Dodgers Draft: Three options for the first round

Dodgers Draft: Bobby Miller, RHP

MLB Pipeline’s draft expert Jonathan Mayo slots Louisville product Bobby Miller to the Dodgers with the 29th pick. The hard-throwing right-hander stands 6-foot-5 with an impressive college record. Pitching for Louisville, he went 15-2 with a 3.28 ERA over three seasons of work. He has struck out 175 batters in 170 college innings.

Miller was originally drafted out of high school by the Baltimore Orioles in the 38th round of the 2017 MLB draft, but decided to enroll at Louisville. He quickly earned Freshman All-American honors. He also built on his experiences by pitching for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.

According to Baseball America, Miller “has a fastball that gets up into the upper 90s consistently, with heavy, sinking life.”

While Miller has an imposing frame and impressive fastball, reading through multiple scouting reports, there seems to be questions on whether he can develop an effective third pitch to make him a starter in the major leagues.

Dodgers Draft: Jared Jones, RHP

A local product from La Mirada High School, right-hander Jared Jones was mocked to the Dodgers by Prospects 365. The young pitcher, who has also played in the outfield, stands 6-foot-2 at 175 pounds. He made Los Angeles headlines last march when he pitched a perfect game against Bellflower.

“I’ve never seen a perfect game live, and that was pretty fun,” his coach Jimmy Zurn told the Los Angeles Times. “It was incredible. It was one of those days everything he threw was around the zone. He had 18 balls out of 79 pitches.”

Jones has a unique repertoire of pitches for his age, which has been noted across multiple scouting reports. Baseball America notes, “Jones dominates with his fastball, but he flashes a sharp, above-average slider in the mid-80s and is developing his changeup.”

Committed to Texas, it seems Jones will likely be selected in the late first round or compensatory rounds (the Dodgers also hold the 66th overall pick). It would be fun to see the team select a local kid who has the chance to develop into a special arm.

What seems most impressive in watching available video is Jones’ ability to “pitch” rather than “throw” at such a young age. He changes the timing of his pitches, plays games with hitters, and does the little things needed to make a difference beyond just relying on his talent.

Dodgers Draft: Carson Tucker, Shortstop

Baseball America’s 2020 Mock Draft of the first round has high school shortstop Carson Tucker going to the Dodgers with the 29th overall pick.

The Phoenix Mountain Pointe graduate is known for his athleticism and bat, two areas of focus for the Dodgers. His older brother Cole Tucker was a 2014 first round pick and made his major league debut last season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, also playing shortstop.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic shutting down the amateur scouting season early and truncated the draft to five rounds, potential draft picks need to weigh whether or not they will make the five round cut. But that doesn’t appear to be a problem for Tucker. He sounds motivated to prove his competitive fire will translate to being a professional.

“A team should draft me because they are going to get the best out of me,” Tucker told Baseball Prospect Journal in May. “They are going to get everything out of me, and I’m want to be the best baseball player. I want to be a hall of famer – that’s my goal. I also want to win a World Series and be successful with whatever team that is.”

A right-handed hitter with a 6-foot-1, 175 pound frame, he is considered a “jack of all trades” according to his assistant coach. He can hit, he has great control of his bat, having struck out only 18 times in 340 plate appearances in high school, and he can field his position.

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Tucker already has some Dodgers connections as he is friendly with fellow Phoenix-area native Cody Bellinger. Perhaps Belly can put in a good word for the athletic shortstop.