MLB Draft

On June 12 – 14, MLB will hold the 2017 Amateur draft.  The Dodgers will select #23, #62, #100 in the first three rounds.  The draft is again considered light on college position players, and strong with high schoolers.  The overall number one selection goes to the Twins, who most project will select either University of Louisville 2 way player (lefty pitcher and 1B, Brendan McKay), or high school 2 way player (RHP/SS Hunter Greene).  Greene plays HS ball out of Notre Dame Sherman Oaks (a school I know all too well), the same HS that produced Giancarlo Stanton.  Green has plus power, and has hit 102 on the gun earlier in the season.  Greene is Baseball America’s #1 prospect. Who will be this year’s Gavin Lux.

 

Before we get to the 2017 draft picks, let’s take a look at last year’s selections.  Numbers 1 through 4 have been discussed at length on this blog, and will continue to be discussed.

#1 SS                      Gavin Lux

#1 C                        Will Smith

CBA RHP             Jordan Sheffield

#2 RHP                 Mitchell White

#3 RHP                 Dustin May

#4 OF                    D J Peters

 

Not much has been discussed about #5 pick Devin Smeltzer, and I am working on something for Devin.

I thought that I would at least give some introductory information about selection 6 – 10.  Some you may know, most probably not.  If you were a betting person, you would have to bet that not many will make it past A Ball, but then again some may make it to ML.

 

Kevin Lachance – 6’ 3” 185 lb senior SS drafted in 10th round from University of Baltimore-Maryland.  He came into the organization with a shoulder injury and remained on the 60 man DL for the entire 2016 season.

Billy Gasparino, LAD Scouting Director said this about Lachance.  “He’s an athletic shortstop or maybe a center fielder, we’re not sure what up-the-middle position he’ll play,” said Gasparino. “He has a great body, a twitchy-loose athlete we’re excited to get.”  He is currently assigned to AZL Dodgers.  At 22 (soon to be 23), depending on how he performs, he should get to Ogden and maybe Great Lakes before the end of the season.

 

Tony Gonsolin – 23 year old RHP 6’ 2” 180 lbs.  Tony was a 2-way senior player drafted in 9th round from St. Mary’s.  He played OF and pitched for the Gaels, but the Dodgers want to see him pitch as a professional.  Other scouts saw him as a player who could run, throw, and hit some.  He pitched a total of 155 innings in college. He has a fastball that ranges from 90-94 and touching 95 at times, and a very good curve that he throws in the 70’s.  He is projected to have a ceiling as a ML middle reliever.

In 2016, Tony started in Ogden and was assigned to Great Lakes August 5.  He competed well at Ogden, but struggled at Great Lakes.  Gonsolin started 2017 at Great Lakes, and is currently assigned to RC Quakes in the California League.  He has had somewhat of a Jekyll & Hyde 2017 season at RC.  He has pitched in 10 games, including 16.2 innings, allowing 13 runs (12 earned), 19 hits (including 4 HR), 7 walks, and 10 strikeouts. But in his last four games he has pitched 7.1 innings, allowing 1 run on 3 hits, 7 walks, and 10 strikeouts.  He needs innings and better control, but he is being given a lot of opportunity to showcase what he might be able to achieve as a middle reliever.

 

Andre Scrubb – 22 year old RHP 6’4” 265 lbs – He was selected in the 8th round out of High Point University, North Carolina.  Andre has a fastball that touches 96-97, but it is his breaking ball (78-83) that produces a lot swing and miss.  In 2016, Andre was assigned to AZL Dodgers where he was 2-1 with a 2.13 ERA, 10 games all in relief, 12.2 innings pitched, 5 runs (3 earned) on 9 hits, 7 walks, and 18 strikeouts.

In 2017, Andre was assigned to Great Lakes on May 11.  He has pitched in 3 games, 6.1 innings, 1 run on 2 hits, 5 walks, and 5 strikeouts. Andre will need to work on his control if he expects to get to the next level.  He gave a lot of credit to his college coach for turning him into a pitcher from a thrower.  He is going to need to improve in this area a lot more.

 

Luke Raley – 22 year old Bat Left – Throw Right OF – 6’ 3” 220 lbs.  He was a 7th round selection from Division 2, Lake Erie College.  As a college junior he hit .424/.528/.747, 28 BB, 11 K, in 158 AB.  That’s pretty good at any level. After signing, Luke was assigned to AZL Dodgers.  After 5 games and 10 hits, he was promoted to Ogden.  After 5 more games and 10 more hits, Luke was promoted to Great Lakes.  Great Lakes was a good test for Luke.

To start 2017, Luke was assigned to Rancho, and has continued to hit fairly well.  He is currently at .294/.366/.427/.793.  He has struggled his last 10 games going 6 for his last 38, dropping his BA from .327.  Luke has played some CF, but is looked at more as a corner OF, but without the power.  In order for him to get more notice, he is probably going to have to develop a little more power.

 

Errol Robinson – 22 year old 5’ 11” 170 lb SS drafted in 6th round out of Ole Miss – The 2016 amateur draft was considered weak for SS.  Errol is considered a plus defender, and below average offensively.  Most scouts project him to make it to the ML on his glove.  His bat will determine if he is going to be a regular or a utility.  But the scouts’ consensus is that he can stay at ML because of his glove.

After signing last year, Errol was assigned to Ogden where he had a fairly good offensive year batting .282/.336/.395/.732.  For the 2017 season, on May 11 Errol was assigned to Great Lakes, where after 8 games and 31 AB, he is batting .258/.281/.419/.701, with 2 doubles and 1 HR.  For those who like defense, Errol Robinson should be fun to watch.

 

MINOR LEAGUE REPORT

Tulsa Drillers were 13-6 winners over the Arkansas Travelers (Mariners) – The Drillers pounded out 19 hits, including 5 HR (Paul Hoenicke 2 – 6th on the year; Kyle Farmer #3; Jose Miguel Fernandez #3, a GS; Mike Ahmed #5).  Kyle Farmer continued his hot bat with 4 more hits, raising his average to .342.  Is OKC going to be calling soon?  Edwin Rios got three hits, raising his BA to .353.  Again, is OKC going to be calling soon?  Paul Hoenecke also had 3 hits.  Jose Miguel Fernandez added his 9th double to his grand slam to raise his BA to .300.  Matt Beaty and Jacob Scavuzzo also had 2 hits each.  Josh Sborz started and went 4.2 IP (80 pitches), 1R on 4 hits, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts.  Josh still needs to work on his control to keep his pitch count down.  Sound familiar?

 

RC Quakes were 8-2 winners over the Visalia Rawhide (DBacks).  Drew Jackson, Yusniel Diaz, and Darrien Tubbs each got two hits, with Tubbs getting his 1st HR of the year after just his 2nd game after being assigned to RC from Extended ST.  Caleb Ferguson got back on the bump for 3.2 IP, allowing 0 runs, on 1 hit, 3 walks, and 5 strikeouts.

 

Great Lakes were unable to complete the sweep of the Fort Wayne Tin Caps (SD), losing 4-0.  Leo Crawford went 6 and got the loss.  Not much offense in today’s game.

 

OKC beat the El Paso Chihuahuas (SD) 5-4 in 10 innings.  Alex Verdugo had 3 singles, and with his one walk was on base in 4 out of 5 PA.  Charlie Culberson and Jack Murphy had 2 hits each, while Willie Calhoun added his 9th HR.  Wilmer Font started and went 5, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits, 2 walks, and 10 strikeouts.  Layne Somsen made news when he allowed only his 2nd ER of the season, out of 21.1 innings.  Grant Dayton pitched a scoreless 10th to get the save.

This article has 54 Comments

  1. Great report, AC. Thanks. It looks as though Andre (The Giant) Scrubb could stand to shed around thirty pounds. Luke Raley looks like a hitter…what MLer would you compare him to?

    1. That’s a good question. I am nowhere near the level of Eric Stephen/David Hood. Those guys have extraordianry knowledge and sources. But since you asked, to me there are two guys that come to mind. One is LH OF Josh Reddick. Similar look/build, good contact, little power. Second would be the LH version of Texas’ Ryan Rua. He is a logical comparison since they are the only two players drafted out of Lake Erie College. He is not going to be a star, but if he continues to hit, he should have a career like Rua.
      .
      Luke is not a highly thought of prospect, largely because he was unknown. Some pundits last year said they were not aware of him at all before the draft, but after the draft they started to research him, and thought they should have known him. One also made the logical comparison to Ryan Rua, and thought that Luke should at least play at that level. I hate making comparisons for the simple reason that it is not fair to Luke to compare him to a ML veteran.
      .
      I like Luke Raley as a #4/#5 OF. His biggest negative is that he is a corner OF with very little power. He had two quick promotions last year, and I thought that he earned another earlier this year. He may still get that promotion to Tulsa this year.

  2. Great report, thanks A/C! It looks like they hit 3 home runs with their first 6 picks on Smith, White and Peters and the others have flashed potential. Of the ones you covered today I like Raley, too bad he hits left. How has Garlick been doing? He along with Farmer and Ahmed have the look of ML players.

    I think the Dodgers need to draft some stud 3B prospects and RH OF bats who can also play CF in addition to the corners. They seem to have the pitching part covered and have acquired a lot of SS and Catchers. Just my 2 cents.

    1. Kyle Garlick is having a good year. Kyle finished the year at Tulsa in 2016 and batted .284/.335/.479/.815 with 8 HR in 292 AB. So far this year, Kyle is batting .254/.312/.507/.819 with 10 HR in 142 AB. Kyle leads the Texas League in HRs, and is #10 in RBI. One negative on Kyle is that he is 25. That is nearly 1 year older than the average Texas League player. He is a corner OF that does not have the range or speed to handle CF.
      .
      This is Kyle Farmer’s third year at Tulsa. At 26, he is nearly 2 years older than the average Texas League player. He has started 29 games, and has started at catcher in 18 and 3B in 11. Kyle is a one year younger clone of Austin Barnes. IMO there is no reason for Kyle to still be at Tulsa. He should be given a shot at AAA. Jack Murphy is a very nice young man, and pitchers like him, but IMO he is blocking Farmer.
      .
      Mike Ahmed struggled to start the year at AAA, and was moved back down to AA. He is another 25 year old, making him nearly one year older than the average Texas League player. He is a utility infielder with some power, so he could play a corner infield spot if needed.

  3. AC

    Nice report!

    When I looked at some of the names that helped the AAA team win, it reminded me of a question that Friedman was asked, on the Dodger’s pregame show, this weekend.

    They asked Friedman who is the next top player for the Dodgers, after Bellinger.

    And Friedman said that Calhoun and Verdugo are the next top players, after Bellinger.

    He also said don’t be surprised if they are called up to play for the big team, at one point in the season, this year.

  4. Looking at the photo of Kyle Farmer on SB Nation this morning, it appears he uses an interlocking grip on his bat, like one would do in golf. I wonder if others do the same.

    1. On second look, he would need six fingers to achieve this, so…never mind.

  5. Good writeup Always Compete!
    .
    Vegas Dodger: “I think the Dodgers need to draft some stud 3B prospects and RH OF bats who can also play CF in addition to the corners.”
    .
    I believe DJ Peters is a right-handed OF who has a chance of being able to play CF.
    .
    How’s this for versatility? Anybody else impressed by Eibner? He just looks like a baseball player to me. Maybe this is a preview/educational experience on working someone like Shohei Otani into the fold.
    .
    “The Dodgers are experimenting with using outfielder Brett Eibner as a pitcher, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times writes. Eibner pitched in college and reached 95 MPH with his fastball, and he’s now working on developing secondary pitches; it remains to be seen, of course, how those would play against big-leaguers. The Dodgers’ plan is to continue to treat Eibner primarily as an outfielder, but they envision using him as a pitcher more frequently than the typical position player taking the mound to relieve an exhausted staff. If Eibner were to prove effective as a pitcher, he’d become a useful and interesting tactical piece, reminiscent, perhaps, of a two-way player like Brooks Kieschnick, who first arrived in the big leagues as an outfielder but who also ended up pitching for Milwaukee in 2003 and 2004. The added versatility might also help Eibner from being shipped back and forth to Triple-A so frequently, Shaikin suggests — the Dodgers have already optioned him to Triple-A Oklahoma City four times this season. Here’s more from around the game.”

  6. Actually Box, regardless of Eibner’s pitching ability, I’m already impressed with him. Another nice low key trade buy our front office. I like when he’s out there; I haven’t seen enough on defense yet (seems he doesn’t get that many chances), but I’d rather he hit than Joc at this point (hell, I’d rather watch Sergio Romo hit than Joc at this point)

    1. Yes Bobby, I am already impressed with Eibner, nice approach at plate and seems to me to handle center field adequately. Regarding the pitching, I will believe it when I see it. I was just surprised that Dodgers are even considering it.

  7. Last year I read that the team went for Lux because they needed top-level talent at SS.
    ~
    Similarly, this year I have read that the team will target highest ceiling as the minors seem to be lacking in holes. Is this something you would concur with?
    ~
    Wood so far:
    ~
    ERA: 1.88 (2nd)
    ~
    FIP: 1.90 (2nd)
    ~
    Park-Adjusted ERA (2nd)
    ~
    Park-Adjusted FIP (2nd)
    ~
    K%: 29.9% (5th)
    ~
    HR/9 IP: 0.21 (2nd)

    1. Gavin Lux is starting his transition to 2B. He was a hit first SS, who does have a very high upside. But he will never move Corey over to 3B. SS was a position of need for the Dodgers last year (2 out of first 6 ad 3 out of top 10 Dodger selections were SS). It was not a good year for SS. I was a big proponent of Bo Bichette who was also a HS SS. Bo is a Toronto farm hand and is excelling offensively in the Midwest League (same league as Gavin). They will be fun to watch as they move up their organizations.
      .
      I do beleive that the Dodgers will concentrate on “the best available” who can get to the ML the quickest. One thing you can undoubtedly count on is that Gasparino is not going to select a HS pitcher in the first round. The one that could be available (but doubtfully ) would be Hans Crouse out Dana Hills HS. As good as he is, this is not the type of player that Gasparino selects in Round 1. If he is available, I can see them taking Griffin Canning RHP out of UCLA. John Savage has a very good reputation of developing front line starting pitchers (think Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer). 3B Jake Burger is probably on their want list. Power hitting 3B is one “need” the Dodgers can pursue. They will see if any of the top college pitchers are dropping and consider them. They will look at HS pitchers to monitor and develop. If they repeat their 1st two drafts, they will select a HS pitcher in Round 11. Someone with 3rd-4th round talent, and pay them 3rd round money saved from rounds 6-10. Imani Abdullah and AJ Alexy were those pitchers for 2015 and 2016.

  8. Boxout: Good find on Eibner and interesting reading. The Dodgers have had success moving both Jansen and Baez to the bullpen in the past from 3B and C. He appears to be a very nice under the radar pickup.

    I like DJ Peters a lot, he is more of a corner OF and has a very good arm. He is a slugger but has fallen off after a hot start at RC: 278, 400, 444, 844 with 4 HR’s and 21 RBI’s. Biggest problem: 54 K’s in 144 AB (26 BB) If he cuts down on his K’s he can be special and also has good speed and can steal a base.

    The new scouting staff does their homework and the quants understand the draft slots to maximize available capital, taking some guys earlier saving $$ on the slot to later sign a guy over slot who some thought was going to college. They do a great job of getting almost every one of the picks they really want signed.

  9. AC

    Verdugo hasn’t hit a single HR, in 130 at bats in AAA.

    And it seems he has lost some speed, too.

    Right now his numbers, don’t seem to play, in right field.

    Are the Dodgers going to try to get him, to hit with more power, down the line?

    1. Verdugo is slashing .403/.381/.784 with an equal number of BB as Ks.
      ~
      He’s not going to be Bellinger power, but he should easily be double digits HRs (and double digit SBs)
      ~
      Projecting a supra-.300 BA if that’s your drink of choice.

      1. how can his OBP be lower than his BA? and if his OPB is .381 and OPS is .784 then his SLG is .401? If is BA is .403 how can his SLG be lower than that?

        1. Rick

          I don’t think Bluto listed his batting average, in those numbers, although most stats, are listed that way

          I think those numbers listed, are his OBA, his slugging percentage, and his OPS.

          Because Bluto listed his batting average, at the bottom of his post.

          And Bluto doesn’t think much, about a player’s batting, average.

          1. Alex Verdugo is 20 years old. That is 5.3 years younger than the average PCL player. He has never shown power, but he hits better than .300 with an ability to get on base. He plays CF and has shown good range and an ability to go get the ball and make Joc Pederson type catches. He has a cannon for an arm who will slide in nicely into RF. And again he does this as a 20 year old. Alex is currently #12 in the PCL for OBP. Of those in front of him, three/four are “can’t miss” prospects; Lewis Brinson (23) -Brewers #1 prospect with 4 HR, Raimel Tapia (23), Rockies #5 prospect with 0 HR, Ketel Marte (23) DBacks SS from Jean Segura trade (full year of service so not a prospect) 1 HR, and the outlier, Jeimar Candelario (23) Cubs #5 with 6 HR. All of the others are 26 – 31 years old. Verdugo is three years younger than those identified. What could he be like in 3 years at AAA.
            .
            Alex will hit 10-15 HRs per year. He will develop more gap power once he gets more comfortable. He makes contact. He has struck out only 19 times in 154 PA (roughly 12%). He has walked the same number of times. For a 20 year old he has a tremendous eye, and gets the bat to the ball.
            .
            We need to get away from these prototypical/stereotypical categories for players in their positions. One of Bums favorite players is James Loney, a very much under appreciated 1B because he did not have prototypical 1B skills (meaning power hitter). But he has had a very good 11 year ML career. His career slash line is .284/.336/.410/.746. Those are not HOF numbers, but they are quality ML numbers, even for a 1B with minimal power.
            .
            Alex Verdugo can play ML baseball and do well. But if fans want a 30-40 HR guy out in RF, Alex will never do that. At 20, he is playing on sheer talent, not development. Once he gets that development, he should be a very good ML RF.

          2. James Loney
            SUMMARY Career 9.137 years over 11 seasons
            WAR 11.7
            AB 5023
            R 528
            H 1425
            BA .284
            HR 108
            RBI 669
            SB 38
            OBP .336
            SLG .410
            OPS .746
            OPS+ 104

            https://en.wikipedia.org/wi

            Est. Earnings salary $34,440,500 signing bonuses $6,500,000

            Baseball was very good to James.

        2. The slash line was OBP/SLG/OPS
          His current batting average is 321 according to FG.
          Sorry for confusion.

          1. He’s not a slugger. Still a top prospect.
            ~
            Sheesh. I read this board and people opine, “we need more hitters like San Fran.” “We have too many HR or bust hitters”
            ~
            Now people are worried that one of our prospects is a for average/contact/OBP hitter.
            ~
            Just be happy we have a pipeline of above-average prospects and stop nit-picking!

          2. AC

            That is why I asked you!

            I appreciate and believe a players batting average, means more, then some sabers, think.

  10. Verdugo does have a weird stat line: 321/403/382/785 due to no power and lots of walks. He has 2 3B, 4 2B, 19 K’s and 19 BB. Rare to see slugging % below OBP % and not a good sign.

    1. Vegas

      My thoughts exactly!

      And he doesn’t have much speed either.

      And those numbers, don’t seem to play, for a right fielder.

      Verdugo has struck out more then Calhoun has, and Calhoun, has hit 9 HRs, and he is also hitting, in the 300s.

      But like I told Rick, Bluto didn’t list batting average, in those numbers.

      1. Calhoun has improved at 2B, lost weight and moves better than I ever thought he could. Maybe, there is hope.

        Verdugo is very young and immature. He’s a lot like Tony Gwynn in my opinion.

  11. MJ, the Dodgers are back to #1 in MLB in pitching team ERA at 3.41. The Astros are #2 at 3.52.

    1. Mark

      I just wanted to know which individual pitcher, had the best ERA in baseball, and in the National League too.

      Because I knew Wood had a lower ERA, then Kershaw now.

    2. There is not as much talk about Kershaw and who this year.
      .
      Kershaw – 7-2 – 2.15 ERA
      Wood – 5-0 – 1.88 ERA
      McCarthy 4-1 – 3.76 ERA
      Hill – 1-1 – 2.77 ERA
      .
      That makes SP 1-4 at 17-4 with a sub 3 ERA, and SP 2-4 10-2 with a sub 3 ERA. They are not producing the IP some would like, but they are getting wins.

  12. Verdugo had double digit home runs last year, and people expected that power to continue at AAA. It is shocking that he has zero hr in OKC to date, but it’s not like he’s Dee Gordon or Brett Butler.

    Then again, our current CF has 2 hr, so not like Verdugo is too far from that guy! I do like the k/bb ratio. Means he sees the ball and can make solid contact. He’s also 20; not everyone can be like Franchise or Franchise 2, who are both trying to go to the all star game this year!!

    Does Bellinger still lead mlb in hr and rbi since he was called up?

    1. Not to mention, our 1st baseman has ZERO HRs in 106 ABs so far, and he is the “butter and egg” man.

        1. Yeah and Verdugo is 20 yrs old, playing AAA, batting .321 and getting on base 40.3% of the time, that is not expected, but it is damn good!

          1. Boxout

            You are coming at the wrong person, because I believe in a batting average.

            I thought it was just odd, he hadn’t hit even one.

            And I didn’t know his numbers from last year.

            And I am more impressed with batting average, then OBA.

          2. Just kidding MJ, I know you’re a batting average believer. I think the 20 yr old is just feeling out AAA this year and perfecting his two strike swing. The gappers and homers will come later. I have high hopes for the kid and everything looks just fine to me.

    2. Bobby

      I was just wondering about Verdugo, when I saw he hadn’t even hit one, HR.

      I knew he wasn’t a big power guy, but most hitters, do hit a few HRs, even if they are not a big power source.

      And most hitters like Gordon, will have to have some speed, to off set, the lack of power.

  13. Very well written piece AC

    I certainly have much more of an interest in our Minor League Players since you started these interesting pieces.

    1. Watford, I am happy that you are paying more attention to the minor leaguers. Most of these kids will never draw a ML paycheck. A great many will never get out of A Ball. But they are very talented ball players and it is important that fans pay some attention.
      .
      As an example, I am most familiar with the 1997 June Amateur Draft. For 1997, 1,603 kids were drafted. Out of that total, only 207 made it to the ML, and most of them were not regulars by any stretch. The Dodgers drafted 71, and 6 actually made it to the ML, and that includes Chase Utley who was drafted but did not sign with the Dodgers. Out of the top ten, only Chase Utley and Steve Colyer (remember him?) made it to the ML . The Phillies drafted 44 and only 7 made it to the ML, including the 26th round choice. JD Drew was the top choice, but he did not sign. Randy Wolf was the Phillies top pick that did sign, and he and my son were roommates in Batavia. Randy and my son have been friends since they were 10/11 years old. They played on the same Winter Ball team together along with Jeff Suppan. That team did not lose a game.
      .
      One other Randy Wolf story. When he was a Junior at Pepperdine, my son was a senior at the University of Nevada. The teams played an opening season series at Pepperdine (great baseball venue). Opening game, Wolf is pitching, and my son takes him deep twice in that game. In that 3 game series, my son had 5 HRs, at Pepperdine ( huge stadium, usually with an ocean breeze blowing in), which I was advised was matched by only three other college players; Mark McGwire/Barry Bonds/ and I forget the third. On his last AB of the series he hit the top of the fence, missing a HR by a couple of feet.
      .
      Most people have never heard of my son, but he is certainly not alone in having the accomplishments that go unnoticed, and I for one like to mention as much as possible the Dodger farm hands names to give them some recognition. Will Luke Raley make it to the Show? I do not know. But he did have a lot of people talking about him today, and that is pretty special.

  14. Good article AC. I enjoy articles on the farm kids. I especially like the summary each day on the farm teams Mark.

  15. Ruiz seems to be the bright spot for the Loons. Barnes, Smith, Ruiz. I remember to long ago when the catchers in the Dodgers system were pretty poor. It’s a nice change from AJ and no one.

    1. Farmer should be mentioned, but I agree the future will be Smith & Ruiz. Ruiz has the better bat, and Smith is the better defender. Both are improving in their perceived weaknesses. There are other catchers in the organization that help to solidify the catcher role. Paul Hoenecke at Tulsa is a good player, but is not mentioned at all as a projectable prospect. But he allows Farmer to play 3B a fair portion of the year.

      1. Very true. I forgot Farmer. I guess I’ve always thought of him as a trade chip. I saw Hoenecke play for the Loons a few years back. I believe he was playing 3B then.

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