The MLB Draft is under a month away, and like the Dodgers, all teams are preparing to lay the groundwork for the future of their squads. Baseball’s draft is unlike any other: it’s 40 rounds long, the draft order is set in part due to free agency, and it isn’t covered with the intensity fans get to see in the NBA or NFL.
Part of this is that there is no combine (if there was, I don’t know who would watch) and that the players drafted won’t be on the big league clubs for at least three or four years. Either way, this part of the year is still just as important as any other sport and will only help the Dodgers get richer with talent.
The Dodgers have done wonderfully with the draft over the last few years, and the big league club is finally starting to reap the benefits. Over the next few seasons, more and more of this blossoming talent will be introduced to the fans in Los Angeles and on June 12, LA will have a chance to add a bit more.
The Dodgers will pick 23rd in the first round, and there are plenty of intriguing prospects for them to think about.
As tweeted by Dustin Nosler, the Dodgers’ Director of Scouting Billy Gasparino has said that they plan on taking a few more risks in the draft compared to years past, especially in the early rounds. This is a privilege the Dodgers have with the standing their farm system currently enjoys.
Prospects will move up and down over the next few weeks, but here are a few players that may be available and work for the Dodgers when their first turn to make a selection comes around. This will be the first installment of prospects/pick predictions/draft analysis, so stay tuned for more soon afterward too.