Dodgers: Gavin Lux didn’t realize his special talent until late in high school

Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Gavin Lux didn’t believe he was anything special as a young player, until he reached the final few years of high school.

Gavin Lux has become a household name among Los Angeles Dodgers fans before he has played a full, heck, even half-of-a-season with his big league club. That is because he is one of the most hyped prospects in all of baseball. Baseball America ranked him the number four overall prospect after the 2019 season; he is the top prospect in the Dodgers rich farm system; and Vegas odds have him as the prohibitive favorite to win Rookie of the Year if baseball returns in 2020.

But Lux wasn’t always considered a sure-thing Major Leaguer. In fact, he didn’t consider himself head and shoulders above the rest of his competition until late into his high school career.

"“I never really thought I was the best player on the field, or anything of that nature probably until I got older, until maybe my Junior or Senior year [of high school] where I started having, you know, a little more confidence and I started to get better. But when I was younger, I don’t think I was ever the best player on the field.”via Varsity Blitz on 105.7 The FAN in Wisconsin"

Lux said it took him some time to figure out the type of player he was, and his small build made it difficult for him to stand out among his peers at a young age.

The 18-year-old from Indian Trail Academy in Kenosha, Wisconsin became the Dodgers’ 20th overall pick in 2016, something that surprised Lux.

“I honestly didn’t know the Dodgers were going to take me until it popped up, literally, on the screen,” Lux said.

He explained how most teams will give players they plan on drafting a heads up, but the Dodgers like to surprise their draft picks.

After struggling a bit in LoA ball, Lux made a rapid progression through the minor league ranks, tearing the cover off the baseball in the process. For Triple-A Oklahoma City last season, he batted a check-the-stats-twice-to-make-sure-they-are-right .392 over nearly 200 at-bats.

Lux is slotted to be the Dodgers second baseman this season. He could see his time platooned against left-handed pitching. But manager Dave Roberts is expected to give him the chance to blossom into an everyday middle infielder on the right side of the diamond.

The Wisconsin native may have been considered a “late bloomer,” but by the time he left Indian Trail High School, he had proven himself to be an elite young talent, hitting .560 during his senior season and winning the 2016 Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year.