mix, with the fastball/slider combo leading the way and the curveball/changeup giving him a chance to turn a lineup over. The entire arsenal projects upward as he adds strength and tightens his delivery.\n\nBrady Smith opened the outing looking like he was about to throw a gem. Through two innings he punched out four, walked one, and kept Giants hitters off balance with the kind of late movement and angle that’s becoming his calling card. The fastball had life, the secondaries were landing, and he was sequencing with more confidence than earlier in the year. The trouble came in the third: he gave up a double to top prospect Jhonny Level, who later scored on a single to right. Then Damian Bravo, an under‑the‑radar riser in that system, smoked a comebacker that drilled Smith on the pitching arm. The trainer checked him, he stayed in, struck out the next hitter, and was then lifted unclear whether it was injury‑related or simply the planned workload.\n\nThis was the second live look of the season, and the trend is clear: the Dodgers are slowly stretching him out, giving him starter’s reps without pushing him deep into games yet. The command was noticeably improved from my first viewing enough to soften the earlier concern that he might be tracking toward a bullpen future if the walks didn’t clean up. The stuff still fits a late‑inning profile if the command backslides, but with the delivery syncing more often and the pitch mix holding, there’s a real path to a rotation role. It’s the kind of outing where the line doesn’t tell the story, but the development does.\n\n## Argenis Cayama RHP, SF\n\n4IP 1H 3R 1BB 10K 1HR\n\nArgenis Cayama is a 19‑year‑old right‑handed starter in the Giants system, listed at 6’0”, 204 lbs, and ranked No. 13 in the organization’s prospect list. He originally trained as an outfielder in Venezuela before converting to the mound, where he quickly began touching the low‑90s with his fastball. The Giants signed him for $147,500 in 2024, and after overcoming a bout of pneumonia, he debuted in the DSL with a 2.21 ERA and strong strikeout indicators. His 2026 he showed a legitimate starter foundation: fastball, slider, changeup & control. His 2026 line in Low‑A (San Jose) shows both bat‑missing ability and developmental volatility: 28 IP, 40 K, 1.21 WHIP with a 5.79 ERA, consistent with a young arm learning to sequence and command his mix at a higher level. He faded down the stretch, with some suggesting he was dealing with a bit of dead arm and general late‑season fatigue.\n\nCayama’s trajectory is trending upward, improved strength and stamina from offseason conditioning, and his strikeout rates across levels 27.8% K rate in Arizona. His fastball/slider combo already grades above average, and the changeup shows enough feel to project as a usable third pitch. The control is ahead of most teenage arms, giving him a realistic chance to remain a starter. With continued refinement and physical development, Cayama has the ingredients to rise further in the system and potentially emerge as one of the Giants’ more impactful young arms.\n\nCayama throws a four‑seamer with ride at the top of the zone, allowing him to work north–south effectively. He’s already reached 97 mph, he can generate late life with a clean, athletic delivery. His two‑seamer features heavy arm‑side run and sink, giving him a legitimate second fastball shape. It’s effective at the knees and produces ground balls at an above‑average rate. Both outlets note he can manipulate the fastball pair well for his age, A tight, gyro‑style slider with late, two‑plane break. It’s his best swing‑and‑miss pitch and consistently fools lower‑level hitters, The changeup shows fade and sink, and he tunnels it well off the fastball. It’s used less frequently than the slider but is functional, especially against right‑handed hitters. Cayama has a true three‑pitch starter’s mix with two distinct fastball shapes, a bat‑missing slider, and a developing but viable changeup. His ability to manipulate movement, repeat a three‑quarters delivery, and throw regular strikes at 18–19 years old is the foundation of his prospect value.\n\n0:00\n\n/0:48\n\n1×\n\nArgenis Cayama came out firing and immediately set the tone against a dangerous Tower Buzzers lineup. He carved through the first inning on three batters, three strikeouts, and walked off the mound looking completely in control. Through two innings he had five punchouts, allowing zero hits while showing the kind of late life and sharp movement that made his stuff look unhittable. By the time he entered the fourth, he’d already piled up seven strikeouts, then punched out the next two hitters including Emil Morales for the second time pushing his total to nine.\n\nThe outing unraveled only after he clipped Tunik with a pitch and then issued a walk to Chase Harlan. That brought up Ching‑Hsien Ko, who unloaded on a mistake and launched a no‑doubt shot to right‑center, pulling the Buzzers back within 3–4. Cayama regrouped, struck out the final hitter of the inning, and finished his day with 4 IP, 10 K, a dominant line with one costly swing. It was the kind of outing that shows both his ceiling electric, bat‑missing stuff and the developmental moments he still must iron out.\n\n## Ching-Hsien Ko OF, LAD\n\n1/3 2R 1BB 3RBI HR\n\nChing‑Hsien Ko is a 6’3”, 215‑lb left‑handed hitting outfielder from Taiwan, signed by the Dodgers in 2024 for $650,000. He broke out internationally at the 2023 U‑18 World Cup, going 11‑for‑20 with seven walks and earning a silver medal, a performance that significantly boosted his profile. The combination of size, athleticism, and left‑handed power potential. Ko entered 2026 ranked No. 14 in the Dodgers system. Ko’s offensive profile is built on advanced contact skills, a mature approach, and emerging raw power. He dominated the Arizona Complex League in 2025 with a 1.026 OPS, walking nearly as often as he struck out, before being challenged by Low‑A pitching. Even in Low‑A, his underlying data remained strong: an 88% zone‑contact rate, above‑average swing‑decision metrics, and a 104 mph 90th‑percentile EV with a shocking 113 mph max during the Cal League playoffs elite raw power for a 19‑year‑old. He handles breaking balls well but can be beaten by velocity up in the zone. His power is still developing, but the underlying batted‑ball data suggests significantly more impact is coming.\n\nDefensively, Ko projects as an average corner outfielder with enough athleticism to handle center in a pinch. His arm grades out as average to above‑average, and his reads and routes are steady, if not standout. Despite his size, he posts 28.5 ft/s sprint speed, which would place him around the 80th percentile at the MLB level impressive for a 6’3” frame. His defensive value will likely settle in left or right field, but the athleticism gives him some positional flexibility.\n\nKo’s early pro performance has been strong: across his MiLB career he owns a .300/.430/.465 slash line with improving power output, including 7 HR and a .961 OPS in early 2026 with Ontario. The combination of contact ability, plate discipline, raw power flashes, and athleticism gives him a high‑variance, high‑upside corner‑outfield profile with a realistic everyday ceiling if the power fully arrives.\n\n0:00\n\n/2:11\n\n1×\n\nHe showed off his advanced feel for the strike zone early, working a walk with the kind of patience that has become both a strength and a talking point some evaluators think he may be too selective at times, but he rarely chases and clearly knows the zone. He later became one of Cayama’s strikeout victims, but he delivered the biggest swing of the day: a three‑run homer launched into the right‑field seats, a no‑doubt shot that flipped the momentum and showcased his growing impact potential.\n\nKo now sitting at a .273 average with a .961 OPS, numbers that reflect the blend of discipline, contact skill, and emerging power that’s driving his breakout. Even on a day with a strikeout, he still found a way to change the game with one swing exactly the kind of profile the Dodgers believed in when they signed him.\n\n## Dario Reynoso INF, SF\n\n2/4 1R 1RBI 1K\n\nDario Reynoso is a 5’10”, 180‑lb right‑handed hitting infielder from San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic, signed by the Giants as a minor‑league free agent in 2023. He debuted in the DSL, where he hit .288/.460/.471 with 3 HR over 104 at‑bats, showing early signs of on‑base skill and emerging pop. His 2026 performance in Low‑A San Jose has been a mix of loud contact and extreme swing‑and‑miss: across 41 plate appearances, he’s posted a .281/.425/.344 line with a 39% strikeout rate and 17% walk rate, reflecting both real bat speed and significant approach volatility. The underlying data paints him as a hitter with above‑average zone discipline but a tendency to swing through pitches in the zone, especially elevated velocity. Defensively, Reynoso has moved around the infield, with most of his early pro reps coming at second base and shortstop. His athleticism and compact build fit the profile of a utility infielder, and the Giants have continued to push him up the ladder, promoting him from the DSL to the ACL in 2024 and then to San Jose in 2025. The offensive profile is still forming he shows flashes of impact contact (including a .990 OPS in his 2023 DSL season) but must tighten his swing decisions and improve his ability to handle sequencing at higher levels. The combination of patience, occasional power, and defensive versatility gives him a chance to develop into a bench‑quality infielder if the contact rate stabilizes.\n\nReynoso showed the volatility in his contact profile right away, striking out in his first trip to the plate. He settled in during his next opportunity with two runners on, jumping on a pitch in the third inning and driving it down the line in right. The swing plated Barrett moved Jenkins to third, and Jenkins later scored on a groundball and Reynoso on a wild pitch a productive sequence built off one well‑struck ball.\n\n0:00\n\n/1:23\n\n1×\n\nHe came up again in the eighth after the game had swung the other direction and added another hit, this time an infield single the complete opposite of his earlier loud contact. Between the strikeout, the gap shot, and the hustle single, it was a classic Reynoso line: flashes of impact, flashes of inconsistency, and enough athleticism and bat speed to keep you intrigued.\n\n## Jhonny Level SS, SF\n\n1/5 1R 1K\n\nJhonny Level is a 19‑year‑old switch‑hitting shortstop ranked No. 4 in the Giants’ system and listed at 5’8”, 186 lbs. He signed out of Venezuela in 2024 for $997,500 and has quickly become one of the most productive young hitters in the organization. A well‑rounded, impact profile. Level’s offensive track record is exceptional for his age. In 2025, he ranked second in the Arizona Complex League in total bases (108) and third in home runs (nine), earning recognition as the league’s top prospect and helping San Jose win the California League title. His 2026 breakout has been even louder: he opened the season hitting .412/.455/.804 with a 1.258 OPS, leading the Cal League in nearly every major category through his first 11 games. His swing is smooth from both sides, with impressive bat speed, natural loft, and advanced strike‑zone feel. Stronger than his size suggests, he already turns on pitches with authority and projects as a 20‑homer threat once he elevates consistently.\n\nDefensively, Level is a twitchy athlete with solid speed and a plus arm, giving him every chance to remain at shortstop long‑term. His actions are clean, and he shows the internal clock and body control needed to handle the position. Some evaluators note he could thicken and lose a step, which might push him to second or third base, but his bat profiles at multiple spots. The Giants’ system is loaded with young shortstops, so positional flexibility may ultimately become part of his path, but his offensive production gives him every day upside anywhere on the field.\n\n0:00\n\n/0:31\n\n1×\n\nLevel’s developmental is seen after hitting .269 with 12 HR, 50 RBI, and 21 SB in 89 games for San Jose in 2025, he returned to Low‑A in 2026 and immediately established himself as one of the best teenage hitters in the minors.\n\nYou can’t go to a San Jose Giants game without noticing Jhonny Level he just stands out. Even on a quieter day at the plate, he found a way to make noise. His lone hit was a loud double to lead off the third inning, a ball squared up with authority into the gap. He later came around to score the game’s first run, setting the tone the way impact players do even when the box score doesn’t explode.",
  "title": "Live Looks: Jhonny Level, Ching-Hsien Ko & Argenis Cayama",
  "updatedAt": "2026-05-20T11:00:11.724Z"
}