Dodgers: A full draft review of the first three rounds

The Dodgers had two first round picks this year after losing last year’s first-round pick, JT Ginn, to Mississippi State. Their compensation landed them the dual-selections in the first round with the 25th and 31st overall picks in the draft.

25th overall pick:

The Dodgers went power and infield with their first pick of the draft when they selected Tulane third baseman, Kyle Hoese.

Hoese is a big infielder with a ton of power from the right side. At 6’4 and 200 pounds, Hoese is a big bodied third baseman that moves well and can more than likely stick at the position although there is a legitimate chance he could be a first baseman in the pros.

The big benefit to the Dodgers first rounder is his raw power. Hoese blasted a Tulane leading 23 home runs this year coupled with 61 RBI’s in 235 at-bats.

The big-time power did not, however, come at the exception of his ability to hit for contact. In 2019, Hoese hit .375 with a .486 on-base percentage.

Hoese figures to climb the ranks quickly in the Dodgers system should his high octane offensive abilities hold true in his minor league career. Having college level at-bats, age and maturity under his belt, the 6’4 third baseman could easily find himself in Great Lakes by the end of 2019.

31st overall pick:

The Dodgers non-high schooler trend continued through the first round when they took North Carolina second baseman, Michael Busch.

Busch will jump into an already solid group of Dodger minor league infielders specifically at the second base position. Gavin Lux, Jeter Downs, Omar Estevez and Jacob Amaya are already in and established in the Dodger system and Busch, a first-round pick will join them.

A left-handed swinger, the large-framed middle infielder has good skills at second base although his size and not so overwhelming defensive skillset at second could push him to play left field in the minors and potentially the major leagues.

Busch smacked a career-high 16 homers in 2019 with the Tarheels and hit just a tick under .300 at .290.

His 6’0, 207-pound body certainly lends itself to developing a ton of power with professional coaching and the Dodgers staff should easily be able to unlock that for a prospect that should rank towards the middle of the Dodgers top-30.

One of the Dodgers four high school level picks came in the second round when they went with Lake Travis High School senior Jimmy Lewis.

Lewis is a huge right-handed pitcher with overwhelming velocity and solid offspeed stuff.

At 6’6, the young righty already touches 96 miles per hour and has the stamina to maintain mid to low 90’s throughout the entirety of his appearances. The power fastball that should only gain more velocity in the pros is backed up by a solid mid to high 70s curveball and a changeup that still needs work.

All of his pitches come from a high three-quarters slot giving him great pitch deception based solely off his arm slot and his hight on the mound.

Lewis has committed to Louisiana State University as apart of their recruiting class for next year but his decision about his future is still unclear. He could very well be joining the Dodgers in rookie ball this year or at the onset of the 2020 season.

All in all, should Lewis sign a deal with the Dodgers or not, he is a premier right-handed talent that will make a baseball team very happy either now or in the future.

Back to the college ranks we go!

The Dodgers went to Butler for their third-round pick and selected pitcher, Ryan Pepiot.

In my eyes, Pepiot is one of the most exciting players selected by the Dodgers in the 2019 draft simply because of his changeup.

The 6’3 righty sports a change that is devastating for both right-handed and left-handed batters. Sitting in the low-80’s, Pepiot’s change has two-seam fastball like movement that dips down and arm side and leaves hitters wondering where the ball went.

The incredible changeup is supported by a fastball that touches 96 miles per hour but typically sits in the 91-94 range.

Pepiot also throws a curveball and slider that need some professional coaching to get to the level of a pro pitch.

However, that coaching can easily come. Should he sign with the Dodgers, he’d be joining an organization known for building pitchers and helping good ones get better. Pepiot has the stuff to be absolutely devastating and the only thing the righty is missing is some direction from a pro coach.