Dodgers wrap Draft with more college arms, plus an intriguing flyer
After three days and plenty of long hours before that, the Dodgers finally wrapped up their 2024 Draft class on Tuesday.
While all the attention will immediately go on the Major League team as soon as the second half begins on Friday against the Red Sox, it’s important to remember the development of the Minors has played a key role in the Dodgers’ sustained regular-season success over the last decade.
With the Draft now finished, here are three takeaways on the Dodgers’ 18 selections.
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Lindsey has high upside
Given all their success at the big league level, the Dodgers are no strangers to selecting later in the first round. That was no exception this year, as their first pick was No. 23 overall.
Predicting the futures of 18-year-olds is always difficult, but some people around baseball believe the Dodgers did nicely by selecting high school shortstop Kellon Lindsey in the first round. Lindsey, who said Sunday he’s planning on signing and not going to the University of Florida, was a quarterback at Hardee High School in Florida, but he has since shifted his attention solely to baseball.
With Lindsey, the Dodgers believe they have a prospect that can continue to improve over his first couple of seasons in the Minors. Right now, Lindsey’s glove is already a plus tool and his speed has game-changing potential.
“Coming from football season and getting to focus on baseball, I think it was really important for me, important for my development,” Lindsey said Sunday. “And just putting football aside and putting baseball in mind and focusing on that, focusing on fundamental stuff, I think that was really big for me this season. I think it helped with my growth as a player and off the field as well.”
Top 15 Draft picks:
1. Bazzana | 2. Burns | 3. Condon | 4. Kurtz | 5. Smith | 6. Caglianone | 7. Wetherholt | 8. Moore | 9. Griffin | 10. King | 11. Rainer | 12. Montgomery | 13. Tibbs | 14. Smith | 15. Cijntje
College arms highlight the class
Though the Draft started with a couple of highly touted high school infielders in Lindsey and third baseman Chase Harlan (selected No. 98 overall in the third round out of Central Bucks East High School in Pennsylvania), it was a group of college arms that highlighted the Dodgers’ class over the last two days.
On Tuesday, the Dodgers used their first five picks on college pitchers, hoping to bolster their depth on the mound in the Minors. In total, 10 of the Dodgers’ 18 selections were college pitchers.
Most pitchers come out of the Draft as starters, but some will likely move into bullpen roles over the next few months and seasons. The Dodgers specialize in zeroing in on a specific pitch they like from the player and expanding his arsenal from there. Left-hander Jakob Wright, the Dodgers’ fourth-round selection out of Cal Poly, has the potential to have an elite slider, which could make him an intriguing bullpen arm down the line.
That philosophy extends all the way through the Draft. For example, right-hander Mike Villani, their 13th-round selection out of Long Beach State, has a mid-90s fastball and a wipeout slider that could help him make a transition if needed.
Of course, this doesn’t mean any of these arms will be ready to pitch at the big league level this season or even the following, but it gives the Dodgers plenty of options as they look into their respective developments.
Late-round gamble
Given the amount of college players and early-round high schoolers, the Dodgers won’t have to worry about many of their Draft choices not signing with the organization. The biggest exception, however, could be shortstop Erik Parker, who was the Dodgers’ 15th-round selection from North Gwinnett High School in Georgia.
Parker has a 6-foot-3 frame and is expected to bulk up as he gets older and gets into either a college or professional weight room. What’s interesting with Parker is that he’s the No. 183-rated prospect in this Draft class by MLB Pipeline. Despite that, Parker was selected No. 460 by the Dodgers.
When a player drops that much -- particularly a high school talent -- there’s always doubt of signability. Parker also has the option to attend the University of Georgia. If the Dodgers and Parker are able to work out a deal, he could be a pretty big get for the organization that late in the Draft. If not, Parker can look to boost his stock in college. Either way, it was a bet worth making for a talented shortstop prospect.