So Whatever Happened To . . . ?

One of my favorite times of year is the time leading up to the MLB player draft.  I enjoy both college and high school sports, and while I don’t follow them as fervently as I did when I coached, I still get excited about the draft considering who the Dodgers may or may not select and I follow the prospects from my local area.  

According to Baseball America, approximately 1,200 players will have their long‑time dreams come true.   They will hear their names called as selections in the 2019 draft.   Of those more than 1,200 draftees, more than 900 players will agree to terms and sign contracts to become professional baseball players. With one dream fulfilled, they will set their sights on a bigger dream—becoming a major league player.   However, for more than 700 of those 900 pro players, that dream will go unfulfilled.

Last year we did not sign the number 1 pick, J.T. Ginn, who choose instead to honor his commitment to be a Mississippi State Bulldog.  That got me to thinking, what has happened to those players drafted by the Dodgers who did not sign?   Did their draft stock go up in following years?   Not knowing the answer to those questions, I decided to look back over the past several years to see what happened with the drafted players who did not sign with the Dodgers. 

I started with 2005 (for what will be an obvious reason).  For the years 2005 through 2009, I only deal with a few of the higher drafted players and later drafted players who went on to major league careers.  There were a couple of things I learned during this exercise;   First, the Dodgers were quite a few “stinker” draft years.   Second, during the McCourt/Colletti/White years, there were many more players drafted and not signed then there are under the Freidman regime.  Last, there are several “human interest” stories concerning some of these young men that touched my heart profoundly.  

2005

Luke Hochevar:    Had previously been drafted by the Dodgers in the 39^th round of the 2002 draft out of high school; chose to attend Louisville;   was selected with the 40^th overall pick in 2005.   He did not sign and it worked out well for him as he was selected 1^st overall in 2006 by the Royals.   That also worked out really well for the Dodgers, as they selected Clayton Kershaw with the 7^th pick that year.   So thank you, Mr. Hochevar!!!

Michael Davitt:  selected in the 9^th round.   He was drafted by the Angels the following year in the 29^th round.  Spent 3 years in their minor league system, dealing with injuries.  He was released in 2009, resigned in 2010 and released again in 2011.   He is now out of baseball and I have no information on what he is doing.

George McDonald:   C selected in the 16^th round, from Westchester HS in Los Angeles.  He attended Prairie View A&M University, TX and East Los Angeles College.  He was not drafted again.  He is now a senior staff account consultant in the Los Angeles area. 

Kyle Henson:     C  selected in the 17^th round out of Oak Ridge HS, TX.  Attended San Jacinto College in Texas and the University of Mississippi.  Was drafted by the Giants in 39^th round of the 2009 draft.   Played one year in the minors and was released.   Unknown what he’s up to now.

Jordy Mercer:      SS selected in the 26^th round out of Taloga HS, OK.   Attended Oklahoma State University for 3 years and was drafted by the Pirates in the 3^rd round in 2008.  Has played 7 years with the Pirates and is currently playing with the Tigers. 

Chase D’Arnaud:     SS selected in the 44^th round out of Loa Alamitos HS, CA.   Attended Pepperdine University for 3 years and was drafted by the Pirates in the 4th round in 2008.  Has played 7 years with various teams and is currently in the Rangers organization playing at AAA.  His brother is former Dodger legend, Travis D’Arnaud.   Apparently, he is also a musician having played at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.  

2006

Andy D’Alessio:     1B selected in the 10^th round, after previously having been drafted by the Reds in the 10^th round in 2003.   Attended Clemson University and was drafted by the Giants in 2007 in the 19^th round.  He holds Clemson’s all‑time career HR record with 59. Spent 3 years in the minors, and retired when he was 26.   He is now co‑owner of Blue Chip Baseball, a baseball instruction organization in South Carolina that focuses on improving individual fundamentals to help students become well‑rounded ballplayers.

Nick Akins:     a power hitting OF selected in the 13^th round out of Los Angeles HS.   He was drafted by the Nationals the following year in the 20^th round after attending Riverside Community College but did not sign and redrafted by the Dodgers in the 19^th round in 2009 after attending Vanguard University.  While the Dodgers were clearly infatuated with him, he spent 4 years in the minors never beyond Single-A, one year in Japan and 4 years in Independent baseball, and at last report was working as a hitting coach for the Vallejo Admirals.       

Alex White:   RHP selected in the 14^th round out of D.H. Conley HS, North Carolina.  Attended the University of North Carolina and was drafted in the 1^st round by the Indians in 2009.  Pitched in the Majors for the Indians and Rockies for 2 years. He was arrested for a DUI in 2012 and had TJ surgery in 2013.  Thereafter he bounced around a bit and was released by the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in 2018.  He has a BA in Exercise and Sport Science and lives in the New York area.

Paul Goldschmidt:  1^st baseman selected in the 49^th round out of high school in Texas.   He was drafted by the Diamondbacks in the 8^th round in 2009 after attending Texas State University.   I think he’s done pretty well as a baseball player.  

2007

Kyle Blair:    RHP selected in the 5^th round out of Los Gatos HS.  He chose instead to attend the University of San Diego.  He was drafted by the Indians in the 4^th round of the 2010 draft.   Spent 3 years in the minors making it to AA.  After being released he pitched 2 years of independent ball and is now out of baseball working as an Account Executive for Rbrik, Inc in Tennessee. 

Devin Fuller:    RHP selected in the 14^th round out of Gilbert HS in Arizona.   Attended Arizona State University and was drafted by the Rays in the 6^th round of the 2009 draft.   Pitched 2 years a low-A and is now out of baseball.   He’s currently working as a sales manager for Dish One and pursuing a law degree.  

Matt Szczur:     OF drafted in the 38^th round out of Lower Cape May Regional HS, NJ).  He attended Villanova University, where he played both football and baseball.  He was drafted by the Diamondbacks in the 8^th round in 2009.   He has played in the majors for 5 years, predominantly as a part-time player.   Currently in AAA with the Diamondbacks.

2008

Christopher Joyce:    LHP selected in the 10^th round, from Dos Pueblos HS (Goleta, CA); selected by the Tigers in the 29th round of the 2010 Draft from Central Arizona College and the Reds in the 19th round of the 2011 draft from Santa Barbara City College.   Pitched two years in MILB as a relief pitcher and was released.   Currently an Assistant coach at Santa Barbara City College.

Kyle Conley:    power hitting OF selected in the 13^th round out of the University of Washington.  Selected the following year by the Cardinals in the 7^th round.  Played 3 years in the minors and retired.   It appears that he is presently back in school studying to become a doctor. 

Daniel Coulumbe:    LHP selected in the 14^th round out of Chaparral HS, Scottsdale, AZ.  Choose to go to Texas Tech after having previously committed to USC.  He was re-selected by the Dodgers in the 25^th round of the 2012 draft.   Spent 3 years in the Dodgers organization until he was sold to the A’s in 2015.  Has had several cups of coffee in the majors, most with the A’s.  Is presently in the Yankees’ organization pitching at AAA. 

2009

Connor Powers:    1B selected in the 11^th round out of Mississippi State University.  Returned for his senior year and was drafted by the Padres in the 21^st round in 2010.   Played 3 years in MILB and was released in 2013.   His claim to “fame” appears to be a baseball trick shot video he posted on YouTube.   He is now a Baseball Consultant at Vizual Edge and is the owner of Dead Red Hitting which seeks to develop hitters to perform at their highest levels. 

Richie Shaffer:    Power-hitting 3b drafted in the 25^th round out of Providence HS, NC.  Attended Clemson and was selected by the rays in 1^st round of the 2012 draft.  He’s played 50 games in the majors and had 8 years in the minors.  He is presently playing for the High Point Rockers, an independent league team, where he is a teammate of Dante Bichette, Jr.

Stephen Piscotty:     SS drafted in the 45^th round out of Amador Valley HS, Pleasanton, CA.   He chose to attend Stanford University (don’t they always?).  He was drafted by the Cardinals in the 1^st round in 2012.   Has had a decent, though not spectacular 4 years in the majors.  At his request, he was traded to the As in 2017 so he could be closer to his ALS stricken mother.   She ultimately died from that horrible disease, and in his 1^st game back in 2018, after her death, he hit a home run.  He also won the Tony Conigliaro Award that year, which is given to the player who best “overcomes an obstacle and adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination, and courage that were trademarks of Tony Conigliaro.”        

Christian Walker:    3b selected in the 49^th round out Kennedy-Kenrick Catholic HS, Norristown, PA.  Elected to go to the University of South Carolina, and was reselected in the 4^th round of the 2012 draft by the Orioles.  He got 27 at bats in the majors before he was waived in 2017.   He was claimed by the Braves who waived him a week later and he was claimed by the Reds.  They waived him 2 months later and he was claimed by the Diamondbacks where he has become a Dodger tormentor.  Apparently, the Dodgers insulted him with a low-ball offer and he hasn’t gotten over it. 

2010

Kevin Gausman:    Hard-throwing RHP drafted in the 6^th round out of Grandview HS, CO.   McCourt had spent all his draft budget on Zach Lee, and didn’t have enough $$$ left over to sign Gausman, so he chose to attend LSU instead.   Was redrafted in the 1^st round of the 2012 draft by the Orioles.  He’s always flirted around the cusp of being a good pitcher.  Pitched 4 years in the Orioles rotation and was traded to the Braves in 2018, where he is presently in their rotation.

Jake Eliopoulos:    His story is, undoubtedly, the most heart wrenching I read in this exercise.  Hard-throwing Canadian LHP selected in the 15th round out of Chipola College.   He had previously been drafted by the Blue Jays in the 2nd round of the 2009 draft out of HS in Canada.  He was again drafted by the Blue Jays in the 43 round of the 2011 draft but did not sign because he had TJ surgery.  It was believed that he had an “attitude” but what was not known was that he suffered from serious mental illness including attachment disorder, ADHD, Tourettes, and severe depression.  His story is chronicled in the documentary “Shooting Star – The Jake Eliopoulos Story.” I must admit, I shed a tear or two watching a portion of it on YouTube, and listening to the anguish of a heartbroken mother.   He took his own life in April 2013. 

Ben Carhart:    3b selected in the 19^th round out of Palm Beach Community College.    Attended Stetson University and was redrafted by the Cubs in the 35^th round in 2012.  Played 4 years in the Cub system and retired in 2016.  He is currently a minor league coach in the Cub system for the AA Tennessee Smokies.               

Andre Wheeler:   RHP selected out of Anderson HS, TX in the 20^th round.  Did not sign and attended Texas Tech University.  Was drafted by the White Sox in the 15^th round of the 2013 draft. He pitched in the minors for 4 years, having a cup of coffee in AA and was released in 2017.  I could find no information on what he is doing now.  

Austin Henderson:     RHP drafted out of Flower Mound HS, TX.   May have attended Grayson Community College, though I’m uncertain of that.  He was never redrafted.  It appears he went on to get a degree in Accounting.  He also obtained his MBA and currently works in the Private Equity industry as a Vice President for Anchor Capital Partners.  

Brett Lee:    LHP drafted in the 33^rd round out of St. Petersburg College, FL.  The prior year he had been drafted by the Pirates in the 40^th round.  He was then selected by the Twins in the 10^th round in 2011.  Spent 4 years in the Twins organization and released in 2016.  Thereafter, he pitched 2 years of independent baseball.  It is unknown if he is pitching anywhere this year. 

2011

Jamaal Moore:   LHP selected in the 10^th round.  Did not sign and attended West Los Angeles Jr. College, Harbor Junior College and Georgetown College a NAIA school in Kentucky in 2014.  He was never redrafted and I could find no further information on what he is doing now.  Though his Facebook page has pictures of him in Dodgers’ apparel. 

David Palladino:   Was a very big (6‑8, 235) RHP drafted in the 13^th round out of Emerson H.S., NJ.   He attended USC – Upstate and Howard JR. College, each for 1 year.  He was redrafted in 2013 by the Yankees in the 5^th round.    He spent five seasons in the New York Yankees system before joining Rockland (Can‑Am League) last year. His release from the Yankees farm system was a bit perplexing. While he did not reach above High‑A Tampa, Palladino put up outstanding numbers in his final season with the club, going 2‑1 with a 0.98 ERA in 15 games between Tampa and Low‑A Staten Island. He struck out 38 in 27.2 innings while walking just four.   There was a news report that he had signed with the independent league Somerset Patriots, however, I could not find him on their roster.           

Vince Spilker:    RHP was chosen in the 20^th round out of Johnson County Community College.  Had previously been selected by the Rays in the 49^th round in 2009.  Opted to attend Lee University in Tennessee for his Junior year and was drafted by the Diamondbacks in 2012, 25^th round.  Played 1 year and retired.  Is now a financial rep at Northwestern Mutual.  He is also an instructor at Players Paradise in Raytown , MO, a baseball and softball academy, established by former MLB player, Frank White.

Zakary Qualls:    LHP selected in the 21^st round out of Rancho HS, Las Vegas, NV.  Opted to attend UNLV.  Pitched as a Freshman and then continued to attend school but did not pitch the next two years.  Was never redrafted.  Pitched 1 year of independent ball in 2017.  No other information on him could be found.   

Kyle Conwell:    OF selected in the 22^nd round out of Bellevue Community College, WA. Attended Abilene Christian College and was not redrafted.  He now works in the family business Northwest Concrete Cutting and is married and raising a family.  

Travis Burnside:    OF selected in the 25^th round out of Spartanburg Methodist College, SC.  He had previously been selected by the Dodgers in the 48^th round in 2009 out of high school. He did not play in 2012 and attended Tennessee Wesleyan in 2013.  Was not redrafted and don’t have any information on what he is doing now.     

Taylor Garrison:    RHP selected in the 27^th round out of Fresno State, CA.  (He is a local boy to me having attended Vista Murrieta, HS, Murrieta, CA which is about 5 miles from my office).   He was drafted in the 7^th round by the Yankees in 2012.  Pitched 4 seasons in the Yankee and was released pre-season 2016.   Is now the Western Region Sales Manager Baseball at Blast Motion, Inc. in Carlsbad, CA. 

Adam McConnell:    SS selected in the 30^th round out of the University of Richmond, VA.  Returned for his senior year and was drafted by the Diamondbacks in the 29^th round in 2012.   He played one season and hung up the spikes.  After baseball, he founded and operated a digital consultancy serving clients in the healthcare, medical device, and biotech industries.  Presently, he is a digital marketing professional at Danaher Corporation, ChemTreat, and Mark you might find this interesting, he is responsible for developing strategic digital marketing initiatives and coordinating with global commercial teams to drive brand awareness, leads, and revenue growth in the $10 billion industrial water treatment market.

Mickey McConnell:    SS selected in the 31st round out of Saint Mary’s College, CA.  However, he hadn’t played baseball for 4 years and was instead a star basketball player having been named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year.   He is now a professional basketball player for Élan Béarnais Pau‑Lacq‑Orthez of the French LNB Pro A.  He has played for several European Teams since he graduated college, after having tried out with the Mavericks but being released.  

Hunter Jennings:    OF, who is the son of former Marlins GM and MLB player, Dan Jennings was drafted in the 32^nd round from Delgado Community College, New Orleans, LA.   He was never redrafted and I could not find any information on what he is doing now. 

Reid Redman:    3B selected in the 37^th round out of Texas Tech.  Returned for his senior year and was drafted by the Rays in the 23^rd round in 2012 and was released by them a year later.  The Marlins gave him a chance but converted him to a pitcher.   He pitched in the minors for 4 more years and retired in 2017.   I have no information on what he is doing now.  Although his brother Hunter is friends with Kyle Farmer on Facebook, so there is that. 

Jordan Kipper:   RHP selected in the 38^th round out of Mountain Pointe HS, Phoenix, AZ.  He was then drafted by the Phillies in the 30^th round in 2012 from Central Arizona College and by the Angels the 9th round in 2014 out Texas Christian University. He was in the Angels’ organization for 4 year s and then was traded to the Orioles.   He is currently on the roster of the Bowie Baysox, but on the 7-day IL as he has been injured since April 2018.    

Casey Thomas:    2B, the son of A’s pro scout Tom Thomas, was selected in the 41^st round from Desert Vista HS, Phoenix, AZ.  He chose to attend Texas A&m and was drafted by the A’s in 2016 in the 34^th round.  He played one year of Rookie Ball and then tragically died of accidental fentanyl intoxication.

Max Povse:    RHP selected in the 42^nd round out of Green Hope HS, NC.  He attended the University of North Carolina Greensboro.  He was then drafted by the Braves in the 3^rd round in 2014.  He was traded by the Braves to the Mariners in 2016.  Pitched 3 innings for the Mariners in 2017.  Presently on their AAA roster, though he is injured.               

James Lynch:    OF, the son of former Padre GM, Ed Lynch, was selected in the 45^th round from Salisbury Prep, CT.  He attended Glendale Community College, AZ and the Dodgers drafted him again in 2013.  He then attended Pima Community College and was drafted by the Blue Jays in 2014, 39^th round.  He played two seasons and was released in 2016.   I can find no    Information as to what he is doing now.  

Austin Slater:    3B selected in the 44^th round out of the Boiles School, FL.  Opted to go to Stanford University and was drafted in the 8^th round by the Giants in 2014.  Has played approximately 100 games with the Giants.  He is presently with their AAA club having a decent year. 

2011

Victor Munoz:    C drafted in the 46^th round out of Occidental College.  Was drafted by the Reds in the 11th round in 2003.   He was never redrafted.  He managed the Toluca Storm for a year, also worked as a substitute teacher for a while and is now employed by the City of Los Angeles. 

Chris Ellis:    RHP selected in the 50^th round out of Spain Park High School in Hoover, AL.  He attended the University of Mississippi.  He was then drafted by the Angels in the 3rd round of the 2014 draft.  In 2015, the Angels traded Ellis, Sean Newcomb, Erick Aybar, and cash to the Atlanta Braves for Andrelton Simmons and José Briceño.  In 2016 he was traded to the Cardinals.  The Rangers selected Ellis in the 2018 Rule 5 draft and traded him to the Royals.  He made the Royals 2019 opening day roster, pitched one scoreless inning in relief, but was returned to the Cardinals in April.  He’s pitching for their AAA club. 

2012

Kevin Maxey:    OF picked in the 17^th round out of Long Beach Poly HS, CA.  Subsequently attended Cerro Coso Community College, Lewis-Clark State, and Bethesda University.  Was not redrafted and no other information could be found on him. 

Jordan Parr:     OF selected in the 26^th round from the University of Illinois at Urbana‑Champaign.  He returned to school and the Diamondbacks drafted him in the 15^th round the following year.   Played 2 years in short-season A ball and was released in 2015.   He is now a Financial Advisor at Kunkle, Hemmer, McRaven Investment Group.     

Justin Gonzalez:    SS was chosen in the 27^th round out of Florida State.  He was previously drafted by the Astros out of HS in the 46^th round of the 2009 draft.  He returned to FSU and was drafted by the Diamondbacks in the 9^th round of the 2014 draft.  Played one year and was released in 2015.  He is now a Senior Healthcare Representative with Pfizer, Inc.

Trent Giambrone:   SS selected in the 30^th round out of Grace King HS, LA.  Attended Jones County Junior College and Delta State University.   Selected by the Cubs in the 25^th round of the 2016 draft.  He is currently the Cubs 20^th ranked prospect playing for their AAA club.   

David Graybill:   RHP selected in the 31^st round out of Brophy College Prep HS, AZ.  Choose to attend Arizona State University.  He was drafted by the Yankees in the 33^rd round in 2014 and the Giants in the 9^th round in 2015.  He pitched one year of Rookie Ball and is presently on the restricted list.  He was tagged with a 50‑game suspension in 2016 for a second positive test for a “drug of abuse.”  

C. J. Saylor:    C selected in the 33^rd round out of South Hills HS, West Covina, CA.  He attended San Diego State instead and was drafted by the Cardinals in the 28^th round in 2017.  He was converted to a pitcher and is pitching in Singe-A for the Cards.

Jose Vizcaino, Jr.:   SS selected in 36^th round out of Parker HS, CA.  Attended Santa Clara University and drafted by the Giants in the 15^th round in 2015.  Played 3 years on A ball and was released last year.    He is now a sales associate for Stryker Spine.

Korey Dunbar:    C selected in the 39^th round out of Notro HS, WV.  Attended the University of North Carolina and was drafted by the Marlins in the 20^th round in 2015.   He played two years and retired due to injuries.   He presently works for Enterprise and has been head baseball coach for the Dirtbag Travel team.  He also spent a year on the coaching staff of the West Virginia Miners. 

2013

Ty Damron:     LHP selected in the 13^th round out of Krum HS, TX.  Choose to attend Texas Tech and was drafted by the A’s in the 15^th round of the 2015 draft.  Still in the A’s organization, though he has not pitched this year.  

Peter Miller:    RHP selected in the 16^th round out of Florida State.  Previously selected by the Mets in the 38^th round of the 2010 draft.  Returned for his senior year and was drafted by the Mariners in the 9^th round of the 2014 draft.  He pitched 2 years and retired 2015.  He is now a Customer Success Manager at PandaDoc and he is a volunteer coach at Jesuit High School of Tampa, FL.  

Tanner Kiest:    RHP was chosen in the 27th round out of Riverside Community College (another homeboy).  Transferred to Chaffey College and was drafted by the Phillies the following year in the 28^th round.  After 2 years he was released by the Phillies after he had a second positive test for drug abuse.  He was signed by the Twins in 2018, pitched in 7 games in A ball and was released.  He is now pitching for the Milwaukee Milkmen.

Sam Finfer:    C selected in the 29^th round out of Interlake HS, WA.  He subsequently attended Seattle University, Bellevue Community College and Marshall University.  He has coached at the youth level for several years and is now a sales associate for Sharply clothing.   

Andrew McWilliam:   3B selected in the 31^st round out of Westview HS, San Diego, CA.  Attended San Diego Mesa College and was redrafted by the Tigers in the 34^th round in 2015.  Did not sign and attended Sacramento State.  Was not redrafted.  He is the son of former Tiger scout Tim McWilliam.  He is now a Physical Therapy Aide at Rehab United in the San Diego area. 

Rob Cerfolio:    LHP selected in the 34^th round out of Yale University.  Returned to school and was not redrafted.  He is now in the Cleveland Indian Player Development department working as the Assistant Director of Amateur Scouting.

Kaleb Holbrook:    C drafted out of South Georgia College.  Transferred to Thomas University.  Was no^t redrafted.  He is now the Renewable Development Project Coordinator for Georgia Power Company.

Jake Sidwell:     C selected in the 39^th round out of Olympia HS, FL.  Attended Davidson University and was the first drafted player to attend that school.   He was not redrafted and has worked as a coach at various levels.  He is presently an Assistant Baseball Coach at George Washington University, VA.

Justin Dunn:     RHP selected in the 37^th round out of Gunnery HS, CT.  Attended Boston College and was selected in the 1^st round of the 2016 draft by the Mets.  He was a player having been named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year.  He is still in their organization pitching at AA.   

Matthew Haggerty:    CF selected in the 40^th round out of Seton Catholic HS, Chandler, AZ.  He attended Colorado Mesa University and Grand Canyon University.  He was not redrafted.   He is now the hitting coach at Scottsdale Community College.   His claim to fame is that he played on a travel team with Cody Bellinger while in HS.  

2014

Gary Cornish:     RHP selected in the 17th round out of Palomar College, CA.  Opted to attend the University of San Diego instead and was drafted by the Mets in the 19^th round of the 2016 draft. Pitched 3 years in the Mets’ organization and was released in 2017 after he was suspended for 50 games for amphetamine use.  He is now a Business Analyst at TransWestern in Arizona.  

Christian Trent:    LHP selected in the 29th round out of the University of Mississippi.  He returned to school and was selected by the Brewers in the 27^th round the following year.  He pitched for 2 years and while he is still listed as a professional baseball player, he hasn’t pitched for 2 years and I can find no other information on him.

Hunter Bross:    OF  chosen in the 34^th round out of Notre Dame Prep HS, AZ.  He subsequently attended UNLV, Mesa Community College and Northern Illinois University.  He was not redrafted.   I could find no information as to what he is doing now.

Tanner Chauncey:    SS selected in the 35^th round out of BYU.  He did not sign and instead took a two‑year hiatus during which he served a mission for the LDS Church in Brazil.  He returned to BYU and was never redrafted.  He is now a Senior Implementation Data Analyst at DealerSocket in Utah.

Kyler Kocher:    OF chosen in the 36^th round out of Mountain View HS, AZ.  Rather than sign, he chose to attend MIT.   He is now the Product Design Engineer Project Manager for Apple.  

Jeff Bain:    RHP selected in the 39^th round out of San Marino HS.  He chose to attend the Cal-Berkeley.   He then took the Kyle Garlick route and transferred to Cal Poly Pomona and pitched there his Junior year.  After which he was drafted by the Diamondbacks in the 16^th round of the 2017 draft.  He is still in their organization pitching for Visalia in the California League.

Sam Moore:   RHP selected in the 40^th round out of the University of California Irvine.   He returned to UCI for his senior season and was not redrafted.  He is now a Senior Associate at CCP Real Estate Advisors.               

2015

Kyle Funkhouser:    RHP selected with the 35^th pick in the 1^st round.  Did not sign and returned to Louisville for his senior year.  Selected by the Tigers in the 4th round in 2016.  He is their 11th ranked prospect but has been struggling with injuries.  Because he didn’t sign, the Dodgers were able to draft Jordan Sheffield the following year. 

Garrett Zech:   CF selected in the 15^th round out of Naples H^S, FL.  Chose to attend the University of South Florida.  He’s a senior this year and has had mediocre results in college.

Jason Goldstein:   C chosen in the 19^th round out of the Park Vista Community High School, FL.  The University of Illinois.   Returned for his senior year.  Chosen by Mariners in the 9^th round in 2016.  He was traded to the A’s in 2017.  Played at their AA level in 2018.  His bio shows him as active, but he not played yet this year. 

Joe Genord:   LHP selected in the 21st round out of Rancho HS, Las Vegas, NV.  He also chose to attend the University of South Florida.  He is a teammate of Garrett Zech and has had a decent college career.  He is a senior this year.    

John Boushelle:   RHP selected in the 20^th round out of Fayetteville HS, Arkansas. He has attended Kansas State, Cowley College and is presently at McNeese State.  He pitched 1 inning in 2018 and has not pitched this year.  Perhaps dealing with injuries.  He is also a Baseball Instructor at D‑BAT Sports.   

2016

Graham Ashcraft:    RHP selected in the 12^th round out of Huntsville HS, AL.  Opted to attend Mississippi State.   Played as a freshman.  Was a red-shirt as a sophomore after hip surgery.   Transferred to the University of Alabama Birmingham but has not pitched this year.   

Dillon Persinger:   2B selected in the 17^th round out of the Golden West Community College.   Opted to attend Cal. State Fullerton, and was drafted by the Indians in the 17^th round in 2016 (he had been selected by them out of HS also).

Cole Freeman:    2B  chosen in the 18^th round out of LSU.    Returned to school and was drafted by the Nationals in the 4^th round in 2017.  Still in their system playing A ball as a 24-year-old. 

Bailey Ober:     SS selected in the 23^rd round out of the College of Charleston.  Returned to school, and was drafted by the Twins in the 12^th round in 2017.  He has pitched rather successfully, albeit only at A ball.

Wil Kincannon:     RHP was chosen in the 29th round out of Triton College.  Transferred to Indiana State University and he was selected in the 11th round in 2017 by the Whitesox.  It’s his 3^rd year and he is still in A ball.  However, if baseball doesn’t work out he has dreams of returning to Indiana and working for US Water Systems. 

Cal Stephenson:     2B  selected in the 36^th round out of Chabot Junior College, CA.  He decided to attend the University of Arizona to paly for my favorite college coach, Jay Johnson.  He was selected in the 1oth round of the 2018 draft by the BlueJays.  He is still in their system playing at high A ball.

Enrique Zamora:    RHP selected in the 37^th round out of Calumet College.  He was originally signed, but then the Dodgers but immediately released after his MRI came back showing problems with his arm.  He played for the Florence Freedom in 2017 and is trying to get accepted by a college to continue his career. 

Ryan Watson:    RHP selected in the 39^th round out of Auburn HS, AL.  He chose to honor his commitment to Auburn University.  He is eligible for the draft this year, but he has not experienced much college success.    

Zach Taglieri:    RHP selected in the 40^th round out of Pot St. Lucie HS, FL.  Instead of going pro he went to The Citadel University, where he has played very little.  A military career awaits.  

2017

Joshua Rivera:    SS selected in the 21^st round from th^e Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy. Attended Chipola Junior College, where he is hitting a respectable .330 this year.  He is eligible for this year’s draft.

Deacon Liput:     2B selected in the 29^th round out of the University of Florida.  He went back to school and the Dodgers redrafted him in 2018.  He’s presently on the IL. 

Hunter Mercado-Hood:    OF chosen in the 31^st round out of the University of San Diego.  He had been previously drafted by the A’s in the 38^th round in 2013 out of De La Salle HS, CA.  He returned for his senior year but was not redrafted.   He is presently working as a sales development representative for Sage Intacct, Inc, which is a provider of financial management and services. 

Preston White:    OF selected in the 38^th round out of Birmingham Southern.  He then transferred to the Masters College in Newhall, CA and was drafted in the 24^th round of the 2018 draft as a pitcher.  He is still in this organization pitching in single-A. 

Logan White, Jr.:    C selected in the 39^th round out of Mountain Point HS, AZ.  Attended Coastal Carolina as a freshman where he red-shirted.  He then transferred to UC San Diego, where, this year, he has played sparingly.  He is, of course, the son of former Dodger executive Logan White. 

Clayton Andrews:    LHP selected in the 40^th round out of Cabrillo College, CA.  He returned to school and was drafted by the Brewers in the 17^th round in 2018.  He is pitching for their H-A club as a reliever.

2018

J.T. Ginn:    A hard-throwing RHP selected in the 1^st round from Brandon HS, MS.  He opted to attend Mississippi State and he started his Freshman year lights out, as he is a weekend starter for the Bulldogs and currently sports an 8-3 record, with 95 strikeouts in 75 innings.  If he continues to progress in the next two years, he just might double or triple the money offered by the Dodgers. 

Brandon White:   6’8” RHP selected in the 14^th round out of W.F. West High School in Chehalis, WA.  He went chose to go to Washington State University, and as a freshman, is a weekend starter.  While not as successful as Ginn, and barring injury, he should also improve his stock in the 2021 draft.  

Trey Dillard:      Another hard-throwing RHP chosen in the 16^th round out of the San Jacinto College, North, TX.   He chose to attend the University of Missouri where he is his sophomore year being used as a relief pitcher with middling success.   

Jacen Roberson:    OF selected in the 24^th round out of Garces Memorial HS, Bakersfield.  He is attending Cal State Bakersfield, but hasn’t played yet this year. 

Tyler Reichenborn:    OF selected in the 35^th round out of Iowa Western CC.  He transferred to Tennessee Wesleyan University and is eligible for the draft this year.  He has had a relatively successful junior year.  

Connery Peters:    RHP selected in the 38^th round out of Joshua HS, TX.  He honored his commitment to Wichita State where, in his freshman year, he has walked 30 batters in 38 innings.  Let’s hope the young man finds his command. 

Jordan Myrow:     OF selected in the 39^th round out of San Jacinto College, North, TX, where he transferred after attending UCLA his freshman year.  He is now playing at Cal State LA, where, although he is considered a five-tool player, he is having a very average year.   He is Dave Roberts’ godson.  That may get him drafted again.   

Ben Sprecht:     RHP selected in the 40^th round out of Evangelical Christian School, FL.  He honored his commitment to the University of Florida, and is pitching mostly in relief in his first year.  

Minor League Report by Mark Timmons

Great Lakes Loons – The Loons beat the Lansing Lugnuts 7-6, as 19-year-old budding star, Miguel Vargas continues to look like the Dodgers Third Baseman of the Future as he went 3-4 while raising his batting average to .324. He will move up soon enough. The Loons had 13 hits, including Niko Hulsizer’s 11th HR. Robinson and Cuadrado had 2 hits each, while Paulson also had 3 hits.

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes – Did not lose… because they did not play.

Tulsa Drillers – The Drillers beat the Springfield Cardinals 9-7 as Gavin Lux went 4-5 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI’s (.314 BA/947 OPS). I have to wonder if he stays at SS and Seager moves to 3B after JT’s contract is up? Walker hit a HR as did Peters, McKinstry, Rincon, and Mora (who also had 2 hits and is hitting .300). Shea Spitzbath got his third save and his ERA sits at 1.69 – he might be back on track.

Oklahoma City Trolley Dodgers – They lost 9-1 and had 1 hit as Mitch White got lit up. He went 5.1 innings (good), struck out 8 (good) but gave up 6 hits and 4 ER (bad). Stetson Allie pitched 1 clean inning while striking out 2 and lowering his ERA to 14.73. Never mention this again.

Los Angeles Dodgers – The Rays beat the Dodgers like rented mules after the Dodgers did the same to them on Tuesday, ruining another great pitching effort by Rich Hill, whose ERA is down to 2.67. Floro got bombed and saw his ERA rise to 2.21. Caleb Ferguson is still struggling with his release point and command. He may have to go down for a while. Bellinger went 0-4 and saw his .400 BA evaporate to .394. It was just one of thse nights… nothing to see here folks… move along!