As we contemplate who the Dodgers will select in the MLB Players Draft next week – let’s take a journey back and ponder how well they did in the past 30 years. Looking at each year, I’ve listed the first overall selection, any significant players taken in the lower rounds, and how many players made it to the majors. In some years, I also list players that were used in a trade to obtain someone who was of help to the Dodgers. In some cases I also list standout players selected just after the Dodger 1st round pick.
1979: 1st Pick: Steve Howe (16th pick), Steve Perry (25th pick); The Dodgers drafted 36 players in the June draft and 11 in the January draft. Of those, five players would eventually play in the Major Leagues.5 players made it to the majors. The Dodgers lost their first round pick in the June draft to the San Diego Padres because they signed free agent Derrel Thomas but they gained the first round picks of the Pittsburgh Pirates (compensation for Lee Lacy) and New York Yankees (for Tommy John). With those picks they drafted two players from the University of Michigan, left‑handed pitcher Steve Howe and right‑handed pitcher Steve Perry. Howe was the 1980 NL Rookie of the Year, a 1981 World Series Champion and a 1982 All‑Star. He played in 12 seasons and saved 328 games before a drug addiction forced him out of the game. Perry pitched six seasons in the minors, the last two with the AAA Albuquerque Dukes, and finished 28‑40 with a 5.34 ERA before the Dodgers released him. This years draft class also included pitcher Orel Hershiser from Bowling Green University, who was picked in the 17th round. He pitched 18 seasons (13 with the Dodgers), winning 204 games. He set a Major League record with a 59 consecutive scoreless inning streak in 1988 en route to winning the Cy Young Award and the World Series MVP. He was also a three‑time All‑Star. Greg Brock was also selected.
1980: 1st Pick: Ross Jones(9th pick); The Dodgers drafted 36 players in the June draft and 16 in the January draft. Of those, six players would eventually play in the Major Leagues. The Dodgers did not have picks in rounds 2‑4 this season as those picks were awarded to other teams as compensation for their signing of free agents. The first round pick in the June draft was shortstop Ross Jones of the University of Miami. The Dodgers traded him to the New York Mets in 1983 and he would appear in 67 games in parts of three seasons with the Mets and two other teams, hitting only .221. This was a fairly weak draft class for the Dodgers, with the most notable player being outfielder R. J. Reynolds, who was drafted in the 2nd round of the January draft and played 8 unremarkable seasons as a backup outfielder before finishing up his career in Japan.
1981: 1st Pick: Dave Anderson (22nd pick); The Dodgers drafted 33 players in the June draft and 18 in the January draft. Of those, eight players would eventually play in the Major Leagues. They received an extra pick in the 2nd round from the Houston Astros as compensation for the loss of free agent pitcher Don Sutton. The most significant players drafted were Sid Bream, Sid Fernandez, John Franco, and Joc’s dad Stu Pederson.
1982: 1st Pick: Franklin Stubbs(19th pick); The Dodgers drafted 32 players in the June draft and 12 in the January draft. 5 players made it to the majors. Among those drafted were Ken Howell, and Jeff Hamilton.
1983: 1st Pick: Erik Sonberg(18th pick); Sonberg did not make it to the majors. The Dodgers drafted 35 players in the June draft and 17 in the January draft. Of those, six players would eventually play in the Major Leagues. They received two extra picks in the 2nd round as compensation for losing free agents Steve Garvey and Terry Forster. None of this year’s signings amounted to much of anything in the Majors. The player selected after Sonberg was Roger Clemens. Oh, what might have been!
1984: 1st Pick: Dennis Livingston (23rd pick); The Dodgers drafted 28 players in the June draft and 13 in the January draft. Of those, six players would eventually play in the Major Leagues. Livingston didn’t make it out of the minors. This draft did produce three Major League relief pitchers in Tim Scott (round 2), Darren Holmes (round 16) and Jeff Nelson (round 22) as well as utility player Tracy Woodson (round 3).
1985: 1st Pick: Chris Gwynn(10th pick); The Dodgers drafted 37 players in the June draft and 16 in the January draft. Of those, six players would eventually play in the Major Leagues. They received an extra pick in the 2nd round of the June draft as compensation for losing pitcher Burt Hooton as a free agent. Besides Gwynn, he draft also included outfielder Mike Devereaux (round 5), who was briefly a starter with the Baltimore Orioles in the early 90s but was primarily a reserve, and relief pitcher John Wetteland (2nd round of the January secondary draft) who saved 330 games in 12 seasons (with the Dodgers, Expos, Yankees and Rangers).
1986: 1st Pick: Mike White(19th pick); the Dodgers drafted 39 players in the June draft and 19 in the January draft. Of those, seven players would eventually play in the Major Leagues. The most notable player was Dave Hanson. They also selected Paul Quantrill but he didn’t sign with them.
1987: 1st Pick: Dan Opperman(8th pick); The Dodgers drafted 51 players in this draft, the largest collection of players they had ever drafted in one draft. Of those, ten of them would eventually play Major League baseball. Opperman injured his arm before he started pitching professionally. He never made the majors. None of the players from this year’s draft would leave much of an impression on the Majors. Pitchers Dennis Springer and Mike James had the longest careers but were just average players at best. Among those drafted were Ken Howell, and Jeff Hamilton.
1988: 1st Pick: William Bene(5th pick); The Dodgers drafted 62 players in this draft. Of those, 11 of them would eventually play Major League baseball. The Dodgers lost their second-round pick to the Oakland Athletics as compensation for their signing free agent outfielder Mike Davis. While Bene never made the majors – this draft did produce 2 Dodger greats, Eric Karros and Mike Piazza. An interesting tidbit about Bene, in 2012, he was arrested and sentenced to six months in prison for operating a counterfeit karaoke business and failing to pay federal taxes. Who knew there was such a thing as “counterfeit karaoke?”
1989: 1st Pick: Kiki Jones(15th pick), Tim Goodwin(22nd), and Jamie McAndrew(28th); The Dodgers drafted 65 players in this draft. Of those, seven of them would eventually play Major League baseball. The Dodgers had three first round picks this season as they gained the New York Yankees first round pick and a supplemental pick for the loss of free agent Steve Sax. They also gained an extra second round pick from the Cleveland Indians as compensation for the loss of pitcher Jesse Orosco. The most successful pick was Eric Young drafted in the 43rd round. They also selected Phil Nevin, but he didn’t sign with them.
1990: 1st Pick: Ronnie Walden(9th pick); The Dodgers drafted 63 players in this draft. Of those, seven of them would eventually play Major League baseball. Walden was not among the 7. The most notable was Pitcher Todd Williams. This was a very bad draft.
1991: 1st Pick: Todd Hollandsworth(80th pick); The Dodgers selected 93 players in this draft, the largest draft class in history. Of those, six of them would eventually play Major League baseball. The Dodgers lost their first round pick to the New York Mets and their second-round pick to the Montreal Expos as a result of their signing free agents Darryl Strawberry and Kevin Gross and gained a third-round pick from the Kansas City Royals as compensation for the loss of free agent Kirk Gibson. Other than Hollandsworth, not much to see in this year.
1992: 1st Pick: Ryan Luzinski(32nd pick), Michael Moore(36th pick); The Dodgers selected 53 players in this draft. Of those, only one of them would eventually play Major League baseball. 5 players made it to the majors. The Dodgers lost their first round pick to the Toronto Blue Jays as a result of their signing free agent Tom Candiotti but gained two supplemental first round picks, a second round pick and a third-round pick as compensation for departing free agents Eddie Murray and Mike Morgan. The only major leaguer was Keith Johnson, who had 4 at-bats for the Angels.
1993: 1st Pick: Darren Dreifort(2nd pick); The Dodgers selected 57 players in this draft. Of those, seven of them would eventually play Major League baseball. The Dodgers lost their second-round pick as a result of signing free agent pitcher Todd Worrell. Besides Dreifort, the most notable player selected was Paul Loduca.
1994: 1st Pick: Paul Konerko(13th pick); The Dodgers selected 77 players in this draft. Of those, 13 of them would eventually play Major League baseball. Other than Konerko, the notables drafted were Brett Tomko and Eric Byrnes. Konerko, who may be elected to the Hall of Fame, of course, was traded to the Reds for Jeff Shaw. Which might be compared to trading Bellinger for Realmuto.
1995: 1st Pick: David Yocum(20th pick); The Dodgers selected 85 players in this draft. Of those, six of them would eventually play Major League baseball. Yocum’s career succumbed to injuries and he never made it to the majors. He is now a firefighter. Notables drafted were David Ross and Onan Masaoka
1996: 1st Pick: Damien Rolls(23rd pick); The Dodgers selected 79 players in this draft. Of those, seven of them would eventually play Major League baseball. Rolls was lost in the Rule 5 draft and played part-time in the majors for the Rays. Notables drafted were Alex Cora and Ted Lilly.
1997: 1st Pick: Glenn Davis(25th pick), The Dodgers selected 71 players in this draft. Of those, seven of them would eventually play Major League baseball. They received an extra supplemental pick in the second round as a result of losing free agent Delino DeShields.. None of the players signed by the Dodgers in this draft class had a significant major league career, other than Chase Utley, their second-round pick who did not sign and went to UCLA instead.
1998: 1st Pick: Bubba Crosby(23rd pick); The Dodgers selected 50 players in this draft. Of those, only four of them would eventually play Major League baseball. The notables were Scott Proctor and David Ross (again).
1999: 1st Pick: Jason Repko(37th pick); Of those, seven of them would eventually play Major League baseball. They lost their first-round pick to the San Diego Padres and their third round pick to the Baltimore Orioles as a result of their signing free agent pitchers Kevin Brown and Alan Mills. They also gained a supplemental first-round pick and a second-round pick as compensation for losing pitcher Scott Radinsky to free agency and a supplemental second-round pick as compensation for pitcher Brian Bohanon. Of those, only four of them would eventually play Major League baseball. The notables were Repko, James Thurston, and Shane Victorino.
2000: 1st Pick: Ben Diggens (17th pick); The Dodgers selected 50 players in this draft. Of those, eight of them would eventually play Major League baseball. The notables were Joel Hanrahan and Koyie Hill.
2001: 1st Pick: Brian Pilkington(68th pick); The Dodgers selected 50 players in this draft. Of those, eight of them would eventually play Major League baseball. The only player that made the Majors for more than a cameo appearance was Edwin Jackson, selected in the sixth round as an outfielder out of Shaw High School in Columbus, Georgia.
2002: 1st Pick: James Loney (19th pick); The Dodgers selected 52 players in this draft. Of those, nine of them would eventually play Major League baseball. They gained a supplemental first round pick and an extra second-round pick as compensation for losing pitcher Chan Ho Park to the Texas Rangers as a free agent. This was a fairly successful draft, after several sub‑par drafts that proceeded it. Besides Loney, also drafted this season were relief pitcher Jonathan Broxton (second round), starting pitchers James McDonald (11th round, drafted as a first baseman) and Eric Stults (15th round) and catcher Russell Martin (17th round, drafted as a second baseman).
2003: 1st Pick: Chad Billingsley(24th pick); The Dodgers selected 50 players in this draft. Of those, 12 of them would eventually play Major League baseball. Notables are Matt Kemp, A.J. Ellis and mark’s all-time favorite player, Andy LaRoche.
2004: 1st Pick: Scott Elbert(17th pick), Blake DeWitt (28th pick); The Dodgers selected 52 players in this draft. Of those, nine of them would eventually play Major League baseball. They gained an extra first round pick and a supplemental first-round pick as compensation for the loss of free agent pitcher Paul Quantrill. Notables were David Price and Justin Ruggiano. DeWitt was later traded for Ted Lilly.
2005: 1st Pick: Luke Hochevar (40th pick); The Dodgers selected 51 players in this draft. Of those, 13 of them would eventually play Major League baseball. They lost their first-round draft pick as a result of signing free agent Derek Lowe but gained a supplemental first-round pick and a second-round pick as compensation for the loss of free agent Adrián Beltré. While several members of this years draft class would make the Majors, none were more than role players. The notables were Scott Van Slyke and Jordy Mercer.
2006: 1st Pick: Clayton Kershaw(7th pick), Bryan Morris(26th pick), Preston Mattingly( 31st); The Dodgers selected 50 players in this draft. Of those, seven of them would eventually play Major League baseball. The Dodgers gained an extra first round pick and a supplemental first round pick as a result of losing pitcher Jeff Weaver to the Angels. They also lost their second and third round picks as a result of their signing free agents Rafael Furcal and Bill Mueller. The only real notable, other than Kershaw, was Paul Goldschmidt. Morris along with LaRoche was traded for Manny Ramirez.
2007: 1st Pick: Chris Withrow (20th pick); The Dodgers selected 40 players in this draft. Of those, four of them would eventually play Major League baseball. The Dodgers lost their own first-round pick to the San Francisco Giants as a result of signing free agent pitcher Jason Schmidt but gained a first round pick as well as a supplemental first-round pick because of the loss of free agent Julio Lugo. The only notable player selected was Matt Sczcur.
2008: 1st Pick: Ethan Martin (15th); The Dodgers selected 45 players in this draft. Of those, eleven of them would eventually play Major League baseball. The notables were Dee Gordon, Nathan Eovaldi, and Jerry Sands.
2009: 1st Pick: Aaron Miller (36th pick); The Dodgers selected 51 players in this draft. Of those, six of them have played Major League Baseball. They lost their first-round pick as a result of signing free agent Orlando Hudson but gained a supplemental first-round pick and a second-round pick as compensation for losing pitcher Derek Lowe. The only notables were Stephen Piscotty and Christian Walker.
2010: 1st Pick: Zach Lee(28th pick); The Dodgers selected 50 players in this draft. Of those, eight of them have played Major League Baseball as of the 2018 season. The notables were Joc Pederson, Scott Schebler and Kevin Gausman (unsigned). Of course, Zach Lee got us Chris Taylor.
2011: 1st Pick: Chris Reed (16th pick); The Dodgers selected 50 players in this draft. Of those, six of them have played Major League Baseball as of the 2018 season. The notables were Scott Barlow and Austin Slater (plays for the Giants).
2012: 1st Pick: Corey Seager (18th pick); The Dodgers selected 41 players in this draft. Of those, eight of them have played Major League Baseball. The Dodgers received a supplemental first-round pick as compensation for the loss of free agent Rod Barajas. The notables are Seager, Paco Rodriguez, Ross Stripling, and Jharel Cotten, who was used to acquire Rich Hill.
2013: 1st Pick: Chris Anderson (22nd pick); The Dodgers selected 40 players in this draft. Of those, five of them have played Major League Baseball. The notables are Cody Bellinger and Kyle Farmer.
2014: 1st Pick: Grant Holmes (22nd pick); The Dodgers selected 40 players in this draft. Of those, five of them have played Major League Baseball. The notables are Alex Verdugo, Caleb Ferguson, and Brock Stewart. Holmes was also part of the Rich Hill trade. 3rd round pick John Richy was traded for Chase Utley. 6th round pick Trevor Oaks was traded for Scott Alexander. I still weep over this trade.
2015: 1st Pick: Walker Buehler (24th pick), Kyle Funkhouser (35th pick);The Dodgers selected 42 players in this draft. Of those, four of them have played Major League Baseball. They received a supplementary first round pick as a result of losing shortstop Hanley Ramírez to free agency and acquired a competitive balance pick from the Baltimore Orioles as part of the Ryan Webb trade. The notables were Walker, of course, Willie Calhoun, Matt Beatty, and the immortal Kyle Garlick. Calhoun was traded for Yu Darvish. Andrew Sopko was used to acquire Russ Martin.
2016: 1st Pick: Gavin Lux(20th), Will Smith(32nd pick), Jordan Sheffield(35th pick); The Dodgers selected 42 players in this draft. They received a supplementary first round pick as a result of losing pitcher Zack Greinke to free agency and acquired a compensation competitive balance pick for failing to sign pitcher Kyle Funkhouser in the 2017 Draft. Two have already made it to the majors, Will Smith and Devin Smelzer. Other notables are Mitch White, Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin.
2017: 1st Pick: Jeren Kendall(23rd pick); The Dodgers selected 40 players in this draft. None have made it to the majors yet. It remains to be seen which players become notable selections.
2018: 1st Pick: J.T. Ginn (25th pick); The Dodgers selected 40 players in this draft. None have made it to the majors yet. It remains to be seen which players become notable selections.
Rants & Raves by MT
- How many tuned off the TV by the 9th inning? That’s a No-No with this guys.
- 5-run comeback! When you can hit like that, who needs a bullpen?
- Alex Verdugo is a guy who is almost always going to drive in a run with a RISP and he’s a freakin’ rookie! He has more RBI than JT in fewer AB’s. He just stays within himself – the walk-off sac fly was all that was needed and he just stayed within himself.
- Matt Beaty looks to be a professional hitter…. and doesn’t act like a rookie.
- Don’t look now…. but here comes Corey – he’s starting to get his mojo back. As good as the Dodgers offense has been. it’s likely to get even better.
- I always did love that Joc Pederson guy! 😉 Who is that guy?
- I think that in the next two weeks, Julio Urias will go back to the rotation. Just my opinion.
- Let’s trade for Diaz – he would be right at home in the Dodger pen.
Minor League Report by MT
Great Lakes Loons – The Loons beat the Bowling Green Hot Rods 8-5, even with 3 errors. They scored 5 runs in the 9th to seal the deal. Vargas went 2-4 with 2 RBI and a walk, Amaya scored 2 runs, Paulson hit a 3-run HR and drove in 4 on the night. Hulsizer was 2-4 with a walk and is still OPS’ing over 1.000. Andre Jackson went 6 innings, allowing 3 ER and striking out 8 for his 2nd win. His ERA sits at a crisp 2.23.
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes – The Quakes Stormed Lake Elsinore 5-1. Marcus Chiu went 2-4, but no one else had more than 1 hit. Jeter Downs, playing SS had 2 errors (10 on the year). Josiah Gray got his first win at RC by going six innings and allowing 2 hits with no ER. He tacked on 8 strikeouts. Watch this kid!
Tulsa Drillers – The games with Springfield was rained out and they will play two today.
Oklahoma City Dodgers – OKC may be the saddest team in AAA, but they beat the Omaha Storm Chasers 12-3 last night. Peter, Perkins and Rios all homered. Jake Peter also had a triple and drove in 3 runs. Gale, Rios, Perkins, Garlick and Joe all had 2 hits each. Justin DeFractus went 7 innings and allowed just 2 ER. The best thing I can say about this team is that Tony Gonsolin starts tonight.
Wow lot of misses! 2006, 12,15,16 looking good. Thanks for the info. Bullpen strikes again last night! Thankfully it was the Mets this time. This team is reminding of 2017 with the comebacks. Houston looking like 2017 also maybe a collision course.
Wondering if Vargas will be in our top ten in 2020. Great outing by Gray for RC. Hulsizer and Jackson still hot. Great Lakes a hotbed of talent.
It was great to see Josiah Gray have a great outing last night. I think he is getting more and more comfortable in the California League. He is 21 years old and could be in Tulsa before the end of the season. I think he is someone who welcomes being pushed.
I am a Miguel Vargas fan because of his hit skill. I think Vargas could move into the top 20 with the mid-season lists. He has tremendous hand/eye coordination and there is no question about his bat to ball skills. The negative on young Mr. Vargas is that he is a little immobile to be a good 3B, so his most likely defensive position is 1B. But more importantly, he does not currently have any power for a corner infield position. He is 6′ 3″ 205 pounds so maybe he can develop the power. But, he is going to need to change his stroke to develop that power. Changing his stroke will necessarily alter his bat to ball skills. If he were a 2B or CF, he would be on the super fast track, but as a corner infielder he is going to need to develop the power.
Positives – In the pitcher friendly Midwest League – .325/.424/.396/.820. 29 BB vs. 26 K. Miguel puts the ball in play. 19 years old.
Negatives – 0 HRs – Needs a defensive position.
Good points. Well, we just might have an opening at 1B by the time he’s ready. I’m hopeful the power will come. I’ve seen it so many times that’s it’s the last tool to develop.
Hard to think of too many large players with no power in the bigs. Even Daryl Ward hit 20 HR’s one year.
How about Hulsizer? What is your take on him? Who are a couple of dark horses you see in our system? I enjoy watching the progress of gray he could be really good.
AC the question was to you.
See Below.
1979 draft- “Greg Brock was also selected”….. ha, love the mere mention of this timeless Dodger legend. ☻
As a huge Garv fan of the 70s, I was totally dismayed when they let him walk and believed it ok because they had Brock. I truly hate to see guys fail who are living their dream but Brock was on my shite list back in ’82.
Ps, the article was really great!
I think Greg Brock is a poster child for not falling in love with minor league statistics. 44 home runs and 138 RBI’s at AAA. Seemed like a can’t miss prospect. Even though e was a serviceable player, he never reached the lofty expectations. And, he wasn’t Steve Garvey. Brock was used in a trade to get the Dodgers Tim Leary, so that was good.
Yes, guys have bad nights. Last night it was Diaz, the guy everyone said we should have / should trade for. Now look up his stats and compare them with Jansen’s.
How do you put Belli, Pollock, Pederson and Verdugo in the same lineup? 4 outfielders? Or, do you move one of them back to 1B, where he also plays gold glove defense and doesn’t drop throws from infielders?
Still need bullpen help. Alexander starts the inning against a right hander and completes it without allowing a run. This is how to use him. He’s not a loogy. Garcia gets an out right after walking the previous batter. You don’t need to pull a pitcher because of a walk. Urias gives up 4 hits in a row, the first two homers and no pitching change and completes his inning. Do you really ever need 4 guys for 1 inning?
I’ve seen Joc taking reps at 1st base FWIW
Good for him. That makes a lot of sense.
Incredible how many first round misses! So much more difficult in baseball to draft than basketball and football!
2demeter2, this was a fantastic article. It puts into writing something that I have always gone back in and researched for individual tidbits. This will go into my research archives. It was great being reminded of some of the “can’t miss players” like Bill Bene and Dan Opperman. And Kiki Jones??? I am very grateful that the Seattle Mariners saved the Dodgers with the potential embarrassment of blowing the overall #1 pick in 1993, because it was hotly rumored at the time that the Dodgers wanted Dreifort over A-Rod. Fun read…Thanks.
Yes, excellent piece. Man, 1995-2001 was a wasteland of 1st round picks. 1998 must be the first year I started following the prospects seriously because I remember Konerko was like a two-time BA player of the year and I do remember Bubba Crosby being drafted.
Who was Glenn Davis again? I have him confused with the other one.
Rolls I vaguely remember and Yocum is a total void.
Not only did we whiff on several 1st round picks, in many of these years I couldn’t find many players at all that were even marginally useful prospects. I kept looking at these names thinking, who are these guys. With that said, not every pick was a “what were they thinking pick.” There were several young men who had their careers derailed by injuries, that left me pondering, what if?
some of those drafts were horrible, but not just for the Dodgers. Teams used to find talent outside of the draft in those days.
But man some forgettable names in many of those.
Wow, thank you for taking the time to research, compile, and present this info to us! I’ll buy you a drink at the Ravine one of these days.
I’d still take Edwin Diaz in a second on this team. Obviously he didn’t have anything last night, but that happens (and glad it happened vs us!) . He’d be electric in the 8th in a playoff series.
I am guessing that Diaz does not want to face the Dodgers. He has pitched in 3 games against them. 1 loss, 1 blown save (last year in Seattle). 5 runs, 7 hits, and 1 walk in 15 PA. 3 doubles and 3 HRs in the 7 hits.
But I would take Edwin Diaz in a NY minute. He is special except thus far against the Dodgers. And no Bums, the Dodgers chances of getting Diaz are about the same as Haniger.
Isn’t Muncy 2-2 with 2 home runs vs Diaz?
Great post today, thanks! There were some long stretches of futility and the team did not worry about losing draft picks to sign FA back in the day.
What an epic game last night! That’s why I never leave early from a game and miss fireworks. This team has no quit in them, they just keep battling. There was a sense of inevitability as each man passed the baton. It’s funny how most managers won’t pull their closer even when they are getting lit up. I was glad they left Diaz in and this time it went the Dodger’s way.
Pretty large matchup advantage with Ryu at home against Vargas tonight. Close it out with 3 of 4 from the Mets!
Love it. Win the series baby !
Great compilation. As a fan, it certainly felt like the Dodgers were whiffing on first round draft picks for a long period there – this article provides a lot of facts to characterize that overall sentiment.
With the recent resurgence of Dodger farm system prospects, I’ve often wondered how much of this success had to do with better/smarter picks and how much had to do with better/smarter player development. I am also a Laker fan and it has been frustrating how the Lakers have given up too early on their draft picks, seemingly satisfied with a sink or swim attitude towards their young talent. The Dodgers are in stark contrast. They seem to bubble wrap their talented young players until the analysts and fans are screaming for them to promote the young stars (see Alex Verdugo). They’ve also had examples of players that have been retooled with new mechanics (most recently Will Smith and his new launch angle swing). In the case of Gavin Lux, they didn’t give up on him too early and he’s now killing it in the minors. In the past, how likely would it have been for Gavin Lux to be cast off as yet another draft bust?
The Dodgers also do a great job of developing players at the big club level. They invite the prospects up to hang out and acclimate to the big club so when they debut, they are already somewhat familiar with the environment. They also go out of their way to sign Chase Utley / David Freese / Justin Turner types onto the roster – essentially player coaches that work with the younger guys as well as teach/emulate the correct way to play at the big league level.
Having a pipeline of talent really adds to the excitement of following this team. I believe the younger, enthusiastic prospects add to the energy level of the veterans too. I love watching this ball club.
We’re almost spoiled really, except for that elusive Championship. Better plug that bullpen hole at the deadline. Regardless, it’s very fulfilling as a fan to see our team at the top of the heap every day and shouldn’t be taken for granted. Great Front Office, Great Team, Great Stadium, Great Fan Base! Thank you AF!
I even love the pre and post game shows! A class act of an organization to keep their former GM on the broadcast team to provide insights that only a GM can provide.
Though I do miss Kevin Kennedy. I thought his insights as a baseball insider and lifer were outstanding.
I agree ’59 about keeping Ned around for insight. I see him on TV, and then he does a podcast afterwords with David Vasseghe, takes fans phone calls and gives Vasseghe his opinion. Colletti just friggin loves this team right now, you would think he would be jealous seeing as how Freidman took his job, but he is constantly praising Freidman for “looking at the long term” as far as how a season plays out(Resting guys, call ups, giving Kelly and Taylor a chance to work out their stuff).. Colletti constantly says that no team in the NL can hang with the Dodgers, and how deep and versatile our lineup is. He also preaches how much we wear the pitchers out this year. Vasseghe mentioned this morning that when he was in Cincinnati for the Reds series, he was just about right next to the Dodger dugout and could hear the players encouraging whoever was at the plate”Don’t give in, Don’t give in”. It goes along with what Colleti has said time and time again this year that the Dodger lineup and the way they make opposing pitchers throw strikes just grinds on that certain pitcher, and demoralizes him after he gives up a 9 pitch walk or base hit. Way different approach this year compared t last year. Who would have thought that Joc would battle his at bats so much, then go with the pitch to left field? Already seen it a few times. By the way, I ‘m thinking Freidman is holding onto Joc, because he is becoming a friggin force.
Roger if AF were smart he would add Ned to the Dodger FO in some form. No doubt about it, he knows players. The Dodgers would then have a really powerhouse FO imo.
Kershaw vs deGrom (should be a great pitcher’s duel) – Final Score 9-5
Buehler vs Syndergaard (should be a great pitcher’s duel) – Final Score 9-8
Tonight Vargas (5.22 ERA) vs Ryu (1.65 ERA) – What do you want to bet the Mets win it 12-0 ?
Yes, I’ll take that bet! 😉
Vargas is pure garbage. He’ll be lucky to be in the major leagues by the all-star break. He’s that bad.
Oh man, you’ve not only insured his no-hitter, now it’ll be a perfect game! 🙂
haha
Every LHP, regardless of ERA, gives the Dodgers a tough time. The Dodgers have a different lineup when a LHP starts. That lineup is not nearly as fearsome as the lineup vs RHP.
Me too
Singing The Blue: I’ll take that bet too, Dodgers are -280 to win tonight. (Bet $280 to win $100) I could probably get 100 to one or more taking the Mets to win 12-0.
The odds that a no-hitter is pitched are approximately 1560 to 1. If you figure in the skill level of Vargas that should probably be about 3,000 to 1.
If he does it tonight, each of you guys owes me 3,000 something or others.
Hah! It took one batter to insure the fact there won’t be a no-hitter and two batters to insure the fact it won’t be 12-0. You’re off the hook Black Mirror.
Thanks for the recap of previous drafts. Lots of names I had forgotten (or never remembered). I take from this how incredibly difficult it is to draft and project future potential as well as how hard it is to reach that potential.
I can’t believe it!!
https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2019/05/30/the-mets-think-the-dodgers-could-be-stealing-signs/
Professional baseball is a very hard game!! It is extremely difficult to project who can handle the sport at it’s highest levels. Then, when you factor in the possibility (probability?) of injury it becomes even more difficult.
It is the toughest game to master. Emotions play a huge part in Baseball that can hurt your performance, whereas, in say Football, where it more mindless game, Emotions are a big part, especially homicidal maniacs that like to beat women and kill small animals. 🙂
I can’t believe it!!
https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2019/05/30/the-mets-think-the-dodgers-could-be-stealing-signs/
That’s a funny article.
“After Monday’s loss, a couple Mets told The Post they were concerned the Dodgers were taking some really big swings, almost as if they knew what was coming.”
Anyone who’s followed the Dodgers the last several years knows they ALWAYS take big hacks – whether they know a fastball is coming or not. This is the first year, they have given some thought to having a 2 strike approach.
How does stealing signs explain all the outs they hit into. Haha.
Do we have three all star outfielders? Considering both offense and defense!
We have three with over 1.000 OPS. Them’s superstar stats!
In response to therealten above. I think Niko Hulsizer has a legit shot as a ML OF. I still believe he strikes out too much, but he does have legit power, and his .407 OBP is eye-opening. The Midwest League is considered a pitcher’s league and Niko is #2 in HRs and RBIs, which is impressive, but he is also #4 in doubles pushing him to the top of slugging % at .646. His OBP is .407 (good for 5th in league), making his OPS a very impressive 1.053. That is more than 100 points better than the #2. He has 13 HRs in 194 PA. Niko is 22 which puts him slightly older than the average player in the Midwest League.
Comparisons:
Corey Seager at 19 – .309/.389/.529/.918 – 12 HRs in 312 PA
Alex Verdugo at 19 – .295/.325/.394/.719 – 5 HRs in 444 PA
Neither Cody or DJ Peters played at Great Lakes.
Scott Schebler at 21 – .260/.312/.388/.700 – 6 HRs in 560 PA but with a 17.7% K rate.
While I think he has a chance to play in the Show, he is not going to be an AS. I think he does have a chance to play at the level of Scott Schebler in the right situation. He is certainly a better prospect than Trayce Thompson (IMO).
I am assuming that by dark horses you are looking at players not listed in the Top 30. But there are three that I am going to list because I have been following them since Day 1 and I have never given up on them while others have. Omar Estevez (2B), Jacob Amaya (SS), and Cristian Santana (3B/1B).
Those not on the Top 30 list:
Relief Pitchers – Wills Montgomerie (Rancho), Brett de Geus (Great Lakes), Ryan Moseley (Tulsa), Max Gamboa (Rancho) and one of my big favorites…Melvin Jimenez (Rancho) – These guys have huge swing and miss pitches but are wild keeping their prospect status down. Example – Max Gamboa in 24.2 IP has 42 Ks, but 18 BB. He has also only surrendered 1 HR in the California League. Wills Montgomerie in 40.2 IP has 55 Ks, but 25 BB. He has allowed only 3 HRs in those 40.2 IP also in the California League.
Catcher – Hunter Feduccia – I think he makes it to MLB, but not as a Dodger. Too much talent ahead of him.
OF – Zach Reks (OKC), Cody Thomas (Tulsa)
Infield – Jared Walker (Tulsa)
My favorite non high-profile SP is Edwin Uceta, and yes I know he is a Top 30 prospect, but I needed to include him.
DC probably has more. One of the problems for both of us is that we latch onto these kids in Rookie League and they are all AS to us. This includes the Dominican Summer League that starts on Monday.
Thank you for the reply. I was scouring through the minor league players and really got stalled on 2 you mentioned Montgomerie and gamboa. I have also followed mosely for a while. He doesn’t seem to have the k pitch that the other 2 have although something seems to have clicked for him this year. Reks and Thomas are interesting follows. Somewhere I read Inoa has a big arm one that you did not mention. Thanks again.
We’ve got one of those “Shake it up and throw it against the wall and see what sticks” lineups tonight.
One good thing about this starting lineup. It gives us a great bench. 🙂
Ever the optimist. I like that perspective!
Not much sticking. I thought Vargas was supposed to be trash. I hate to see seager out of the lineup after 3 hits last night, starting to get hot, and with turner sitting. I know seager has struggled against lefties but he is heating up so doc sits him.
Really Beaty over Joc against a weak lefty. Cmon Doc give Joc a shot. He’s on a roll!
Beaty was 3-5
Joc was only 2-5.
Oh… Joc can’t hit lefties.
Beaty is hitting 1.000 against LHP.
Joc is hitting .190 against LHP.
Improve your argument!
You have nothing.
Have a take and do not suck! – Jim Rome
I agree. I don’t see a problem with Beaty in for this game. Give the guy a shot, he is hungry to prove himself and it keeps Joc on his toes.
Thats quite a sample size for Beaty. Improve your argument. After that huge home run last night Joc deserves a shot against a lefty. And Beaty’s not hitting .1000 any more
Mark and AC
Do you think Bellinger has come of age? I think his approach is so different now, compared to the last two seasons, that he “Fingers Crossed” has become a hitter in the mold of Ted Williams, Stan Musial, those types. If he continues to cut his swing down on 2 strikes and hit the ball where it is pitched and doesn’t chase bad pitches??? Who knows how great this kid could be.
Also, should L.A. give him a long term contract extension this year.
Yours truly
Ham
2D2 Forgot to say nice job on the article. I wish Mark would let me write some articles. I would love it. 🙂
I say do it!
Hi Bobby, how are you feeling? Doctor wants to install a stimulator in my spine.
What would I write about? 18th Century political and judicial corruption? Sexual escapades of Mark T in his youth? Most collectible Dodger memorabilia I have sold or own?
Mark did you ever hear from mj? A solid consistent poster who would reply to most not just a few.
I hardly get any replies, but at least it is consistent lol.
Another win, and great outing from Ryu.
Kenley looking strong, and the BP get a rest.
Bit worried about MJ now. She hadn’t been feeling well before she went MIA.
Hope she is ok.
Phillies will be a good test.
Let me try to get MJ to comment.
Pederson is better than Toles.