Welcome to the Blue, Landon Knack!

The Dodgers first pick on the second day of the amateur draft, at 60th overall, is East Tennessee State right-handed hurler Landon Knack. From what I understand, he doesn't quite project as a starter in the big leagues. Rather, he is seen as more of a hard-throwing power relief pitcher. Of course, he could surprise and become a part of the rotation. As Dustin Nosler stated in his write-up, Knack "was a money-saving selection" -- who the Dodgers should be able to sign for under slot.

Landon Knack is 22-years old, stands at 6' 2" tall, and bats as a lefty. He had not been drafted previously. Knack is also the best fifth-year-college senior in a long time. Originally, he was a two-way player on the field, but suffered some shoulder injuries that forced him to focus on pitching only. After having done so, he experienced a velocity increase on the mound from between five to ten mph on his fastball.

Welcome to the Blue, Bobby Miller!

Last night the Dodgers added another arm to their stable of high-end pitching prospects when they drafted University of Louisville right-hander Bobby Miller with the 29th pick. He is 21-years-old, stands a tall 6' 5" and bats as a lefty. Miller had also been previously drafted by the Baltimore Orioles, out of high school (McHenry, IL), in the 38th round in 2017. Per a Dodger press release:

Miller, 21, made four starts for the Cardinals in 2020, going 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA (6 ER/23.1 IP) with 34 strikeouts against nine walks. He tallied three quality starts in four chances, striking out a career-high 12 batters over 6.2 innings on February 22 against Valparaiso University. 

In 2018, the McHenry, IL native earned Freshman All-America honors and was selected All-ACC Third Team and All-ACC Freshman Team after going 6-1 with a 2.97 ERA (22 ER/66.2 IP) and 55 strikeouts over 17 games (nine starts). In three seasons with Louisville, he recorded a 15-2 record with a 3.28 ERA (62 ER/170 IP) with 175 strikeouts in 41 appearances (25 games).

Dodgers Third Pick of 2019 Draft - 78th Overall - Jimmy Lewis

With the Dodgers third pick of Day 1 (and the final pick of the day) they chose prep righty Jimmy Lewis from Lake Travis High School (Austin, Texas). He was the 78th overall pick -- a second round compensation pick for losing Yasmani Grandal to free agency. Lewis a 6'6", 18-years old and has a lively arm. Per Cary Osborne at Dodger Insider:

“He developed into one of our favorite right-hand high school pitchers,” Gasparino said. “He’s 6–6, 200 pounds. It’s lean, it’s lanky. We feel like he took a huge jump in coordination and his ability to repeat his delivery. He has two plus pitches, 91–95. He locates down in the zone. The curveball is plus. We think he can really spin it, command it and execute it well. We love the kid’s makeup, work ethic. His dad (Jim) played in the minor leagues up to Triple-A. We love the family. It’s a nice, tight-knit group who has really raised a good kid who we think really mirrors the culture we have here.”

Dodgers Second Pick of 2019 Draft - 31st Overall - Michael Busch

With the Dodgers second pick on Monday, 31st overall, they chose another college bat in University of North Carolina infielder Michael Busch. The Dodgers announced him as a second baseman, but he mostly played first base this season. Per a Dodger press release:

After making their first pick, the Dodgers added another impact bat in University of North Carolina’s Michael Busch with the 31st overall selection. Busch started all 126 games for the Tar Heels over the past two seasons, batting .304 with 29 home runs and 120 RBI over that stretch while earning All-ACC honors both years. This season, the junior from Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota launched 16 home runs while playing multiple positions in the infield and the outfield. The left-handed hitter, who was scouted by Dodgers’ scout Jonah Rosenthal, was also impressive during his stint using wood bats in the Cape Cod League during the summer of 2018, where he posted a .322 batting average and earned All-Cape Cod League honors with the Chatham Anglers. 

“Michael is a guy who we thought was one of the better bats in the Cape, both in terms of performance and swing, as well as overall defensive versatility,” Gasparino said. “He’s been a staple in the UNC program. They rave about his makeup and his character, and we’re excited to add him to our organization.”

Dodgers First Pick of 2019 Draft - 25th Overall - Kody Hoese

Yesterday was Day 1 of the 2019 amateur draft and the Dodgers had three selections on the day. Their first pick of the evening, 25th overall, is Tulane University third baseman Kody Hoese. He stands 6'4" tall, is 200 lbs., bats and throws right-handed and is an 21-years old Junior. Hoese was also drafted last year by the Kansas City Royals in the 35th round -- 1,052 overall -- so he moved up quite a bit in the draft charts. Per a Dodger press release:

This season, Hoese started all 58 games for the Green Wave, posting a slash line of .391/.486/.779 and mashing 23 home runs while recording 61 RBI. The right-handed hitter also demonstrated solid plate discipline in 2019, walking 39 times compared to just 34 strikeouts. 

“Kody’s a guy we earmarked coming out of the fall that we really thought took a jump in both ability and performance. He’s an athletic 6-4, lean-bodied third baseman who we think is a plus defender,” said Dodger Amateur Scouting Director Billy Gasparino. “We thought the power was going to be there, and then he went out and almost hit .400 with over 20 home runs and really showed us that he was a dynamic hitter that can hit with power.”

Blog Kiosk: 6/4/2019 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

Walker Buehler was brilliant last night during the Dodgers 3-1 victory over the Diamondbacks, but I wanted to take a moment to highlight Kenley Jansen. With his 18th save of the season, he is just 14 saves away from reaching 300 in his career.

Photo above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2019. Go here to check out more pics from yesterdays game. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1964 Sandy Koufax threw his third no-hitter of his career. He blanked the Phillies at Connie Mack Stadium, 3-0. Overall, he recorded 12 strike outs and allowed just one walk. In 1968 Don Drysdale threw his sixth consecutive shutout of the season, extending his scoreless streak to 54 innings, when he defeated the Pirates, 5-0. This is also the day Robert Kennedy made note of Drysdale's efforts in a speech at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles after winning the CA primary. You can watch that portion of the speech here. Soon thereafter, he would be assassinated. In 1972 the Dodgers retired Roy Campanella's number - #39. In 1998 the Dodgers traded Hideo Nomo to the Mets for Dave Mlicki and Greg McMichael. In 1990 Dodgers ace Ramón Martínez struck out 18 Atlanta batters to defeat the Braves, 2-0. His effort tied a club record for strike outs in a game with Sandy Koufax, and was one short of the Major League record.
• Happy Birthday, Lee Magee, George Watkins & Rick Wilkins!

Dodgers Pick Righty Michael Grove in the Second Round - Welcome to the Blue!

The Dodgers second pick yesterday afternoon has a story similar to a rookie currently making waves with the Dodgers. Like Walker Buehler, Michael Grove, the Dodgers 2nd Round Pick, had to have Tommy John Surgery as a young lad. Unlike Buehler, Grove had his done just over a year ago while Walker had his performed immediately after signing a pro contract with the Dodgers three years ago. So, in a way Grove is way ahead of Buehler. BTW, you can follow the right-hander on twitter here: @mgrove_2. Per a Dodgers press release:

In the second round, Los Angeles selected West Virginia University right-handed pitcher Michael Grove. The Wheeling, West Virginia native missed the 2018 season, but prior to missing his junior campaign he went 5-5 with a 3.13 ERA (32 ER/92.0 IP) in 25 collegiate games (16 starts), while also holding the opposition to a .220 batting average. As a sophomore in 2017, he made nine starts, going 3-1 with a 2.87 ERA and striking out 61 batters against 15 walks in 47.0 innings before sustaining a season-ending arm injury. As a freshman in 2016, he went 2-4 with a 3.40 ERA and collected one save in 16 games (seven starts) for the Mountaineers. Grove was also named to the 2016 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention team and the 2017 All-Big 12 Second Team. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound pitcher was scouted by Dodgers’ scout Jonah Rosenthal.

Dodgers Pick Right-Hander JT Ginn in the First Round - Welcome to the Blue!

Yesterday, dreams were fulfilled when both high school and college aged kids got selected to begin a pro career. For the Dodgers, picking 30th overall in this years draft, they decided to dip into those high school prep waters and selected a high-heat 19-year-old right-hander by the name of JT Ginn. The kid stands over six feet tall and throws a baseball faster than just about any other amateur in the game today. He is also on twitter: @JT_Ginn3. Per a Dodgers press release:

The Los Angeles Dodgers today selected right-handed pitcher J.T. Ginn with their first pick (30th overall) in the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of Brandon High School (MS).

Blog Kiosk: 6/5/2018 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

As you know the Dodgers selected high-schooler JT Ginn as their 1st Round Pick (30th overall) last night, and as we collectors have come to expect he already has a bunch of Baseball cards to chase after. Unusually, our 2nd Round Pick, Michael Grove, a college pitcher out of West Virginia, does not appear to have any cards on the market. Nevertheless, I'll be sure to be making a couple of fantasy Baseball cards for both of them soon. So stay tuned for that.

Below are more links to check out:

• This Day In Dodgers History: In 1977 the Dodgers retired former manager Walter Alston's uniform number #24 at Dodger Stadium. He compiled a 2040-1613 (.558) record for the franchise. It was also Old-Timer's Day as the Dodgers defeated the Padres, 4-2.
• Happy Birthday, Bill Maloney, Fred Mitchell, Duke Sims & Russ Ortiz!

Dodgers Pick Pitcher Riley Ottesen in the Fifth Round - Welcome to the Blue!

For their fifth pick, 160th overall, of the 2017 Draft the Dodgers selected right-handed pitcher Riley Ottesen from the University of Utah. He's an over-aged sophomore who took a couple of years off to go on his mission to Japan. Per Tyler Crum at The Daily Utah Chronicle:

An unthinkable sacrifice for most college athletes, Ottesen did not throw a single pitch while on his mission, but he firmly believes any setback to his athletic career was justified by the life-changing experience.

“Japan was the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” he said. “A mission isn’t always the best two years of your life, but it’s the best two years for your life. It’s helped shape me into a person, a man and a husband that I may want to become in the future.”

Dodgers Pick Pitcher James Marinan in the Fourth Round - Welcome to the Blue!

Selected at the #4 spot for the Dodgers, 130th overall, is right-handed pitcher James Marinan. He is the first high school player chosen by the Dodgers. James is 18 years-old, stands 6' 5", is 220 lbs., and recently committed to the University of Miami. Although, I don't think we have to worry about him not signing. He recently expressed his delight on twitter (@marinan_james) at being selected by LA.

Dodgers Pick Catcher Connor Wong in the Third Round - Welcome to the Blue!

With their first pick of the day in the 3rd round, 100th overall, the Dodgers select versatile and athletic catcher Connor Wong from the University of Houston. He is a junior, stands 5' 11", 180 lbs., bats right and throws right-handed. Connor is also the stepson of Matt Maysey, who was drafted in the seventh round in 1985 by the Padres, and eventually pitched briefly for Montreal and Milwaukee in the early to mid-90's. He also has a major league hit from his only MLB at-bat as a Brewer in 1993.

You can follow Connor Wong on twitter here: @Connor10Wong. Unfortunately, he has not been very active on twitter. I am not aware of any cards made for Connor yet. Per MLB's prospect report:

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 55 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

Wong started immediately at Houston as a freshman shortstop before making the transition to catching as sophomore a year ago. He earned all-star honors behind the plate in the Cape Cod League last summer, leading the circuit with 72 total bases, and has upped his offensive production this spring. In a down year for catchers in the Draft, he should be one of the first selected and could climb as high as the third round.

Dodgers Pick Pitcher Morgan Cooper in the Second Round - Welcome to the Blue!

With the Dodgers second pick of the day, 62nd overall in the 2nd round yesterday, the Dodgers select right-handed University of Texas pitcher Morgan Cooper. Unsurprisingly, Cooper had Tommy John surgery in 2014 (the Dodgers have not been afraid to draft these players) and missed all of following season. He was also drafted last year by the Nationals in the 34th round, but did not sign. Furthermore, I am not aware of any cards made of him, but I will continue to look. Per a Dodgers press release:

In the second round, Los Angeles selected 22-year-old University of Texas right-handed pitcher Morgan Cooper. As a redshirt junior in 2017, he posted a 6-3 record in 16 games (15 starts) while recording a 2.32 ERA (23 ER/89.1 IP) and holding the opposition to a .208 batting average. Rated as the 80th overall pitching prospect by Baseball America, he led the Longhorns in starts (15), strikeouts (110) and strikeouts per nine innings (11.1) this season. The Jarrell, Texas native was named to the 2017 Collegiate Baseball All-America Third team and is a semifinalist for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound pitcher was scouted by Dodgers’ scout Clint Bowers.

Dodgers Pick Outfielder Jeren Kendall in the First Round - Welcome to the Blue!

Yesterday was the day when big league dreams become more of a reality. Thousands of youngsters, from high school graduates to college aged kids, had been glued to their televisions in hopes of hearing their name. For one Team USA and Vanderbilt University ballplayer his wait is over. With the 23rd pick overall the Dodgers chose outfielder Jeren Kendall. Per a Dodgers press release:

The 6-foot, 190-pound left-handed hitting outfielder posted a .307 (80-for-261) batting average with 10 doubles, five triples, 15 home runs, 53 RBI and stole 20 bases in 2017 as a junior at Vanderbilt. He led the team in runs scored (59), hits and home runs, while posting a .372 on-base percentage and a .556 slugging percentage. Kendall, 21, was rated by Baseball America as the sixth-best outfielder in the 2017 draft and was the 18th overall prospect. He was also named to the All-SEC and All-Defensive Team this season with the Commodores.

A Final Roundup of Dodger Draftees from Round 3

I thought I'd finish of my series of blog post on the 2016 Draft by passing along a complete list of Dodgers draftees.  As you know, this past Saturday the Dodgers, as part of day three of the draft, selected 30 more players.  Per a Dodger press release:

On the draft’s third and final day, the Dodgers picked eight players with California ties in University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Lincoln (CA) High School pitcher Dean Kremer (14th round), Golden West College and Fountain Valley (CA) High School graduate Dillon Persinger (17th round), California State University, Long Beach pitcher Chris Mathewson (19th round), University of California, Santa Barbara pitcher James Carter (21st round), University of Southern California and Santa Barbara High School graduate Jeff Paschke (22nd round), Texas Tech University and Yuba City (CA) High School graduate Chandler Eden (25th round), Santa Clara University catcher Stevie Berman (31st round) and Chabot College outfielder Cal Stevenson (36th round).

Berman is the son of former UCLA infielder Gary Berman, who was drafted by the Phillies in the 38th round of the 1986 First-Year Player Draft. Darian Tubbs, the 16th round draft pick and an outfielder from the University of Memphis, is the son of former big league outfielder Greg Tubbs, who played for the Cincinnati Reds in 1993.

Overall, the Dodgers appear to be happy with how the draft went.  Via Cary Osborne at Dodger Insider:

2016 Draft - A Look at the Cards for Draftees Peters, Smeltzer and Robinson

Over the past few days I shared pics of some of the cardboard that already exist for two of our early draft picks - Gavin Lux (1st round pick) and Jordan Sheffield (3rd round pick).  See those post here and here.  I now take a look at some of the cards and memorabilia available for three more prospects who were drafted within the first ten rounds.   Below are some collectibles for DJ Peters (4th round pick), Devin Smeltzer (5th round pick) and Errol Robinson (6th round pick).  If I failed to include any other cards of these players please let me know.  Also, I am not aware of any more cards being available for anyone else drafted by the Dodgers in the top ten rounds.

The first player I take a look at here is outfielder DJ Peters.  As indicated recently, he has already signed a contract to play for the Dodgers.  Per WNC at KOLO TV/ABC8: 

"It was a very exciting time for me to share with the people that mean the most to me," Peters said. "I'm just grateful I got my name called because most kids don't get to hear that. I'm really happy with the spot where I went; that's something I'll never forget."

Very few players wind up being selected by their favorite team. Peters has bled Dodger blue since early childhood, attending as many games as he could.

"I can't wait to get in there in that organization and impact them with my tools and the way I play the game of baseball," Peters said. "I'll keep on working. Signing isn't when all the work stops; it's when the work begins."

I think I love this kid already!  

D.J. Peters

2013 Leaf Perfect Game

Base Card

#266 D.J. Peters

Take a Look at the Dodgers Picks at 4 thru 10 - Welcome to the Blue!

On the second day of the 2016 Draft the Dodgers selected eight players between rounds three to ten.  Below is a short synopsis on the players taken from rounds four to ten.  You can check out my report on 3rd Round pick Dustin May here.

It should be noted that two of the players below, to go along with the Dodgers #1 pick Gavin Lux, are shortstops.  This is not to say that the Dodgers are looking to replace the current officeholder at the position, Corey Seager.  Instead, drafting is all about getting the best athletes possible.  Per Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider:

“The theory is that looking throughout the history of the draft and how athletes develop and age, when they’re athletic enough to play shortstop, it’s a pretty good recipe — as they age and get older and their skills develop and their bodies go forward or backwards — they can usually play other positions,” Gasparino said. “So many players today who are left fielders or right fielders, third basemen, second basemen, started out as shortstops. If you can start there, it’s a lot easier to transition to other places on the field, and gives you more avenues of versatility that way.”

In other words, this isn’t the NBA. With development such a long, protracted process in baseball — and almost no such thing as a quick fix — the overwhelming tendency is to take the player with the greatest potential, regardless of what the current Major League roster looks like. If the worst-case scenario is the Dodgers have multiple quality shortstops, they’ll live with that.

In Jon's story he also shares some quotes from Billy Gasparino about the eight players taken today, and I've included them in the below writeups.

4th Round Pick

D.J. Peters

DJ Peters is a 6' 5" tall outfielder who played this past season at Western Nevada Community College.  Peters, a 20-year-old outfielder from Glendora, CA, set records for Western Nevada College in batting average (.419) and home runs (16) this season.   The Region 18 Player of the Year posted a .419/.510/.734 slashline and became the first Wildcat to hit above .400 in a season.  You can follow him on twitter here: @8Peters.  Per Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider:

“He’s just an uber-talented outfielder with tons of tools and upside, and big power. He came to our workout at Dodger Stadium and was launching balls into the stands and throwing well and running well, just really a physical freak in some ways.”

Below are more stories and reports worth checking out:

Dodgers Chose RHP Dustin May with their 3rd Round Draft Pick - Welcome to the Blue!

For their first pick of the day, in the 3rd Round of the 2016 Draft, the Dodgers select 18-year old right-handed pitcher Dustin May.  He went to Northwest High School in Justin, Texas.  Dustin is a big kid at 6' 6" tall and was slated to go to Texas Tech.  You can follow him on twitter here: @d_maydabeast.  Per an MLB.com scouting report:

Dodgers Pick Mitchell White in the 2nd Round - Welcome to the Blue!

With their 2nd round pick last night, 65th overall, the Dodgers selected right-handed pitcher Mitchell White.  He is 21-years old, 6' 4" tall and a finance major at Santa Clara University.  White had Tommy John surgery during his senior year of high school, and redshirted the next year in Santa Clara.  In 2015 he came out of the bullpen and closed games.  Then became a starter this season.  Per Cary Osborne at Dodger Insider:

He redshirted his true freshman year in 2014 after having Tommy John surgery in 2013. As a redshirt sophomore in 2016, he had a 3.72 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 118 strikeouts in 92 innings. On May 14, he struck out 15 batters and allowed one run in a complete game against the University of Portland.

The Dodgers Select Jordan Sheffield from Vanderbilt - Welcome to the Dodgers!

With the Dodgers last pick in the 1st round, 36th overall, of the 2016 Draft they pick Vanderbilt University right-handed pitcher Jordan Sheffield.  The 21-year old stands 5' 11" tall. You can follow Jordan on twitter at: @jordan_sheff.  Per MLB.com: