2016 MLB Draft

[shopson67]

Any thoughts on who the Dodgers may select tonight?

I've seen several mocks where the Dodgers are taking Jordan Sheffield (RHP, Vandy) with either the #20 or #32 pick (they also have #36). Would like to see them add C, SS, and 3B prospects early, but really it all comes down to best available (and if signable). I've also seen the Dodgers projected to pick Drew Mendoza (HS 3B, FSU commit), who could be tough to sign.

 

[shopson67]

Draft picks from day 1:

1(20) -- Gavin Lux, SS, Indian Trail Academy (Kenosha, Wisconsin)
From TrueBlueLA:
Lux’s best attribute is his lack of significant weaknesses. He’s a high aptitude defender that will likely stay at shortstop with a solid arm and above average hands and footwork. Offensively, Lux has present bat speed and the ability to hit for average. Lux has a frame to grow into and with his bat speed, could develop fringe average pop down the road. He’s already a solid contact hitter but could develop into a pure plus high average hitter. Adding strength while maintaining his quickness will be key during his development. Lux has a slight hesitation in his swing that can be ironed out as well to leave him less susceptible to off-speed pitches.

1 (32) -- Will Smith, C, Louisville
From TrueBlueLA:
Smith is in the midst of a big offensive season at Louisville, hitting .380/.476/.573 for theCardinals while drawing positive reviews for his defense. Smith is an athletic catcher that can run, and has posted impressive pop times as a catcher. The key for Smith will be maintaining his athleticism and hitting as he progresses through the minors. Smith hadn’t hit above .250 before this season, and the hope is some physical maturity will help this development stick. He’s a disciplined hitter that’s hard to strike out, so he just needs gap power to keep posting solid numbers. Smith has hit eight home runs this season, but his size and swing aren’t geared for significant power. Smith’s swing is fairly flat with little load, helping him stay in the zone and be quick to the ball, but not necessarily helping him hit for power. Smith’s ability as a receiver and athleticism are what should help him climb the organizational ladder. If he holds his offensive game, a plus hit tool would make him a rare breed as a catcher, and the contact rate this year looks promising.

LOT A (36) -- Jordan Sheffield, RHP, Vanderbilt
From TrueBlueLA:
Sheffield has a live arm with high strikeout numbers in the SEC. Sheffield’s fastball will reach the upper 90’s with sink, and his hard curveball is a true swing and miss pitch. Sheffield is athletic and employs an atypical but repeatable delivery. As a six footer, Sheffield isn’t overly projectable, so improvement likely comes from more consistency and improved stamina. Sheffield’s command has improved this year, but he will need to be more pitch efficient to continue starting at the next level. Sheffield will also rush his delivery and might need to adjust his tempo to work every fifth day. His carry tool is arm speed, it’s what drives the power on his fastball and curve. At worst, his arm will allow him to be a late inning reliever.

2 (65) -- Mitchell White, RHP, Santa Clara
From TrueBlueLA:
A 6'4, 205-pound draft-eligible sophomore, White had Tommy John surgery in his senior season in high school. White put up a 3.72 ERA with 118 strikeouts and 27 walks in 92 innings in his 15 starts in 2016. He led the WCC in strikeouts and made the All-WCC team. White was No. 138 on the Baseball America Top 500, but not listed on both the top 200 draft prospects by David Hood nor the MLB Pipeline top 200 draft prospects. John Manuel of Baseball America was particularly high on White, pointing out on MLB Network a start against BYU that saw White hit 96 mph 10 times.

 

[shopson67]

Analysis from TrueBlueLA:

3 (101) -- Dustin May, RHP, Northwest HS (Justin, Texas)

May has risen up media boards after touch the mid 90’s and showing some feel for a plus breaking ball. May is tall and projectable, and according to MLB Pipeline, he was one of the better spin rate arms at the WWBAA Championships. May is tall and lean, with the chance to fill out and hold his plus velocity deep into starts. May flashes a plus breaking ball, a deep slider, but will need to find a consistent slot to keep the pitch from flattening out. Day’s mechanics aren’t consistent. His approach is arm heavy and he lands on a stiff front leg. I don’t mind the low ¾ slot, but May doesn’t repeat his slot consistently, which affects the sink on the fastball and the depth on his breaking ball. At 6’6 and under 200 lbs. May must also continue to add strength to his frame. May’s fastball that shows plus sink and run and velocity into the mid 90’s is his calling card. The slider could become plus as well, but consistently pitching effectively off his fastball will be key to moving up the ladder.

4 (131) -- DJ Peters, OF, Western Nevada CC

Peters was a 2014 Perfect Game All American thanks to his power potential, and he showed more production this year at Western Nevada. It wasn’t just the power though, as Peters led the team in average as well, with only 33 strikeouts in sixty-one games. He’s added bulk to his frame but still looks like a solid athlete. Junior colleges in the West have tended to favor offense, so Peters will have to prove his power production at the pro level, but he has the strength, bat speed, and leverage to hit for plus power. He might also end up with an above average hit tool, though his size could lend to some swing and miss against superior pitching. A decent runner out of high school and a center fielder in college, Peters will need to work to stay agile enough to fit in an outfield corner at the pro level. He might end up with enough bat to carry first base if he has to, but he’s more valuable in right field. Despite the production, Peters swing can get long and may lead to contact issues against better pitching. Peters has plus raw power and bat speed, which should be on full display in the Pioneer League and eventually the California League.

5 (161) -- Devin Smeltzer, LHP, San Jacinto College North

Smeltzer was also a Perfect Game All American in 2014, and the pitcher he was then is largely the pitcher he is now. Smeltzer can throw four pitches, with the change-up flashing plus. Smeltzer’s fastball is generally in the upper 80s with heavy run, and his slider is his best breaking ball, but often has a slurve shape. Smeltzer has posted excellent strikeout numbers and has proven durable despite a thin build. Smeltzer has been reaching the low 90s on occasion this year and might have enough projection in his frame to add a tick or two to the average on his fastball. If Smeltzer ends up in the bullpen, he would profile as an above average lefty specialist. To remain a starter, Smeltzer will have to improve his already good command, as his velocity is already fringy for the rotation. Smeltzer must also refine his slider to be a pitch to work to both right and left handers. Smeltzer’s only plus pitch is his changeup, thrown with serious fade and arm speed. The change gives him a weapon against right handers, which will hold off a move to the bullpen for the time being.

6 (191) -- Errol Robinson, SS, Ole Miss

The Dodgers drafted their second shortstop in as many days, selecting Ole Miss shortstop Errol Robinson with their sixth-round pick in the 2016 MLB Draft, selection No. 191 overall.

The 5'11, 170-pound right-hander hit .286/.356/.348 in three years at Mississippi, including .270/.326/.352 as a junior in 2016.

Robinson's strength is his defense, as a scout told Daniel Paulling of the Clarion-Ledger:

"The ability to play shortstop is very valuable, especially this year," the scout said. "There’s not a ton of guys on people’s boards that are shortstops.

"He probably profiles more as a utility infielder at the major league level, but if you can play shortstop and play it average, you can make a living doing that. You’re definitely buying into the defense with the ability to play shortstop if you draft him earlier."

Robinson was not rated in David Hood's top 200 draft prospects, ranked 190th in the Baseball America top 500, and was not listed in the MLB Pipeline top 200.

 

[shopson67]

Analysis from TrueBlueLA:

7 (221) -- Luke Raley, CF, Lake Erie College

The Dodgers with their seventh-round selection in the 2016 MLB Draft selected center fielder Luke Raley out of Lake Erie College in Ohio, the 221st overall pick.

Raley is the second player ever drafted out of Lake Erie College, joining Ryan Rua, who was a 17th-round pick of the Rangers in 2011.

The 6'3, 220-pound center fielder hit .424/.528/.747 with 12 home runs and 11 stolen bases as a junior for Lake Erie in 2016, earning Third-Team All-American honors. He bats left, throws right.

Raley is the seventh college player selected by the Dodgers in their first nine picks.

Raley was named a 2015 First-team Summer Collegiate All-American after hitting .314/.412/.569 with 14 home runs in the wood-bat Northwoods League last summer.

He was not listed on David Hood's top 200 draft prospects, the Baseball America top 500, nor the MLB Pipeline top 200.

8 (251) -- Andre Scrubb, RHP, High Point University

The Dodgers drafted right-handed pitcher Andre Scrubb out of High Point University in North Carolina with their eighth-round pick in the 2016 MLB Draft, pick No. 251 overall.

Scrubb as a junior in 2016 had a 4.86 ERA in 14 starts and also walked 54 in 74 innings, but he also struck out 95 batters. He also pitched for Chatham in the Cape Cod League last summer, serving as closer.

The 6'4, 265-pound (Jim Callis on the MLB.com draft show said he had Scrubb at 275 pounds) hit 96-97 mph in a May 7 start against Radford with several scouts in attendance, per David Fawcett of Inside Nova:

He had no idea how hard he was throwing until his advisor Eric Sobocinski and High Point’s coaching staff informed him afterward. Scrubb was shocked at first by the news, but the performance pleased him and served as a reminder why he’s a projected top-10 round pick when the three-day, 40-round draft began Thursday night.

Scrubb went undrafted out of high school.

Scrubb.ranked 299th in the top 500 from Baseball America top 500, who noted "his best pitch is a wipeout 78-83 mph breaking ball that he uses to rack up strikeouts."

9 (281) -- Anthony Gonsolin, RHP, St. Mary's

The Dodgers with their ninth-round pick in the 2016 MLB Draft selected right-handed pitcher Anthony Gonsolin out of St. Mary's.

Gonsolin was a two-way player at St. Mary's, who was eliminated last weekend in the regional round of the 2016 NCAA Baseball Tournament.

In 2016, the 6'2, 180-pounder had a 3.86 ERA in 18 games as a senior, including five starts, with 39 strikeouts and 16 walks in 42 innings. He also hit .307/.400/.476 with seven home runs, nine doubles and 30 walks in 57 games, playing the outfield when he didn't pitch.

Gonsolin only pitched a total of 155 innings in four years in college.

He also played in the Northwoods League. His college coach Eric Valenzuela last August gave a glowing report of Gonsolin to Kendall Rogers of D1 Baseball:

"When we got here, we liked Anthony. He was athletic, he could run well, he had a good arm, he was strong, he just needed some time to develop," Valenzuela said. "He’s a guy that just continues to develop. He’s a hitter, and being a pitcher for him is a hobby right now. But we’re looking at him as a potential leadoff hitter or three-hole hitter, and we also want to close him in the spring.

"He’s the type of guy who can do something like that," he continued. "He’s just an overall very good player. He was a shortstop in high school, and can kind of do everything, and he’s got power on top of all of that. He’s a different guy."

Gonsolin was unranked on David Hood's top 200 draft prospects, nor was he listed in the Baseball America top 500, and was left out of the MLB Pipeline top 200.


10 (311) -- Kevin Lachance, SS, UM Baltimore

The Dodgers' final pick of Friday was their third shortstop in their first 12 picks, selecting Kevin Lachance from the University of Maryland Baltimore in the 10th round of the 2016 MLB Draft, pick No. 311 overall.

The 6'3, 185-pound senior hit .373/.453/.539 with 14 doubles and six home runs in 51 games in 2016. He also stole 28 bases in 32 attempts, and was named second-team All-Conference in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference.

"What we’re seeing is a byproduct of Kevin’s work ethic since day one as a freshman," college head coach Bob Mumma told Corey Johns of So Much Sports Baltimore in March. "He’s had 500 college at-bats between his freshman year and in the summer and fall. You’re seeing a byproduct of somebody who is comfortable at the plate and knows who he is as a player.

LaChance was unrated by David Hood in his top 200 draft prospects, and wasn't listed in the MLB Pipeline top 200. But he was ranked No. 219 in the top 500 draft prospects by Baseball America, who noted his top tool is probably his speed, with consistent times of 4.15-4.20 seconds getting from home plate to first base.

 

[shopson67]

Analysis from TrueBlueLA:

11 (341) -- A.J. Alexy, RHP, Twin Valley HS (Everson, PA)

With their first pick of Saturday, the Dodgers selected high school right-hander A.J. Alexy with their 11th-round pick in the 2016 MLB Draft, pick No. 341 overall.

The 6'4 right-hander was the subject of national news in May when he threw 164 pitches in a nine-inning win for Twin Valley High School in Everson, Penn.
https://twitter.com/keithlaw
Alexy was ranked No. 327 on the Baseball America top 500, with this note:

His fastball has been mostly 88-92 this spring, and he's flashed the ability to locate his changeup down in the zone. His curveball shows top-to-bottom action, but it will need more power to develop into an average offering, though it flashes tight spin currently.

Alexy is committed to play college ball at Radford.

12 (371) -- Graham Ashcraft, RHP, Huntsville HS (Huntsville, AL)

The Dodgers continued on the high school trail with their 12th-round pick in the 2016 MLB Draft, selecting Huntsville High School (Alabama) right-handed pitcher Graham Ashcraft with pick No. 371 overall.

The 6'2 right-hander was ranked by our David Hood as the 149th-best prospect in the draft, with Hood noting Ashcraft's plus fastball and the potential for plus-plus velocity. Ashcraft also played third base in high school.

Baseball America ranked Ashcraft No. 175, noting that he hit 99 mph this spring, but also that "he'll have to improve his control and feel for pitching to remain a starter in the long run."

He is committed to play college ball at Mississippi State

 

[Villain]

Did you see Funkhouser fell all the way to the 4th round? I wonder how much money it ends up costing him for not signing with the Dodgers.

Jordan Sheffield was the selection the Dodgers made with the pick they got for not signing Funkhouser.

 

[Villain]

By my count, only 11 of the 40 players drafted by the Dodgers are younger than Julio Urias.

 

[Villain]

The Dodgers have signed 8 of the first 12 picks, including first round pick Gavin Lux. Of the remain post-10th-round picks, 6 have signed and two have made it known that they will not sign.

 

[Villain]

Only two picks from the top 10 rounds are unsigned and the the Dodgers are currently about 450K under for pool money. They can go 5% over slot without losing a pick for next year so that means there's about 900k to play with in over-slot spending.

In other words, things look good.