It might be hard to believe, but #23 is the highest the Dodgers have picked since they took Vanderbilt's Jeren Kendall with the #23 pick in 2017. They forfeited their second and fifth round picks after signing Shohei Ohtani, so they still didn't end up with a ton of draft capital, but that didn't stop them from spending over five million dollars on a pair of high upside prep hitters. After taking five hitters with their first seven picks, they pivoted to pitching for much of the rest of the draft and only signed one hitter the rest of the way. It's a really dynamic, tooled up class filled with players with interesting traits, which is the Dodgers way and has led to great results for them in the past. Again a nice job with limited draft capital.
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Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. "2-50" would indicate that a player was drafted in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.
1-23: SS Kellon Lindsey, Hardee HS [FL] {video}
Slot value: $3.68 million. Signing bonus: $3.3 million ($378,900 below slot value).
My rank: #23. MLB Pipeline: #29. Baseball America: #27.
Picking earlier than usual, the Dodgers got to make a big splash on a premium prep prospect while still saving nearly $400,000 against their bonus pool in the process. Kellon Lindsey was a helium prospect who blew up with an excellent spring down in Florida, earning regular comparisons to Trea Turner and for good reason. First of all, he is one of the fastest players in the entire draft class. But that's not all – long and lean with an angular frame at 6'2", 175 pounds, he has plenty of room to add good weight. While he hasn't been seen too much against top competition on the showcase circuit and his rural Florida high school didn't play in the same deep talent pool as schools in the Miami, Tampa, or Orlando areas, he did what he could and hit anything and everything thrown at him this spring. Lindsey has also begun to show more authority at the plate as he grows into that frame, with the potential to reach average power at peak. For now, it's more of a flat right handed swing geared towards line drives and that's working great for him. Meanwhile, Lindsey has shown well enough at shortstop to warrant consideration there in pro ball, which would elevate the entire profile. The speed carries the profile more than the pure actions in the dirt, but he's young. If he has to move to center field, that speed could make him a plus defender there. He had initially been committed to Florida but he'll be heading west instead.
3-98: 3B Chase Harlan, Central Bucks East HS [PA] {video}
Slot value: $745,000. Signing bonus: $1.75 million ($1.05 million above slot value).
My rank: #76. MLB Pipeline: #112. Baseball America: #118.
Despite not having a second round pick, the Dodgers spent second round money on third rounder Chase Harlan (roughly the slot value for pick #52) to keep him away from a Clemson commitment. While Kellon Lindsey is all speed and projection, Harlan is less about athleticism and more about pure strength. Standing 6'3", he already has a big league body with a barrel chested frame and plenty of power already. The raw power is already plus, flashing plus-plus potential when he really gets into one. He's also a disciplined hitter that recognizes pitches and controls the zone well, giving him a chance to access that power in pro ball. At this point, he has to adjust his swing when he doesn't get the ball where he's looking for it, leading to more weak contact than you'd like from a power hitter, so the pure barrel to ball ability is fringy. Harlan has been noted for his ability to make adjustments in his approach as well, which should serve him well in pro ball. It's definitely a power over hit profile, albeit one that could produce 25-30+ home runs annually with solid on-base percentages. The Philadelphia-area native will have to work hard to stick at third base, as he's adequate there now but could slow down with age and he can't really afford that. He has a plus arm that plays down a tick with a slower, more deliberate transfer. One last plus in the profile is age, as he only turned 18 shortly before the draft. I like Harlan a lot as a prospect and I'm not sure why MLB Pipeline and Baseball America left him outside their top 100 – probably questions about the athleticism and pure hit tool.
4-128: LHP Jakob Wright, Cal Poly {video}
Slot value: $556,300. Signing bonus: $553,800 ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: #142. MLB Pipeline: #146. Baseball America: #217.
After back to back prep bats, the Dodgers pivoted to a California college arm with some interesting traits. Wright grew up in Paso Robles about halfway between Los Angeles and the Bay Area, then stayed close to home to attend Cal Poly. He didn't pitch as a freshman, then tossed just 18.2 innings as a sophomore before breaking out for a big junior year. The fastball is nothing special in the low 90's, topping out at 94 with average life, but the show stealer is the breaking ball. Wright gets tremendous finish on his plus-plus slider, which dives across the plate and misses bats in bunches. He can work it into a tighter cutter, which is average, and shows a fringy changeup as well. The command is fringy to average, but he can command that slider better than most. The 6' lefty is a bit undersized as well but he moves well on the mound and could take leaps and bounds forward in pro ball, especially in an organization like the Dodgers'. Wright's a bit of a one trick pony at this point with the breaking ball, but it's a great trick and a big left handed breaking ball is a hot commodity these days. He's on the younger side for the class with sneaky athleticism and if any organization can get creative, it's the Dodgers.
6-190: RHP Brooks Auger, Mississippi State {video}
Slot value: $315,500. Signing bonus: $197,500 ($118,000 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #187.
This is a savvy pick by the Dodgers, one that could provide sneaky value. Brooks Auger spent his freshman season at Hinds JC in Mississippi, then transferred to Mississippi State as a sophomore and had a solid season, only to miss his junior season with Tommy John surgery. He returned in 2024 with a very successful season as a swingman on an extraordinarily talented Bulldog pitching staff, cementing his rise with a massive eight inning, thirteen strikeout performance against Ole Miss in the SEC Tournament opener. Auger has a very solid mix of stuff and pitchability. The fastball sits in the low to mid 90's, touching 97 with ride from a high slot, and he can work it into a nice little cutter to give hitters a different look. There's a solid slider in there as well with nice late bite, while his firm changeup dives late to miss bats. Auger has feel to land all four pitches for strikes and repeats his simple, upright delivery well. That, combined with a big 6'5" frame with projection still remaining, gives him a real chance to start despite making just five starts in his three years in Starkville. The Louisiana native will have to prove his durability given that lack of starting experience, and while he lacks a true swing and miss offering, he also lacks really any major flaws in his profile. If there is one drawback, it's his age, as he'll turn 23 shortly after the season.
7-220: SS Elijah Hainline, Oregon State {video}
Slot value: $247,900. Signing bonus: $197,500 ($50,400 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #298.
Back to the West Coast for round seven. Elijah Hainline began his career at Washington State, where he parlayed a breakout sophomore season into an opportunity to play at Oregon State. The numbers weren't quite as loud in Corvallis, but the Dodgers liked what they saw and took a flyer. Much like Brooks Auger doesn't have a single out pitch, Hainline doesn't have one carrying tool but he does a lot well. He's a very patient hitter that is adept at laying off both fastballs and offspeed stuff outside the zone, though pitchers have found success against him when they take advantage of the passive approach and attack the zone. He's just 5'10", but he produces a lot of torque in his right handed swing and shows above average raw power, which he taps in games with a bit of a pull-oriented approach. Meanwhile, he's a serviceable shortstop who should be able to fill in there in pro ball, with enough arm to play third base and enough range to play second base. It's a pretty clear utility infielder profile, with the only main concern being his tendency to concede strikes in the zone both by taking them and by swinging through them. If he can make enough contact in the zone, the Spokane native has a shot to knock 15-20 home runs per season while playing all over the infield. So far, he's hitting .214/.450/.214 in five games with Low A Rancho Cucamonga.
8-250: OF Brendan Tunink, Newman Central Catholic HS [IL] {video}
Slot value: $205,800. Signing bonus: $412,500 ($206,700 above slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
Sandwiched between a set of underslot picks, the Dodgers went above slot to give Brendan Tunink late fifth round money to sign away from a Notre Dame commitment. He was a bit of a late riser in the class as the weather warmed up in northwestern Illinois, especially impressing down the stretch leading up to the draft. He's not huge at 6', but it's a very physical frame that should continue to tack on strength. He shows big time bat speed that should help him get to above average power in games, with nice leverage in that frame to add to the impact potential. Tunink is also an above average runner with a shot to play center field at the big league level, adding to a pretty dynamic profile. He's unproven against higher level pitching but showed very well against rural Illinois competition, creating many fans in the industry. The Dodgers are excited to buy into the power/speed combination at his young age and think they have a real sleeper here.
13-400: RHP Mike Villani, Long Beach State {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $147,500.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #453.
Mike Villani has been all over the state of California and the Dodgers want to keep him home. He grew up in Oceanside, a far northern suburb of San Diego, where he attended El Camino High School. After starting his college career at Santa Clara, he transferred back home to Palomar JC in San Marcos before transferring a second time to Long Beach State for his junior season. It's a pure relief profile, but one the Dodgers could get creative with. The main attraction is a low to mid 90's fastball that has touched 97, playing up further with running and sinking action to stay off barrels. His slider has some power in the low to mid 80's, but he struggles to finish through it and the pitch backs up regularly. There's also a firm changeup that he doesn't use much. At his point, Villani can get a little inconsistent with his fastball command as its movement at times carries it away from his intended location. He's reasonably well built at 6'2" and has some projection remaining, but he's shouldered a light workload in college and doesn't seem likely to be stretched out. The Dodgers will probably keep him in the bullpen, where he can continue to work off that fastball and perhaps get even more effective with his execution of the pitch in a pro development setting. They'll also try to bring along his secondaries, which he's going to need against pro hitters.
14-430: RHP Will Gagnon, Reedley JC [CA] {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $147,500.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
The Dodgers stayed in the Golden State again in the fourteenth round, this time going to the Central Valley. Will Gagnon grew up in Reedley, California, a small town about twenty miles southeast of Fresno. After graduating from Reedley High School, he hopped across Reed Avenue to play at Reedley JC, where he spent two years in the starting rotation sandwiched around a strong run through the Appalachian League (28/6 K/BB in 17.1 IP). He was coming to Los Angeles either way, having committed to UCLA after his strong season at Reedley. Gagnon has a low 90's fastball that he runs up to 96 with running action and shows a full spectrum of breaking balls. He can cut his fastball to run it in on lefties, or he can work it into a truer slider. There's also a true 12-6 curveball in there with nice depth, and his command has improved throughout his time with the Tigers. It's still probably a reliever profile with a bit of a jerky delivery and command that remains fringy, but he's trending in the right direction and won't turn 21 until the end of the offseason, so he's younger than the college juniors he was being evaluated against for the draft. He's also done a very good job adding strength to a now very strong 6'1" frame.
18-550: RHP Isaac Ayon, Oregon {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $147,500.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
Isaac Ayon gives the Dodgers a second Central Valley pitcher. Isaac Ayon grew up in the Fresno suburb of Clovis, where he played in a powerhouse Buchanan High School program that included five future professional baseball players at once: Ayon, Brock Jones, T.J. Fondtain, Jacob King, and Jamal O'Guinn (and they just missed two more in Grant Gambrell and Zach Ashford who graduated just before this wave arrived). Ayon made 39 appearances over his first two seasons at Oregon, but missed all of 2023 and 2024 with elbow problems that eventually led to Tommy John surgery. Back when he was on the mound, he had a low 90's fastball with running and sinking action to limit damage, while his sharp slider had nice two-plane action and his changeup gave him a third reliable pitch. Additionally, he had solid average command and was a pretty advanced pitcher for his age, and all that combined with his physical 6'4" frame adds up to a legitimate starting pitching prospect. Of course, he hasn't thrown a competitive pitch since 2022, so it's hard to say exactly what the Dodgers are getting these days. Still, he only turned 22 in June and could be a real sleeper if he can recapture what he had going a couple years ago.
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