Dodgers select Bobby Miller with 29th pick in MLB Draft

The Dodgers add a college pitcher with their first round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft.

The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Bobby Miller, a right-handed pitcher from the University of Louisville, with the 29th overall pick in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft.

Miller will draw instant comparisons to Noah Syndergaard with his imposing frame and electric fastball. The 6-foot-5 hurler was originally selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2017 MLB Draft, but decided to enroll in college.

Over 170 innings for Louisville, Miller went 15-2 with a 3.28 ERA, striking out 175 hitters.

Baseball America ranked him as the 28th best prospect heading into the draft. There are some questions on whether he will be a starter or reliever, but there is no doubt he has exciting stuff.

While the 29th pick is near the end of the first round, there have been some intriguing players selected at that spot in the past. The Dodgers are considered “the model” franchise in developing young players, so hopefully their success continues in the future.

Of course, it was impossible to completely focus on the draft with the fate of the 2020 season on fragile ground. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred was interviewed on ESPN before the draft started, and he guaranteed, or threatened, depending on your point of view, to play a season this year.

His comments were clearly designed to be a negotiating tactic as the player’s union awaits for MLB’s counterproposal to their 89-game offer submitted earlier this week.

If no amicable deal can be reached over the next several weeks, it appears Manfred will call upon the agreement the two sides made in March to mandate a season, probably 48-52 games in length based on prior indications from the owners on how much they would be willing to pay players on a pro-rated basis.

As negotiations on a 2020 season continue, one area where the owners were already able to save some money is in the draft. They truncated it from 40 rounds to only five rounds this season.

What’s next for the Dodgers in the 2020 MLB Draft?

The Dodgers will make their next selection using the Competitive Balance Round B (66th overall) pick they acquired from Minnesota in the Kenta Maeda trade. They also have picks in each of the remaining four rounds.

Dodgers: Predicting which free agents return in 2021

Several Dodgers may not return for the 2021 season.

The 2020 MLB Draft is slated to finish up on Thursday.