Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
With the 20th overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft, the Dodgers selected shortstop Gavin Lux from Indian Trail High School in Wisconsin.
This pick makes some sense. I’m only a little down on it because Delvin Perez was still on the board, but Lux was the 2nd-best true shortstop available. He doesn’t have the upside of Perez, but he’s a solid prospect.
“These are the kinds of answers that most 18-year-olds don’t give when they’re asked about their game. Lux has a professional attitude and demeanor. Scouts and coaches rave about his makeup. And for as exciting as his character and work ethic are, he’s able to match them with his tools.
The circumstances surrounding Lux’s development to this point aren’t exactly normal. He’s had quality coaching and exposure to the type of competition that few cold-weather players have the opportunity to see. He’s been nurtured into a top prospect.
Lux’s hitting ability will be the biggest question for him to answer at the next level. He had a strong spring against Wisconsin prep pitching, but how Lux meets the challenges of next-level pitching will dictate his ultimate ceiling. On the showcase circuit, Lux was prone to swing and miss as he caught up to the speed of the game, and it remains to be seen how his added strength and bat speed will impact him when it comes time to play at the next level. As an athletic shortstop with good intangibles, he has a relatively high floor, though there is risk with any high school player.”
Basically sounds like the anti-Perez, in terms of character. On the field, his ceiling isn’t what Perez’s is, but he’s a solid prospect. He isn’t flashy, not going to set any records with the bat, but has a chance to be a good MLB player. He has a hitch in his swing that might need some ironing out and he’s probably never going to be a big-time power hitter, but expect a solid line-drive approach and maybe double-digit home runs at his peak.
At 6’2, 175 pounds, he’s projectable. He could add some weight and pop as he matures while sticking at shortstop. That’s a valuable player MLB player. Someone threw a Brandon Crawford comparison on him. That would be his absolute ceiling.
He was ranked No. 36 by Baseball America, No. 32 by Baseball Prospectus, No. 29 by ESPN, No. 33 by MLB.com and No. 66 by Perfect Game. It was a bit of an overdraft, but not by a lot.
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The Dodgers should be able to get Lux for close to slot (a couple hundred grand more or less than), and his selection won’t prohibit them from spending on another player in the later rounds (if it comes to that).
Solid pick. Not the highest-ceiling player, but his floor is surprisingly high for a high school player. For the record, the last time the Dodgers drafted a prep, left-handed-hitting shortstop in the first round, it was Corey Seager. So you heard it here first: Gavin Lux is the next Corey Seager.
