3 picks were High School players (2 SS and 1 OF). There was a college OF, college catcher, college SS, and 10 college pitchers. Of all the talk for a need for a catcher, the only catcher the Dodgers selected was Luke Bard, son of LAD bullpen coach Josh Bard. Bard was a 4th year senior from Houston Christian University. He is not a prospect, so the Dodgers are still looking for a catcher.
I am confident that the lack of bonus pool funds had a lot to do with this LAD draft. There were just two ranked draft picks, and I am sure that the lack of early picks was the primary reason. But further evidence is that, of the 16 picks, 5 were 4th year senior college players. Those players were the 10th, 12th, 13th, 14th, and 19th picks.
Three pitchers were out most if not all the year due to UCL surgeries. Two were full TJ surgeries, LHP Cody New, Cal Baptist, and LH Closer Zach Bates, Illinois. Bates entered the portal and has transferred to Nebraska, if he doesn’t sign with the Dodgers. The third elbow surgery was to RHP Gavin Van Kempen, East Carolina, which was an internal brace procedure.
This draft reminds me a lot of the 2021 draft. There was not a lot of buzz surrounding that draft, and having their top pick flame out, and their 2nd pick heading in that direction, it is hard to imagine the success the 2021 draft was. The Dodgers drafted 19 players and signed 16. 17 of the 19 draft picks were pitchers with Damon Keith and Mike Sirota the only position players drafted. Sirota did not sign. Keith is in the Brewers organization at AA. 15 signed pitchers and 5 reached MLB with one an All-Star.
- 3rd round – RHP Nick Nastrini – made MLB with CWS, now released
- 4th round – RHP Ben Casparius
- 5th round – RHP Emmet Sheehan
- 11th round – LHP Justin Wrobleski – All Star
- 14th round – RHP Jordan Leasure – made MLB with CWS
There are two other LAD relievers who are in AAA with LAD: LHP Ronan Kopp (12th round), RHP Antonio Knowles (13th round). Kopp is on the LAD 40 man roster and could be the 6th member of that draft to make MLB.
The draft sort of triggered somewhat of a scouting change for hitters. The big power seemed to give way to contact. The early player position picks were contact first. We will see how that plays out over the next few years.
UCLA SS Roch Cholowsky was tabbed to be 1/1 in last year’s much too early draft, and he stayed there all year. CWS has Colson Montgomery and a couple of other SS in the pipeline, including Top 100 #16 SS/3B Caleb Bonemar, and #51 Billy Carlson (the Ebel boys teammate at Corona High School). Cholowsky will make 3 Top 100 SS in their system. The White Sox will find a place for all their SS prospects.
So, while this draft was very pitcher deep, the prize of the draft (at least initially), is their 1st pick (40th overall) High School SS/3B, Bo Lowrence.
Rankings:
- MLB Pipeline: 21
- FanGraphs: 7 – FV 45+ High Risk
- ESPN: 35
- Perfect Game: 42
- Baseball America: 38
It was not expected that Lowrence, rated the #5 top HS hitter, would fall to them. But he did, and the Dodgers went away from their strategy of college arms. Both the ceiling and floor for Lowrence are pretty high. Thus, both a projectable pick and safe pick.
Lowrence has been comped to Freddie Freeman, because of his size, LH swing, and hittability. Amateur scouting director Zach Fitzpatrick described Lowrance as the organization’s “main target” coming into Day 1 of the Draft — although the Freeman comp was not top of mind for L.A.
“We didn’t have any Freddie Freeman comps necessarily as we went and scouted him. … But we do think Bo can hit, and we like his swing and starting point and foundation from that standpoint. So, if he’s anywhere close to Freddie, that would be a great outcome for us.”
One scouting report: “Given 55 grades for both hit and power tools, Lowrance’s 6-foot-5 frame has earned him favorable comparisons to Freeman. The South Carolina product has a naturally long swing, but he hits the ball in the air and makes consistent contact to all fields. More frequently pulling the ball could unleash additional raw power, and there’s plenty of time for the 18-year-old to add strength and make adjustments to get there.”
MLB Pipeline scouting report includes: “Lowrance has a smooth left-handed stroke and a track record of delivering against quality competition on the showcase circuit. He doesn’t try to do too much at the plate, making consistent contact to all fields despite naturally long levers with his 6-foot-5 frame and drawing comparisons to Freddie Freeman. He doesn’t lift and pull many pitches at this point, so he’ll need to add strength and make some adjustments to realize his 25-homer potential.”
“Definitely just trying to get more physical,” Lowrance said on a Zoom call with the media on Saturday. “I’m 6-foot-5. I have a big frame, but I’m definitely not filled out, and I definitely haven’t tapped into the power that I think is coming. So just trying to find the balance between getting big and getting stronger, but also staying athletic so I can stay at shortstop and be a productive infielder as well.”
Defensively, Lowrance has played shortstop in the prep ranks but profiles more as a third baseman in professional ball. He moves well for his size — given a 50 running grade — but only has average quickness. First base or right field could also be future homes for him. His arm is unlikely to be a concern with a strong 55 grade.
Lowrence does not want to hear that. “I believe I’m capable of it,” he said. “I think I have the glove skills and the athleticism. … As of right now, and where I see myself playing and developing, it’s going to be at shortstop.”
“I’ve definitely been making pretty huge strides, but really, nothing is going to be comparable to the Dodgers,” Lowrance said. “I mean, it’s going to be an unbelievable setup, and I really can’t wait to see how far I can go with everything.”
The Dodgers are planning on giving Lowrance the opportunity to stick at shortstop.
“We’re going to run that play out,” Fitzpatrick said. “Obviously, as he develops and adds size and strength, those things can change, but for now we’re optimistic on the shortstop probability and ways we can help him and keep him there.”
Lowrence’s ticket rose a lot because of his work in the draft combine.
Sure sounds like he is going to sign.
The Dodgers 4th round pick (#132 overall) was RHP Russell Sandefer. There is nothing that stands out with Sandefer. Sandefer started his career in the Division II ranks, then transferred to UCF in 2025 before transferring to Florida for his draft year. This spring, he totaled 57 innings with a 4.42 ERA, 24% strikeout rate and 9% walk rate. These are not elite marks, then again the #132 pick is not considered elite.
Rankings:
- MLB Pipeline: 177
- FanGraphs: N/A
- ESPN: N/A
- Perfect Game: 355
- Baseball America: 182
Sandefer stands at 6’1” 200 pounds. His fastball is average with some movement. It is more of a sinker than 4-seamer. It sits at 93 and touches 97. The fastball does not miss bats, but it does miss barrels. Sandefer needed to rely on his secondaries for swing and miss. His low 80’s slider is above average (55), with a 2800 RPM spin rate and 10” sweep. Sandefer got a 44% whiff rate on the slider.
His change is also above average (55) looking as a legit plus offering. The change had 18” arm side run, with a 40% in zone whiff rate.
Do the Dodgers see a similar development path for Sandefer as they did for last year’s #1 pick, LHSP Zach Root? Root was drafted with excellent secondaries, but an average sinker. The Dodgers tweaked his mechanics, and he now has a plus 4-seamer to go with his secondaries. He is on the cusp of top 100.
Sandefer has room for growth and perhaps the Dodgers will try change his sinker into a 4-seamer as they did with Root.
At #132, this looks like a fantastic pick with upside value.
Dodgers’ 7th round pick, #223 overall, was LHP Charlie West, from University of Connecticut. The Dodgers previously selected a former Huskie in the 4th round of the 2021 draft; RHP Ben Casparius. West looks to be in the mold of LHRP Alex Vesia and Jack Dreyer.
Dodgers’ 8th round pick, #253 overall is LHP Miles Gosztola from University of Oregon.
Dodgers’ 9th pick, #283 overall is OF Kyeler Thompson, Texas Tech. One of the hit over power college bats. He is a speed oriented CF and hitter.
He slashed .358/.454/.491/.945 with a 121 wRC+ and 26 stolen bases. He was caught 6 times. He walked 25 times, was HBP 12 times, and struck out 33 times. That is a 13.0% K rate and 9.8% BB rate.
16% chase rate is very good. 102 mph 90th percentile exit velocity, which isn’t a ton of raw pop, but his 89% in-zone contact rate was solid.
Thompson is a development project, but has tools to mold.
Dodgers’ 10th round pick was Oregon closer Devin Bell. Bell was the first of the 4th year Senior college players.
— Oregon Duck Baseball (@OregonBaseball) May 17, 2026
Bell sat 95 mph with his high-spin fastball this spring, holding 17 inches of induced vertical break and 13 inches of arm-side run with 2,400 RPM. That heater forced a 23% whiff rate and 28% chase rate, which are both strong numbers. That chase helped Bell post a 6% walk rate despite his fastball only running a 47% zone rate. He doesn’t get down the mount very far, only averaging 5.4 feet of extension on his four-seam.
With the 11th pick, #343 overall, the Dodgers selected LHP, Cody New, Cal Baptist. Same school as another 2021 draft pick was selected, OF Damon Keith.
New was the WAC preseason pitcher of the year, based on his 2025 numbers. He was the Friday Night pitcher who hurt his elbow in his first start of 2026 and had successful TJ surgery. New was projected to go in the top four rounds before the injury, so he could be a steal for the 11th round.
Sounds eerily similar to yet another 2021 draft pick. Also a LH junior pitcher, with recent TJ surgery (April 2021), and picked in the 11th round…Justin Wrobleski.
With the 12th pick, the Dodgers selected RHP Gavin Van Kempen who also suffered an elbow injury. Van Kempen selected internal brace surgery rather than full TJ. Van Kempen was another 4th year senior pitcher.
— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) March 7, 2026
The 6-foot-7, 240 pound hurler put up fantastic numbers through six starts in his senior season, posting a 1.84 ERA with a 39% strikeout rate and 8% walk rate. His delivery is very Trey Yesavage-like, with a physical frame releasing from way over the top. His fastball sat 93 mph with 20 inches of induced vertical break and a 7.1 foot release height.
Gavin Van Kempen posted an update about his surgery to his X page: “I want to thank @JeffDugasMD for a successful internal brace procedure at the Andrews Sports Medicine center. I cannot thank you enough!”
📸 Gavin Van Kempen
Rookie League Game Summary Report
There was just one rookie league game on Wednesday.
DSL LAD Mega 8 – DSL Braves 1 – 7 innings
RHP Derik Aquino started and completed 3.0 innings. He surrendered one run, 2 hits, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 5 K.
RHP Allen Ajoti followed Aquino and pitched 2.0 scoreless and hitless innings. He walked 1 and struck out 2.
RHP Albert Feliz followed Ajoti and also pitched 2.0 scoreless and hitless innings. He walked 2 and struck out 5.
The DSL LAD Mega put up 5 in the 1st inning. They scored 5 runs on 5 BB, 1 SB, 1 single, 1 WP, 1 HBP, and 1 run scoring forceout.
They scored 2 more in the 5th. 1B Ezequiel Aparicio singled and moved to 2nd on a walk to CF Jesus Villaflor. Both runners moved up on a WP and scored on a single by SS Edgar Sanchez.
In the 6th, DH Erny Orellana walked and scored on 3B Luis Tovar’s triple (1).
Catcher Jose Rivas was 3-4 with a double (3). He was the only Mega batter with more than 1 hit.
Discussion (74)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Dodgers traded Lux–and got Sirota & Davalan’s draft pick–three days after signing Kim.
So Kim has already helped bring value to the org.
Slow night
This is nearly 100% based on Jeff D’s response to the Dodgers Digest and Future Dodgers advanced look at some prospects the Dodgers could be trading for at the deadline.
I built this on the following 3-part thesis:
ONE, like Sirota/Hope/Zazueta, the Dodgers won’t go after highly prized prospects. Those three were between 40-45 FV at the time of acquisition, so I only singled out players in that range, with maybe 1 or 2 at 50.
TWO: Katie Woo reported that the Dodgers are looking for prospects pretty far away. So I tried to go High A and below with my list.
THREE: I used teams that FD and DD had already settled on. Because they are smarter than I.
So. Names:
Mariners
C Luke Stevenson
SS Nick Becker
2B Michael Arroyo
P Griffin Hugus
OF Jonny Farmelo 50 FV, but was heavily linked to the Dodgers in the 2023 draft
The Rays
C Nathan Flewelling
P Jose Urbina, Dominic Fritton, Anderson Brito
SS Daniel Pierce
2B Cooper Fleming
Toronto
LHP Johnny King
RHP Nolan Perry
3B Juan Sanchez
C Juan Caricote
Tigers
SS Jordan Yost
C Eduardo Valencia
The Phillies don’t have much
P Matthew Fisher, Gage Wood
SS Romeli Espinoza
Rangers (top heavy)
SS Sebastian Walcott, Yolfran Castillo
TWP Josh Ownens
The Brewers
SS Cooper Pratt
P Josh Knoth, JD Thompson
3B Andrew Fischer
Cincinnati Reds
SS Steele Hall, Tyson Lewis
1B Cam Collier
Kansas City Royals
C Ramon Ramirez
P David Shields, Justin Lamkin
STL
C Leonardo Bernal
SS Yairo Padilla
P: Brandon Clarke
Tommy Edman in Japan
Mets beat the Phillies tonight. They hit 3 homers off of Nola. Phils only run scored on a Trea Turner homer in the 8th. Got a little quiz for ya, who hit the first regular season homer for the Dodgers in 25 and who hit the last regular season homer for the Dodgers last year. We all know Smith, Muncy and Miggy Ro went deep in game 7.
Dodgers’ Probable Starters This Weekend
Friday: Roki Sasaki (3-5, 5.33 ERA) vs. Gerrit Cole (3-4, 4.04 ERA)
Saturday: Emmet Sheehan (4-6, 4.81 ERA) vs. Ryan Weathers (3-7, 4.15 ERA)
Sunday: Yoshinobu Yamamoto (9-6, 2.85 ERA) vs. Cam Schlittler (9-5, 2.06 ERA)
Yankee series opener tomorrow night,Sasaki vs Cole,NOT a favorable matchup!
The new site is coming… stay tuned.
Stay tuned. The website is changing!
The article by Eno Sarris on AI in the Clubhouse is clear evidence of how the game of baseball has changed and is possibly more of a mental drag than a physical drag. It has gone from a physical match to a physical chess match.
I also thought about the brain surgeon analogy by DodgerRick and what I might add is that a brain surgeon does not have a brain traveling towward his scalpel at 100 MPH, but WAIT, it could be a sweeper, curveball, death ball, or a slider. The brain is stationary. What a grind it is to understand and anticipate all this. Tommy Lasorda said it best:
News From Internet:
A really amazing article by the great Eno Sarris on AI in the clubhouse and how MLB is dealing with it:
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7448900/2026/07/16/mlb-bans-ai-dugout-ipads/
The Athletic canvassed multiple players, general managers, coaches, research and development analysts and other front-office executives with knowledge of dugout iPad usage for their thoughts on the change. They weren’t authorized to speak publicly about the league’s reasoning for the change or their own teams’ use of customizable apps. A consensus emerged: some teams input information from the ongoing game to improve the generative AI models’ ability to anticipate the next pitch that would be thrown, or to recommend what should be thrown….
Both Dodgers Digest and Future Dodgers preview the upcoming trade deadline with an eye on LAD propspects:
https://dodgersdigest.com/2026/07/16/2026-mlb-trade-deadline-a-look-at-some-prospects-the-dodgers-could-target-using-outfield-depth/
Kansas City Royals
Catchers: Blake Mitchell, Ramon Ramirez
Mitchell is a former 1st-rounder who is having an interesting campaign in High-A. He has a .412 OBP and 16 home runs, but he’s hitting just .227. And before you say, “lol, batting average,” the note about this batting average correlates with his hit tool rating being below-average by most evaluators…..
https://futuredodgers.wordpress.com/2026/07/16/exploring-challenge-trade-possibilities/
Top Options
In that sense, it’d be hard to start anywhere but the Mariners. Randy Arozarena is a free agent at the end of the season, but besides Dom Canzone, the outfield looks pretty open for 2027 and beyond. RHP Ryan Sloan and LHP Kade Anderson are two of the best pitching prospects in baseball, and I’m not sure the Mariners would trade either of them in a 1-for-1 for anyone other than De Paula…..
The first third of this Baseball Prospectus Podcast is basically about the Dodgers:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/five-and-dive-episode-562-los-angeles-im-yours/id1481597851?i=1000776792714
“We have them as a slightly less than one in four chance of winning the World Series right now, and that is with them walking into the playoffs. That is insanely high. t’s insanely high. It’s also still one in four, which means to win three in a row like that is now one in 64. Right?”
From The Baseball Prospectus Podcast Network: Five and Dive, Episode 562: Los Angeles, I’m Yours, Jul 14, 2026
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/five-and-dive-episode-562-los-angeles-im-yours/id1481597851?i=1000776792714&r=1252.17
This material may be protected by copyright.
Jack Harris evaluates LAD first half performances ($$$$)
https://nypost.com/2026/07/16/sports/why-dodgers-first-half-report-card-has-a-wide-range-of-grade/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=capost_sports
Seven As for the team with the best first half record.
Keith Law on the LAD draft ($$$$)
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7447990/2026/07/16/nl-west-draft-grades-picks-mlb-2026/
Los Angeles Dodgers: Lowrance the focus of small class
The Dodgers didn’t pick until No. 40, and they appear to have put all their eggs in the basket of high school infielder Bo Lowrance (1), a tall, strong shortstop from South Carolina who’s earned comparisons to Freddie Freeman and Kris Bryant…
Baseball America on DSL all-stars to keep an eye on ($$$$)
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2026-dominican-summer-league-all-star-rosters-top-players-to-know/
Fran-Jean Haseth & Helvin Mendoza RHB, OF
Tom Apfelbaum, LHP
Really interesting article on Luis Arrraez’ change to launch angle and batting strategy in SF
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/luis-arraezs-launch-angle-revolution/
….However, Arraez is running his lowest contact rate since 2021, and that’s probably a good thing….
Fangraphs Brendan Gawlowski Chat
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/brendan-gawlowski-prospects-chat-7-14-26/
Phillip Denny: Mike Sirota is obviously not going to run a 20% BB rate when he gets called up (eventually), but does his stellar run this year give you confidence he can be a perennial .350+ OBP dude?
Brendan Gawlowski: Maybe a little bit. I don’t know that I’d feel significantly different if his walk rate was 12% instead of 20% though. There’s a point of diminishing returns with a minor league walk rate
Phillip Denny: Another Dodger OF prospect Q – Josue De Paula cut his K rate from 20% last year mostly in A+ to 13% this year in AA. The power also took a meaningful step forward. What is he doing differently?
Brendan Gawlowski: His raw hasn’t changed much at all… His hard hit is up a little bit, but it’s up overall. I think the bigger thing with him is that he’s already got above average power and there don’t seem to be holes in his swing. So, the impressive part is that he’s maintaining power while making more contact against better competition. If there’s one theme I wish I could convey more explicitly: we all have to take things like homers, slugging, ISO, whatever with a big grain of salt this year. One source told me that their team estimates the ball is flying 8-10% further this year. It’s like everyone gets to play in Coors all the time and with a metal bat. Of course their power numbers are up.
BA on the Dodgers draft ($$$)
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/los-angeles-dodgers-2026-mlb-draft-review/
Favorite Pick: Bo Lowrence
Favorite Day 2 Pick: RHP Ethan Sutton
Biggest Gamble: LHP Cody New
Old friend alert:
A’s will promote Double-A Midland pitching coach Javy Guerra (ex-Dodger reliever) to the big league coaching staff. Former Major League reliever who won a World Series with Nationals in 2019.
“He and Dan have spent a lot of time together the last few days figuring out how to prepare,” Forst said.
Shohei Ohtani was born with a bipartite patella, meaning the separate bone-growth centers in his left kneecap did not fuse into one continuous bone during childhood. The Angels discovered it by MRI in 2019, and he underwent surgery after the condition began bothering him as he intensified his pitching program.
This is not necessarily a standard, garden-variety case of knee inflammation. A few important distinctions:
1. The Dodgers said imaging in June showed no new structural damage, which is reassuring.
2. Initially, the discomfort was described as being behind the knee, near the hamstring attachment. More recently, Ohtani said it was concentrated around the kneecap, with recurring swelling and reduced ability to bend or straighten the knee.
3. Ohtani himself has not ruled out a connection to the 2019 condition or surgery, but neither he nor the Dodgers has confirmed one.
4. The Dodgers speak with forked tongues about injuries. 😉
The exact 2019 procedure has never been fully detailed. Bipartite-patella surgery can involve removing the smaller fragment, releasing attached tissue, or fixing the two portions together. So we do not know his current kneecap anatomy from public reports. Surgical outcomes in athletes are generally good, but recovery and recurrence vary depending on the procedure and the source of the present inflammation.
My conclusion: It would be premature to apply a routine “drain it, inject it, rest for a week and he’s fine” timetable. The lack of structural damage is encouraging, but the congenital abnormality, previous surgery, recurring fluid, and the tremendous force placed on his landing leg while pitching make this a very individualized problem. Hitting may remain unaffected while pitching continues to provoke it, which is exactly what Ohtani has reported.
I would not be surprised if he stops pitching for a while…
The only way I would trade Wrobleski for Skubal? If an extension was signed. That ain’t gonna happen though.my opinion? Wrobleski keeps getting better! Skubal is very damn good! But how much better can he get? Listening to mlb this morning, Phillies are the dark horse in the Skubal sweepstakes. That alone makes me think the Dodgers might do this. Sheehan, Tibbs, Ferris?
Enough for a rental? Add one more?
Arreaz keeps popping up on the network. Would Buster trade him to the Dodgers? Word on mlb is they could have some interest in him, but I can’t see it happening.
Yankees are looking for a catcher. But it’s a right handed hitter they want. Dalton ain’t going nowhere.
Boston has won 9 in a row., so Chapman ain’t coming to LA.
Wouldn’t it be something if the Marlins won the east? It could happen. A couple of injuries to the braves and Phillies and it could happen.
Let’s hope the Dodgers come out hot on Friday! Thank goodness the game ain’t on Apple! All games are on national tv. Hopefully no JM this weekend!
My son is on Saturday morning on ESPN 7am-10am with Ryan Magee if anyone is up that early.
Thanks Jeff for the draft analysis. I always appreciate your reports.
I like tall pitchers so I am intrigued by Gavin Van Kempen.
The X post states “6’6/215, ultra high 7’1 launch, up to 95. FB north of 20” iVB. No glove-side offerings, Trey Yesavage-esque. Cutter, death ball, and changeup”
So, I had to ask, what’s a “death ball”? I thought I was keeping up pretty well with all the current pitch types, but missed this one. It isn’t always easy to keep up, as I grew up with catchers putting down fingers; one finger for a fastball, two for a curveball, three for a slider, and four for a changeup.
Thank God for PitchCom to call all these new pitch types. A poor catcher would have use his bare hand, take off his mitt and maybe his pants to have enough appendages to call all of the pitches.
Thanks to Google, I got coached up on the “death-ball” – “The “death ball” is a modern baseball term for a sharp, high-velocity gyro slider or cutter. It features very little horizontal movement and plunges straight downward at the plate. It is highly effective for pitchers with high release points because it tunnels perfectly off their fastballs”
My old brain is sort of running out of room to remember all these pitch types (especially with no radar-gun) much less identify them. So the “death-ball” breaks glove-side like a hard slider or cutter but doesn’t really cut or slide, it “plunges” straight down like a splitter, forkball, screwball or sinker might. But not like a “gyro ball”
I think I got it now.
Something I am going to watch coming out of the ASB is Ohtani. It has been reported that he had his knee drained. This knee effusion does not happen in a vacuum. A good scenario is that it was due to a strain of the ligaments and rest is needed. A more severe scenario would be chronic arthritis. And an even more severe cause is a meniscus tear or ligament tear. I have had my knee drained multiple times, and they all led to meniscus tears. I have had three meniscus tear surgeries, and had bone on bone requiring knee replacement surgery.
Interesting to think about the trade deadline and potential moves. I think we have assume Wrobleski stays in the starting rotation unless Glasnow miraculously comes all the way back.
That means Yama/Snell/Ohrani/Wrobo or Glasnow
&
Diaz/Scott/Phillips/Vesia/Klein/Henriquez/Stewart/Dreyer/Sheehan/[Wrobo]/[Sasaki]/Hurt/Ryan
Still could probably justify trading for another set-up man
Lauer was already a back-end starter success story
Your draft report made my day. I had no idea we got several really good pick with a ton of potential.
My favorites are Van Kempen, releasing at 82 feet, 95 MPH with over 20″ vertical break and Thompson, a fast, contact hitting CF with 80% steal rate. Probably not a favorite on this power first nsite but something the Dodger are lacking .
Not concerned with the lack of catching picks. That is what international FA’s are for.
Nice Draft Report, Jeff. I am shocked that Bo dropped to the Dodgers. Pure Luck, I would say!
I asked ChatGPT if Jim Bowden had ever gotten a trade proposal right. Here’s the answer:
Yes. Jim Bowden has at least one legitimate base hit: the Juan Soto trade to the Yankees.
On October 17, 2023, Bowden ranked the Yankees as the most likely team to acquire Soto. He also named Michael King and Jhony Brito among the players San Diego might receive.
Seven weeks later, the actual trade was:
Yankees received: Juan Soto and Trent Grisham
Padres received: Michael King, Jhony Brito, Drew Thorpe, Randy Vásquez and Kyle Higashioka.
So Bowden correctly identified:
✅ The player being traded
✅ The destination
✅ Two members of the return package
He also mentioned Everson Pereira and Oswald Peraza, neither of whom was traded. Therefore, I would score it:
Destination: A+
Package: B-minus
Overall: undeniable hit
The larger problem is that many of Bowden’s articles are “trades I’d like to see,” “best fits,” or mock proposals, not reports that those negotiations are actually occurring. He throws so many hypothetical baseballs into the air that occasionally one lands in a major-league stadium.
Verdict: He has gotten one right. But I would not mortgage the farm because Jim Bowden drew arrows between two team logos.
Who signs and who doesn’t?
Yes, Casparius has completely disappeared on the Dodgers pitching landscape.
Just as Bobby Miller. Where is he ?
Seems like a very solid draft, considering that the Dodgers forfeited four high picks and the related bonus allowance by signing Tucker and Diaz. This probably cost them a solid catching prospect like Brick, who went in the 4th round to the Blue Jays. (My friend Marla, mom of a Jays’ analyst, is jazzed about the Brick pick.)
Perhaps Lowrence can make it as a big SS like Corey Seager or Cal Ripken. If not, a shift to 3B or 1B would be fine.
Given the team’s track record, the Dodgers should be able to polish up one or two of these pitchers the way they turned that 11th-rounder Wrobo into an all-star and have a few miles of velo to Zach Root’s game….
Van Kempen looks especially interesting at 6-7 with a high delivery compared to Yeasavage.
And what the heck happened to Casparius? He was winning raves just last season…
Is he injured??? I missed the memo.