Dodgers Draft: Three options for the first round

Reviewing some options for the Dodgers with the 29th overall pick in the 2020 Draft.

On Wednesday, Major League Baseball will conduct official business again with the 2020 amateur draft. As the owners and players try to come to terms on a framework to start the season, an abbreviated draft will be held over the next two days. The Los Angeles Dodgers will make their first selection with the 29th overall pick.

So as you get ready for draft night, we thought it would be useful to highlight some of the players being mocked to the Dodgers in the first round.

The Dodgers have $5.9 million in bonus pool money to use on their six picks in the five-round draft. Beyond their first round pick, they will select in each of the remaining four rounds, on top of a Competitive Balance Round B pick they received from Minnesota in the Kenta Maeda trade (66th 0verall).

We looked at the Dodgers history of compensatory picks earlier this week. We also looked at the best first round picks in team history. And if you’re curious about players selected 29th overall, we ranked the top players drafted with that particular pick.

You have everything you need in prep of the draft from a historical perspective, so let’s run down some players who might hear their name called tonight by the Dodgers.

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.