With the 100th pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, The Los Angeles Dodgers select…Jake Vogel, CF, Huntington Beach High School, Huntington Beach, California.
https://www.mlb.com/video/2020-draft-jake-vogel-of?t=mlb-draft
“Now batting for your Los Angeles Dodgers, CF, Jake Vogel”. At least that is what his high school coach is hoping to hear.
More players from California have gone on to play MLB than any other state, and in particular Southern California has been a gold mine. But you could not tell from recent Dodger drafts. The Dodgers have not drafted a player from Southern California in the first three rounds since 2012, when they selected LHP Onelki Garcia. What was unusual for even that pick was that Garcia was a Cuban defector who was pitching in a local men’s league while living in Los Angeles.
The drought has finally ended for the Dodgers in the talent rich Southern California hotbed of baseball talent, as they finally went local with Jake Vogel with that 100th pick. Perhaps they need to clone Marty Lamb and send him out west.
It is hard to tell who was more excited about Jake being a Dodger draft pick, Jake and his family, or Jake’s high school coach, Benji Medure. Coach Medure has been a lifelong Dodger fan, and when his star CF was selected by the Dodgers, Medure was quoted…”It’s a dream come true for me.” “I’ve been a huge fan,” Medure went on to say. “But [I have] never had a player, one of my players, play in their organization, so this is a first.” Of course coaches want what comes best for his players, but they have favorite teams as well, so it was very special for Coach Medure to have Jake be drafted by the Dodgers.
It was my contention, that the Dodgers would only select one prep player in the draft. Admittedly, Jake would not have been my selection of a prep OF had I been selecting. But that is just me reading up on players and watching videos to see who I would like at a certain point in the draft. I was (and continue to be) a big advocate for Franklin HS (Elk Grove, CA) OF Chase Davis (ranked #55 by Baseball America and #83 by MLBPipeline). I do not know if there was any interest from any team, or if his asking price was considered too lofty. As much as I can, I will follow Chase at Arizona. I see ZERO chance that any team will sign him to a $20,000 deal.
I was also an advocate for taking Arizona State 3B, Gage Workman with this pick. Workman was taken two picks after Jake Vogel by the Detroit Tigers.
It is also hard for me to see a nice young man like Jake Vogel want to ruin his life by going to UCLA. Sorry Rudy, just had to throw that in.
Jake Vogel is 5’11” and 165 pounds, so he does not have the frame to “fill out”. He is a tad older than most HS seniors as he is closer to 19 than he is to 18. He turns 19 on October 12.
In 74 Varsity games in his HS career, Vogel posted a .350 batting average with 12 home runs, 12 triples and 22 doubles. He scored 59 runs, had 43 runs batted in, and reeled off 31 stolen bases. Vogel was named a 2020 Perfect Game All-American.
In his final HS game before everything was cutoff by the pandemic, Jake hit for the cycle in a 16-4 win against a previously unbeaten Laguna Beach team. But as Coach Medure noted, the hitting really started to take off the game before. Coach Medure commented on Jake’s final two games at Huntington Beach.
“We played Corona del Mar the Friday before that. He was three for four, and he missed the cycle by a double, so he was seven for his last eight, and he almost hit for two cycles, was his final sendoff in high school. That’s pretty cool. That is about as good as you can end your career right there.”
Jake was ranked #77 by Keith Law, #82 by MLBPipeline, and #89 by Baseball America. Vogel’s biggest tool is his speed. It has been graded to an 80 on a 20-80 scale at times, but he is generally given a 70 run grade. Vogel has an average to slightly above average arm, and with his speed (and lack of power), he is a lock to stick in CF.
When asked where Vogel would rank in the organization with his speed, Billy Gasparino commented:
“If it’s not the top, then top two or three,” Gasparino said of where Vogel’s speed would rank in the Dodgers farm system. “This is like running back, sprinter speed. He’s strong, explosive and has powerful strides. He can really get after it. If it’s not the top, then it’s top two or three.”
Due to an injury, Vogel was not seen in last summer’s showcase circuit, so his development caught most scouts off guard with his showing this Fall and Spring.
Per his baseball America scouting report, although he is small, as a hitter, “Vogel has a feel for the barrel and produces loud contact when he connects, driving the ball to all fields and showing sneaky power to his pull-side.
MLBPipeline had the following comments on his hitting:
Vogel is “compact and strong…Most believe he is going to hit at the next level, with a really simple swing from the right side of the plate that allows him to barrel up on the baseball on a consistent basis. Though he’s undersized, there is some pop there, and he’s shown the ability to drive the ball.”
None of the scouting reports give Jake any chance with power. Keith Law writes “there’s very little chance for power, especially with his short, no-load approach at the plate.” Not all scouts are in agreement with Vogel’s offensive skill set. Some see his athleticism and ability to barrel up, while others see a loopy uppercut swing with a lot of swing and miss. Perhaps that was the opinion shared prior to this Spring. Maybe the Dodger development team will be more persuasive with Jake and his swing than they have been so far with Jeren Kendall. Some guys are teachable, and some are not.
Billy Gasparino continued to lavish praise on Jake.
“Our player development is chomping at the bit to get ahold of him, because they think the athlete, the hand-eye coordination, his ability to move his body so fast, it’s going to take off with some instruction.”
Baseball America scouts believe that Jake is “a no-doubt center fielder with his speed and advanced instincts, the only question is whether Vogel will continue to hit. If he does, and the Dodgers are confident he will, he’ll set a strong precedent for the Dodgers to keep mining their home region for talent at the top of the draft.”
“He’s just a really physically gifted kid that…came out this fall and this spring and performed really well,” Gasparino said. “He kind of really shot up our board.”
From Steve Fryer at the Orange County Register:
“Vogel has a lot going for him,” [Prep Baseball Report’s Les] Lukach said. “He’s got plenty of speed and he showed some power in the early part of the spring that caught a lot of people’s attention. I’ve seen him graded out as high as the middle to later second round or the third round.”
Most of the pre-draft publications have indicated with Jake’s speed, athleticism, and defense, he was generally depicted as a 3rd round pick, exactly where Billy Gasparino had him.
Now Vogel has a decision. He is committed to UCLA. John Savage is not going to let him go without a fight. I have known Coach Savage for 28 years and I know him to be an outstanding recruiter (and coach). He was able to convince Gerrit Cole, as a #1 pick from his dream team (NYY), to stick with his commitment to UCLA. Doc is a UCLA alum as is Chase Utley. How will they advise if they are asked? The bonus slot for the 100th pick is $581,600. How much higher are the Dodgers willing to go to convince him that their development team, especially with a smaller class and more individual attention, will be able to help Jake quicker to MLB than can UCLA?
More this year than any previous draft, I am certain that the Dodgers (all teams) have a very good idea as to what the cost will be. I am just as certain, that the draft order (and player selections) was configured to give teams at or very nearly to a 100% sign rate.
Now it is time to get Jake signed and shipped to Arizona to begin his quest to become a future Dodger CF.
Here is an interview with young Jake after a Little League All Star game.
Discussion (77)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Another place I loved to go way back when was POP…Pacific Ocean Park. Cool place. Admission was 1.99. Way cheaper than Disneyland. Of course so was Knotts Berry Farm. I remember that place when there were only like 6 rides there. The train, the stagecoach, the merry go round, Henry’s Livery which was across the street on the other side of Beach Blvd. You had to walk through a tunnel to get there. They also had like a mule ride too. And admission was free. Used to go to the General Store every time I was there and get one of their giant dill pickles. Sour as hell, but juicy and a lot of fun to eat. POP was where they aired, Dick Clark’s, Where the Action Is on TV. And admission was free. Saw Paul Revere and the Raiders there. Great times in a great place to grow up. I would never live there now.
Nice reminisces there Watford. John Wayne lived in Newport Beach. I had a girlfriend who worked as a real estate agent and she took me to his house when it was on the market. He had his own pier where he used to dock his boat. Gold fixtures in most of the bathrooms. Most of his movie memorabilia that he kept is in a warehouse close to the production company his family still runs. The Wild Goose was bought years ago and is used in Newport for dinner cruises. San Clemente was where we would go camping sometimes when I was in the home for kids. We would also go up to Carpenteria Beach just south of Santa Barbara, the worlds safest beach was how they advertised it. Practically no waves at all. Lived in the South Bay a lot of years. We used to go up to Palos Verdes and go down to the tide pools there. Lots of interesting sea life. Sometimes we would go to Cabrillo Beach, which is actually inside the harbor in San Pedro. Perfect for kids because there were no waves or rip tide to worry about, and the Maritime museum was right there. Then we would also fish off of the rocks that formed the breakwater for LA Harbor. Good times, a different world then for sure And I remember going grunion hunting when the grunion were running. And having beach party’s with bonfires at Playa Del Ray. Seeing all of the professional wrestlers who used to hang out at Muscle Beach.
We’ve mentioned all the HB area beaches and left out the great expanse of Bolsa Chica. Loved going there, because you could park right along the sand on PCH. No chip stands, but lots and lots of sand.
I need help, as my mind is drawing a blank. I’m trying to remember the name of the stand(s) on HB that sold the chips and Milky Ways, etc. Was it Jack and Flo’s?
I only learned to Surf about 20 years ago,
When l got the Internet.
I’ll get my coat…
Someone just suggested on Twitter that they just forget about MLB this year since neither side wants to be viewed as having given in to the other and instead play minor league ball.
Those players could use the money more anyway and some media company would certainly kick in some money to televise a minor league game a few times a week. I know I would tune in.
If I had the chance to go into the MLB now or wait two or three years, I’d have to choose now because I think there is going to be a overabundance of draft eligible players in the next few drafts because of all of the college players this season that went undrafted and possibly a number of HS players who were drafted but will refuse to sign. This could continue to impact the pool of draft eligible college and HS players who are drafted and those who sign until the balance is restored.
I think that Vogel will be able to get the money of a late second or third round drafted due to the fact that the Dodgers have shown that they are willing to pay some players less in order to sign some that they really see having a future in the organization.
I always have thought that Mission Beach in San Diego was a beautiful place when I was there in the 60’s. There a simplicity to the area back then and it was not developed to any large degree so it was very tranquil. Still hate the Padres, though.
I left Canada and moved to Orange County where I lived for many years before ending up in NorCal. I have visited all those beaches, Huntington, Newport, Seal Beach, etc. Beaches up here do not compare, I think. I did not surf or boogie board but once rode a pedal bike to my softball practice from Westminster to Edison HS. By the time I got there was too exhausted to practice. The coach drove me home. Had many great times at Huntington Beach.
Manfred said yesterday afternoon that this needs to be over….well DUH! Then he also rejected the players proposal of 70 games. They want the season over before the end of September, and they do not want any double headers as they have been advised by medical genius’s that people being together that long could spread the virus. What ever they decide, they had better do it quick because the fans are getting pretty ticked off.
I personally think the kid passes up this draft and goes to UCLA>
Absolutely love these stories of the various LA “Beaches”, and sitting here in my Cab on a dreary June morning, this has really lifted my mood.
My first ever night in LA was spent in Newport Beach with my then girlfriend in 88.
I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was, and all the neighbouring Beaches as well. Even today, it is the place in the world where I would most like to live.
I often look at house prices on Zillow, and dream lol.
The love affair with Baseball started then, taking in a night game at Dodger Stadium. Awesome. I dragged her back the next night for a second helping.
Baseball lasted much longer In my life than she did.
That holiday changed my life. Within a year I’d quit my job and had embarked on a two year round the world trip.
Spent most of 90 living and working in a Youth Hostel on Venice Beach, and heading to Chavez Ravine as often as possible. Ramon Martinez was my favourite Dodger.
Been back a few times, but will be there in May next year, so be great to see a few of you LA dwellers. Definitely gonna grab that Beer that Bobby has been promising.
Be fantastic if some of you other boys could join us for a game if I can fix a date?
Feeling a bit better after writing that.
Been hard going these past few weeks.
Lockdown has been wearing me down.
Although I’ve been out working as normal, I am really missing not being able to do my usual leisure pursuits.
I’ve realised that I do lead a very busy
life, and am not used to relaxing.
At first I embraced it – and enjoyed spending more time at home and especially in the garden, as the weather has been great.
However, I’m done with that now. I need to get out. Always have a few beers on a Friday after work, and out most Saturdays with friends and the Missus. Also having two boys (12&16) means I’m running them everywhere to sports activities, as well as going to watch Watford play in the EPL.
I’m desperately missing not being able to watch Baseball and my other favourite sports, although watching the PGA Golf from a Hilton Head was great last night.
Unfortunately there is a realisation that my job will never be the same after this, and therefore, like many other people around the world, I’m gonna be hit financially, meaning my lifestyle will have to change. This is disappointing as we have worked hard to get ourselves in a good position, only to have the rug pulled from under us.
I know that many of you guys are retired or semi retired which is probably a good thing, but I’ve got a good 10-15 years left. It’s not gonna be easy.
The lasting effects of Covid 19 will not be so much physical as financial I think.
Still, we are all in good health and at least we appear to be getting a hold on this thing now. As we head into Summer hopefully things will Unlock further and we can return to some form of normality.
Keep up the good work Jeff, Harold and Rob, it is much appreciated.
I never surfed on a board. Loved body surfing though. My turf was more Redondo, Manhattan and Hermosa Beaches. I loved the water and loved swimming. Got my Jr Lifeguard badge back in 61. Lost a good friend of mine at the Redondo pier in 63, He was surfing, and wiped out right into the pilings of the Redondo Pier. We had a lot of surfers at Mira Costa High. Some of them later did it professionally. One of the guys in my class, Mike Purpus, surfed as a professional for a while. His big claim to fame was becoming a Playgirl centerfold. Oh well…….But I loved a lot of the other So Cal Beaches. Loved going to Paradise Cove. Met Roy Rogers there in 1957. He used to take his speedboat out from the pier there. It was called, The Yellowjacket. And boy it could move. Did not like going to Pebble Beach which was aptly named. But Leo Carrillo State Beach was nice too.
Good article AC! I think he will sign and be a nice addition to the prospect lineup. He may become the player we all wished Kendall would be. If he turns out to be another Toy Cannon, oh happy days!
Badger – Huntington Beach is close to Newport Beach in distance, but it is light years away in “snoot” factor. HB is a predominantly middle class neighborhood and it’s population is mostly ordinary working folks. Edison HS reigned supreme on the gridiron. No posh Balboa Island to be found in HB. Nor do they have the yacht parade every Christmas. When I was in junior and senior high, quite often we would ditch school and hitchhike down to HB and spend our time at lifeguard station #19. Never once would we ever think of going to Newport Beach.
https://www.mlb.com/news/clayton-kershaw-addresses-racial-injustice
The one element that they have been discussing that I do not like is advertising on the uniforms. I think it is strictly bush league. Soccer unis have all that crap on them, and they are frippen ugly. I think the Dodgers and Yankees have unis that are classic in their design, and putting ads on them takes away from that. Hi, I am Justin Turner, and as it says on my right shoulder I eat at McDonalds. Idiotic.
Height has nothing to do with talent. Wee Willie Keeler was 5;4″ .341 career batting average and played 19 years in the bigs. 8 straight seasons of 200 plus hits. Most players today don’t get that many once, let alone 8 times. Yogi Berra was 5’7″ Campy was 5’9″ Jose Altuve is 5’6″, Jimmy Rollins, Joe Morgan, Hack Wilson was 5’6″ and still holds the record for the most RBI’s in a season, and he did that in the 30’s. Almost 100 years ago. Albie Pearson, Freddie Patek, Rabbit Maranville, Phil Rizzuto, Bobby Shantz, Joe Sewell, all had productive MLB careers…oh yeah, Shantz won the Cy young Award once. And a pitcher who held the powerful Braves hit less for 12 innings, Elroy Face, was 5’8″ tall.
About a year and a half ago, I predicted that Manfred wanted to implement the DH in the NL.
Well, Tony Clark did not even consider it, even when Manfred offered to increase the rosters by another player. Clark does not want to give on anything, even if it helps the players.
Well, now Manfred is negotiating to keep the DH for at least 2 years!
Gavin Stone, Clayton Beeter, Bobby Miller, Carson Taylor, Landon Knack, Jake Vogel in no order of importance, it is hard to root for just one of them. So, will cheer them all on as we should all do. I am so disappointed to see no minor league season for them and hope we sign them all. Go Blue.
Well hopefully for Kendall’s sake he doesn’t resist the changes his bosses want to make in his next career
Mickey Mantle was 5’11” and he filled out ok. Willie Mays was 5’10” and I don’t believe anyone considered him undersized. Mookie Betts is listed at 5’9”. Speaking for all badgers out there, I feel compelled to remind you it’s the size of the fight in the dog. If you don’t believe it, try pulling the tail of a wolverine next chance you get
I’m assuming Vogel will sign but I can’t help but wonder if he could make a few million by attending UCLA for the next two years.
It’s hard for me to “project” what Vogel can be. He’s a project, for sure.
So is Kendall officially near the “scrap heap?”
https://www.si.com/mlb/dodgers/news/a-conversation-with-dodgers-prospect-jeren-kendall
He’s 24 and I just don’t see the light just going on anytime soon. He was having a degree of success this Spring, but it’s a very small sampling.
Another Vogel at UCLA. Who would have thunk it?