Grading the Los Angeles Dodgers' last 5 first-round draft picks

Los Angeles Dodgers v Miami Marlins
Los Angeles Dodgers v Miami Marlins | Sam Navarro/GettyImages

It's no secret that the Los Angeles Dodgers are regarded as the gold standard for MLB franchises thanks to a decade of dominance that has shown no sign of stopping any time soon.

But that doesn't mean that everything they do is perfect. In fact, if you took a look at their last five first-round draft picks, you'll see more misfires than excellence.

With that in mind, here's a look at that list.

NOTE: In 2022, Dalton Rushing, chosen 40th overall, was the Dodgers' highest selection. They did not have a first-round pick.

Grading the Los Angeles Dodgers' last 5 first-round draft picks

2024: SS Kellon Lindsey

The Dodgers’ first round pick last year, the Dodgers drafted Lindsey as a two-sport athlete out of Hardee High School in Florida, and he currently stands as the Dodgers’ No. 7 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. They gave him $3,297,500 (their biggest signing bonus since 2010) in the hopes that he’d be able to find himself at the plate to become more of a complete player. 

He hit .280 in 28 games in Single-A before going on the injured list in May, and he’s currently on a rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League. He’s still only 19 and has some of the best upside in the Dodgers’ system, but you can’t draw any conclusions one way or another off 28 minor league games. 

Grade: Incomplete

2023: OF Kendall George 

Another high school speedster, the Dodgers drafted George out of Atascocita High School of Texas and immediately assigned him to the Arizona Complex League. He ended up closing his 2023 season at Single-A and spent all of last year at Single-A, where he hit .279 with 31 home runs and 36 steals in 86 games. 

He’s spent all of this year at High-A, where he’s struggled at the plate (.246 average) but has dazzled with his speed (36 steals in 66 games). He also raised eyes throughout MLB earlier this year when he stole six bases in one game

He’s only hit four home runs in his 180 career minor league games, but it seems like he has the skills and contact ability needed to succeed in MLB. It’ll just be a matter of if his lack of power ends up being a roadblock.

Grade: B+

2021: LHP Maddux Bruns 

Bruns was one of the top prep arms in the 2021 draft, though there were some understandable questions about his command. Those struggles have reared their head throughout his minor-league career, as he’s walked 156 batters across 192 2/3 minor league innings. 

Bruns got a late start to the year after he suffered a back injury during spring training, and he’s currently pitching with the High-A Great Lakes Loons, where he has a 8.49 ERA in 11 2/3 innings. 

This isn’t the first time he’s dealt with injuries in his career, as he only managed to throw 28 1/3 innings last year with the Loons, though it’s worth noting that he posted a 2.22 ERA in those innings

He has a strong fastball and wipeout slider, but his MLB future could be determined by how he develops his other pitches. 

While there is still a chance that Bruns could end up being a rotation anchor, the pick looks a little worse considering some other options that were available. There were four future All-Stars still available (James Wood, Mason Miller, Hunter Goodman and Bryan Wood), along with some other solid players like AJ Smith-Shawver, Noah Cameron and Bryce Miller.

Grade: C+

2020: RHP Bobby Miller 

This pick initially looked like a genius pick after Miller quickly rose through the Dodgers’ minor league ranks before making his MLB debut in 2023. 

That debut set up a strong rookie season for Miller, who posted a 3.76 ERA in 124 1/3 innings, though his campaign ended on a bit of a rough note when he allowed three runs in 1 2/3 innings in his lone postseason appearance in Los Angeles’ shocking NLDS defeat to the Diamondbacks.

He started the 2024 season strong with six shutout innings against the St. Louis Cardinals, but that proved to be the high point of his season, as he finished the year with a 8.52 ERA in just 56 innings due to injuries and ineffectiveness.  

Miller’s allowed seven runs in five innings this year with the Dodgers, and has a 5.07 ERA in 56 innings at Triple-A Oklahoma City. 

Miller broke in as a promising pitching prospect, but he’s since been lapped by guys like Emmet Sheehan, Landon Knack and Justin Wrobleski, among others. The Dodgers need all the pitching they can get, but it doesn’t seem like that will lead to Miller getting a chance to make a full MLB impression. 

Grade: D

2019: 3B Kody Hoese

The Dodgers had two picks in the first round of 2019 draft and elected to use their first pick on Hoese, who posted a .392/.487/.789 slash line with 23 homers in his junior season at Tulane after failing to make much of an impression in his first two collegiate seasons. 

Horse has been unable to shake the one-hit wonder label with the Dodgers, as he has a career .254 average across 474 minor league games. He posted a .299 average across two different levels in 2019 before missing all of 2020 when the minor-league season was canceled because of COVID. 

He posted a .497 OPS in 2021, though it’s worth noting that he had a .287 average last year in Triple-A. He’s still in Triple-A and doesn’t seem to be anywhere close to making his MLB debut. 

The Dodgers’ overall first round grade is a bit better thanks to their selection of Michael Busch, who helped them fleece the Cubs in their trade for  Zyhir Hope.

Grade: F