Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
This is a yearly exercise (mostly in futility), but it’s still fun to look back at past drafts and which players were chosen at which positions.
The Dodgers have three 1st-round draft picks, with No. 36 courtesy of MLB because Kyle Funkhouser refused to sign for $2 million dollars last year.
Without further ado, here are all the selections for 20, 32 and 36 in the last 20 drafts (since 1996), followed by some prominent players chosen longer ago than that.
No. 20
2015: SS Richie Martin, Athletics
2014: 1B Casey Gillaspie, Rays
2013: RHP Jonathon Crawford, Tigers
2012: RHP Chris Stratton, Giants
2011: LHP Tyler Anderson, Rockies
2010: 2B Kolbrin Vitek, Red Sox
2009: RHP Chad Jenkins, Blue Jays
2008: RHP Josh Fields, Mariners
2007: RHP Chris Withrow, Dodgers
2006: OF Chris Parmelee, Twins
2005: LH Mark Pawelek, Cubs
2004: 3B Trevor Plouffe, Twins
2003: RHP Chad Cordero, Expos
2002: OF Denard Span, Twins
2001: LHP Jeremy Sowers, Reds
2000: RHP Chris Bootcheck, Athletics
1999: OF Vince Fasion, Padres (via Dodgers for signing Kevin Brown)
1998: LHP CC Sabathia, Indians
1997: 2B Adam Kennedy, Angels
1996: LHP Eric Milton, Yankees
Outside of Sabathia, not the best crop of draftees in the last 20 years. Span is a solid player, Plouffe has had his moments, Cordero was once a solid closer and Withrow gets a mention simply because he’s a former Dodger. The real talent comes more than 20 years ago.
1993: OF Torii Hunter, Twins
1990: RHP Mike Mussina, Orioles
1985: IF Greg Jefferies, Mets
1977: RHP Bob Welch, Dodgers
1971: RHP Rick Rhoden, Dodgers
Hunter, despite not being a great person, is the best position player. Mussina will be in the Hall of Fame one day, while Welch (rest in peace) was better known for being an Athletic and winning 27 games in a season, but he was damn good with the Dodgers in 10 seasons (3.14 ERA, 3.26 FIP, 29.9 fWAR). Rhoden was traded after his age-25 season to the Pirates for Jerry Reuss.
No. 32
2015: 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes, Pirates
2014: OF/1B Braxton Davidson, Braves
2013: OF Aaron Judge, Yankees
2012: RHP Jose Berrios, Twins
2011: SS Jake Hager, Rays
2010: RHP Cito Culver, Yankees
2009: OF Tim Wheeler, Rockies
2008: RHP Jake Odorizzi, Brewers
2007: 2B Nick Noonan, Giants
2006: RHP Pedro Beato, Orioles
2005: RHP Chaz Roe, Rockies
2004: LHP Zach Jackson, Blue Jays
2003: OF Matt Murton, Red Sox
2002: LHP Luke Hagerty, Athletics
2001: 2B Michael Woods, Tigers
2000: RHP Tripper Johnson, Orioles
1999: RHP Jay Gehrke, Royals
1998: 1B/RHP Ben Diggins, Cardinals (unsigned; Dodgers’ 1st-rounder in 2000)
1997: OF Nathan Haynes, Athletics
1996: LHP Corey Lee, Rangers
Odorizzi is the best of the lot. He’s a solid pitcher, but the best player chosen in the last 20 years? Oof. Judge might end up being the best pick overall, as even the guys who came before these draftees were less than impressive. I like Davidson, but he’s a ways off from MLB action, while Berrios is a Top 50 prospect right now. Diggins was drafted here but didn’t sign. The Dodgers drafted him two years later and he ultimately busted out (and traded for Tyler Houston).
1991: LHP Justin Thompson, Tigers
1986: RHP Roger Pavlik, Rangers
1983: 1B Dave Magadan, Mets
1978: C Dave Valle, Mariners
1969: LHP Lee Lacy, Dodgers
Some solid players, but no real standouts.
No. 36
2015: SS Ryan Mountcastle, Orioles
2014: C Blake Anderson, Marlins
2013: RHP Aaron Blair, Diamondbacks
2012: 3B/OF Stephen Piscotty, Cardinals
2011: LHP Henry Owens, Red Sox
2010: OF Bryce Brentz, Red Sox
2009: LHP Aaron Miller, Dodgers
2008: LHP Mike Montgomery, Royals
2007: RHP Clayton Mortensen, Cardinals
2006: 3B Chris Coghlan, Marlins
2005: OF Travis Buck, Athletics
2004: OF Danny Putnam, Athletics
2003: C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Braves
2002: RHP Chadd Blasko, Cubs
2001: SS Michael Garciaparra, Mariners
2000: RHP Bobby Keppel, Mets
1999: RHP Nick Stocks, Cardinals
1998: OF Choo Freeman, Rockies
1997: OF Ntema Ndungidi, Orioles
1996: RHP Andy Prater, Pirates
Oh hello, Mr. Miller. The Baylor pitcher burst onto the scene after being drafted. I even ranked him as the best prospect in the system in a midseason update many years ago. Then, he forgot how to throw strikes, his stuff backed up and he moved to the outfield. That didn’t really work out and he has since retired. Piscotty should be a fixture in St. Louis for many years, Coghlan was a Rookie of the Year award winner and Saltalamacchia was a top prospect and is still a solid catcher.
But the two of the three selections from more than 20 years ago really stand out.
1986: RHP Erik Hanson, Mariners
1985: LHP Randy Johnson, Expos
1965: C Johnny Bench, Reds
That’s right, two Hall of Famers in Johnson and Bench. They’re not just Hall of Famers, but perhaps the best players ever at their respective positions (left-handed starter and catcher).
=====
The Dodgers also have selections 65 and 101. Here are the notable players chosen at those spots.
65: Garret Gould, (2009), Dustin Pedroia (2004), Randy Winn (1995)
101: Phil Pfeifer (2015) Jonathan Lucroy (2007), Charlie Moore (1971)
Dodger draftees at each spot (Gould and Pfeifer), an MVP in Pedroia and one of baseball’s best catchers (and future Dodger?) in Lucroy.
The odds of landing a quality MLB contributor decreases dramatically after the first round. The Dodgers have five of the first 101 picks, so it’s somewhat reasonable to expect them to land a guy who, one day, makes it to The Show. We’ll find out who they pick in just a few hours.
