Draft day: A review of the last few Dodgers first round picks

The MLB draft is here and the Dodgers have the 25th and 31st overall selections in the first round.

The team has the opportunity to continue to add to an already farm system compounded with the already strong standing of the major league team.

To get in the draft mood prior to the first selections of 2019, let’s review the Dodgers first-round selections of the last few years and where they are now. The report will include scouting reports of the players still in the organization and will be organized by year.

More Articles About Dodgers Draft History:

The Dodgers had two first round picks in 2015 in a similar fashion to what they have this year. In 2015 it was the 24th and 35th overall picks, this year it’s the 25th and 31st.

24th overall pick:

This really doesn’t need an introduction as the Dodgers took Walker Buehler with the 24th overall pick in 2015.

In 2017, Buehler became the Dodgers first first-round player since Corey Seager to debut in the big leagues.

As far as a scouting report goes, there isn’t much about Buehler that isn’t already known. He made a name for himself with a stellar first full season in 2018 with highlight performances in the playoffs namely against the Colorado Rockies in the end of season tiebreaker.

Buehler features an unbelievable curveball-fastball combo and projects to be one of the Dodgers premiere starters for years to come. However, it didn’t always look so bright for Buehler.

Immediately after the draft, it became clear that the Dodgers newest addition would need Tommy John Surgery. While that was a minor set back, it is abundantly clear it had no effect on the Dodgers’ power arm starter.

35th overall pick:

Forgotten in the success and signing of Walker Buehler, the Dodgers used the 35th overall pick in 2015 on right-handed pitcher Kyle Funkhouser from Louisville.

Funkhouser was profiled as a hard-throwing starting pitcher that sat in the 92-96 mile per hour range with a hard slider and a decent changeup that didn’t profile well as a big league pitch.

Funkhouser chose to return to school after the Dodgers picked him and he resurfaced a year later in the fourth-round as a Detroit Tiger. Funkhouser is currently on the Triple-A injured list.

The Dodgers only made one pick in the 2017 first round and used it on Vandy product Jeren Kendall. They also had one selection the next year and picked JT Ginn.

2017:

Kendall is a speed-first outfielder with gap power and the potential to steal 25 plus bases a year if he’s healthy. With the speed, there is some power slotting in the 10-15 homer range.

Kendall’s biggest issue over the last few years has not been speed or power for that matter, it’s been the ability to get on base. Since the draft, Kendall has hit a career .223 with a .310 on-base percentage.

The lackluster numbers could prove to be a roadblock in his development. However, still in High-A, there is nothing to totally freak out about yet.

As things stand and should they continue, Kendall looks a lot like another Billy Hamilton: strong defense, incredible speed and the inability to get on.

2018

The Dodgers signed and lost 2018 draft pick JT Ginn. He chose to sign with Mississippi State.