The first two days of the draft are in the books, and so far the Dodgers have selected:
6 College Pitchers (1 LHP, 5 RHP)
5 High School Hitters (2 OF, 3 INF)
3 College Hitters (1 OF, 1 SS, 1 2B)
1 High School Pitcher (RHP)
1 Pitcher with No School (LHP)
Round 1: Corey Seager - SS/3B - Northwest Cabarrus HS - The first thing to know about Seager is that he is the brother of Mariner's current 3rd base Kyle Seager who broke into the big leagues last year and is now holding his own in Seattle. At 6'3" and 205 lbs, Corey is bigger than his brother and projects to have solid power as he matures. Some scouts say the lefty has one of the prettiest swings in the draft, and they also rave about his bat speed. A shortstop in high school, he doesn't have the quickness to play there in the big leagues but has plenty of instincts and a strong arm that would make him a valuable 3rd baseman. He hit 10 homers for his high school team this season, and doesn't have a problem going the other way. Corey is advised by Scott Boras and has a strong commitment to South Carolina, but given he was the 18th overall pick he seems like he'll sign.
Supplemental 1st Round: Jesmuel Valentin - Puerto Rico BB Academy - SS/2B - The son of former big leaguer Jose Valentin, Jesmuel has obviously grown up around the game has good baseball knowledge. He can play all over the diamond, and while he'll get a chance to play shortstop in the minors, he might just end up as a 2nd baseman. He's a line drive hitter who was ranked by Baseball America as the #71 overall best prospect in this draft. He has a similar build to his dad at 5'10" and 175 lbs, but scouts don't project that he'll have the same power as his father (249 career HR's). He's a natural right handed hitter, but he's been working as a switch hitter over the past year and a half.
Round 2: Steven "Paco" Rodriguez - LHP - Florida - The left handed specialist for one of the nation's top college programs, Rodriguez is said to have the stuff to be more than a LOOGY in the big leagues. The 6'3", 225 lb lefty has a very unorthodox delivery, but he is expected to move quickly through the minor leagues. Paco has a upper 80's cut fastball but can also dial it up to the low 90's when needed. He also has a slider, and very good control. This year at Florida batters are hitting less than .200 against him, and he has a K/9 above 12.
Round 3: Onelkis Garcia - LHP - No School - Garcia has had an interesting journey since defecting from Cuba. He thought he'd be a free agent, but was initially declared eligible for the 2011 draft. That decision was reversed, but then he was again declared eligible for the 2012 draft. Now almost 23 years old, Garcia has been working out in Los Angeles over the past few months and possess a strong two-pitch combination. At 6'2" the lefty has a low 90's fastball and a hard curveball. He doesn't have much of a 3rd pitch which might force him to the bullpen. Once artcile I read said there might be a signabilty issue with him, but I don't see how that can be given that his age and lack of school.
Round 4: Justin Chigbogu - 1B - Raytown South HS - Still just 17, the Dodgers 4th round pick is a powerful 1st baseman that stand at 6'2" and weighs 230 pounds. He's a bit of a reach as the #146 overall pick as Baseball America had him ranked as the 423rd best prospect in the draft, but I'm guessing the Dodgers will to get him for under slot given that their top 3 picks might be a little expensive. His raw power is huge, and the good news is that the all state defensive end doesn't strike out a lot. According to scouts he's raw and will probably need a few years in the rookie leagues.
Round 5: Ross Stripling - RHP - Texas A&M - Stripling is a senior at Texas A&M and so he could be another relatively cheap pick given his lack of leverage. The right hander didn't really pitch until his senior year of high school, and the 6'3" 190 pounder can hit 94 mph when he's going all out. As a starter he sits more in the high 80's/low 90's range, and he also features an over the top curveball and a decent changeup. He's made a name for himself during his college career as he lead the NCAA with 14 wins in 2011, then recently threw a no-hitter. One other piece of good news is that he is known for his good command.
Round 6: Joey Curletta - OF/1B/RHP - Mountain Pointe HS - Curletta a huge kid at 6'4" and 230 pounds, and according to Baseball America he has light-tower power at the plate. The problem is that while he was drafted as an outfielder, he might not have the quick first step to say out there and he'll most likely end up at 1st base. He can also hit up to 94 mph on the mound, so the Dodgers could decide to use him as a pitcher.
Round 7: Theo Alexander - OF - Lake Washington HS - Alexander was ranked by Baseball America as the #337 prospect in this draft, and the 6'2" 195 pounder is described as having a smooth left handed swing. I'm not sure about his power, but he sounds like a guy who could hit for average. He's not much of a runner, however, and his defense is just average.
Round 8: Scott Griggs - RHP - UCLA - As a UCLA fan I've been following Griggs since he was recruited by the Bruins, but was disappointed when he only threw 26 innings over his first two years of college. He had a breakout season in 2012, however, setting a school record with 13 saves and striking out 52 batters in 30 innings. His biggest problem is his lack of command, however, which stems from his inability to repeat his delivery which led to 29 walks this past year. He tops out at 95 mph, and has a power curve that sits in the low 80's. He's another college reliever who could move quickly through the Dodgers system if he can harness his stuff.
Round 9: Zach Bird - RHP - Murrah HS - Bird is a lanky, yet raw right hander that shows promise but could follow in his dad's footsteps and attend Southern Miss. The 6'4" righty can touch 92 mph, has a curve, and is working on a changeup. The pick reminds me a bit of the Scott Barlow selection from a year ago, and apparently the Dodgers helped Barlow improve quite a bit so maybe they can do the same with Bird if they can get him to sign.
Round 10: Zach Babitt - 2B - Academy of the Arts - Babitt became the first player from the Academy of the Arts to be selected in the MLB draft after leading the Urban Knights in 2012 with a .313 average and 18 stolen bases. Listed at just 5'7" and 160 lbs, the Dodgers must have liked what they saw out of the 22 year old to make him their 10th round pick.
Round 11: Jeremy Rathjen - OF - Rice - Rathjen is another lanky pick as he stands at 6'6" and weights about 190 lbs. He size reminds me a lot of Kyle Russell, but according to scouting reports he makes much better contact than Russell thanks to great bat speed and outstanding hand-eye coordination. On the negative side, he has far less raw power than Russell and is still not all the way recovered from a torn ACL. Jeremy can play both center and right field.
Round 12: James Campbell - RHP - Stony Brook - Campbell hails from Connecticut and played 3 years of college ball at Stony Brook. After posting a 3.04 ERA in 2011 through 26.1 innings, James went a perfect 5 - 0 in 2012 and recorded a 2.92 ERA. Over 52.1 innings he struck out 38, walked 14, and held opposing batters to a .206 average.
Round 13: Darnell Sweeney - SS - Central Florida - A switch hitter who has solid tools, Sweeney struggled a bit this spring and lowered his draft stock. According to Baseball America he is a strong runner with very good defensive tools, but he just doesn't hit very much. That was evidenced by this .262 average in 2012, although he did steal 20 of 28 bases.
Round 14: Matt Reckling - RHP - Rice - The # 446 overall pick was actually ranked by Baseball America as the 179th best prospect in this draft, and was considered one of the best college seniors. The 6'4" 215 pounder was in Rice's starting rotation this year and threw in the low 90's, but when used in short spurts he can get his fastball up to 97 mph. He has a solid curve and an OK changeup, but most scouts feel he'll be a two-pitch reliever.
Round 15: Dalton Von Schamann - RHP - Texas Tech - A redshirt sophomore thanks to Tommy John surgery that sidelined him in 2010, Von Schamann is a sinker baller that sits in the low 90's. The 6'4" righty also has a slider and a changeup, but he really lives of the grounders that his sinker produces.