Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers selected one of the biggest risers in the college ranks with their first pick of the 2019 MLB Draft in Tulane third baseman Kody Hoese.
Of all the college position players who were likely to be available at No. 25, Hoese was by far my favorite. He has above-average present power with plus-raw power. He can put the bat on the ball, has good plate discipline and is a capable defender at third base.
He was a 35th-round pick of the Royals last year and reportedly almost signed. It’s good thing for him — and the Dodgers — that he didn’t.
Here’s a bit of what Alex wrote about him a couple weeks ago.
“Hoese was one of the best college bats around last season, which brings questions about why he struggled in his first two years. He doesn’t appear to be a future gold glover, but evaluators believe he’ll be able to play a passable third base. He’s also an average runner, with a 40 run being his lowest-graded tool on MLB Pipeline. Hoese has had a ton of helium, and figures to have played himself into late-first round contention.”
This is a good value pick for the Dodgers. There were rumors Hoese could have gone as high as No. 8 in a money-saving kind of pick for the Rangers, but he was realistically in play in the teens. He may not take all $2,740,300 to sign him, which would allow the Dodgers to use that money at No. 31 or maybe even No. 78 for a prep arm.
As an advanced college hitter, he might find his way to Great Lakes before season’s end. He’ll probably begin with the AZL Dodgers or Ogden Raptors, but with his skill set, he should be a pretty quick mover.
