Recap of Dodgers’ 2020 draft

Sadly, the MLB Draft has already come and gone. There were only five rounds in the draft this year. With that being said, let’s take a look back at the picks the team made this season! You can lick on the player’s name and it’ll take you to the full in-depth article that Eric wrote.

1st round - Bobby Miller, RHP - Louisville

The 6’5 right-hander had a 3.28 ERA with 175 strikeouts and 68 walks in 170 innings in three years in college, including a 2.31 ERA in four starts this year. Miller was rated the 28th best-prospect in the draft by Baseball America, ranked 26th by MLB.com, 47th by ESPN, ranked 57th by Keith Law at The Athletic, and 28th by FanGraphs.

2nd round - Landon Knack, RHP - East Tennessee State

Knack, the second college pitcher drafted by the Dodgers in two rounds, had an eye-popping 51 strikeouts and just one walk in 25 innings in his four starts this season, allowing three total runs. Last year he had a 2.60 ERA with a relatively normal 94 strikeouts and 16 walks in 97 innings.

“It’s an unreal feeling to hear my name called after watching the draft last year,” Knack said in a press release. “I couldn’t be more excited to work with an organization that does so well with player development.”

He ranked outside the top 100 in most draft rankings, though Baseball America called him the best senior college pitcher in the draft

2nd round - Clayton Beeter, RHP - Texas Tech

A redshirt sophomore, Beeter had a 2.14 ERA in four starts this season for Texas Tech, with 33 strikeouts against four walks in 21 innings. In 2019 he pitched exclusively in relief, striking out 40 and walking 20 in 20⅔ innings.

Beeter had Tommy John surgery in October 2017, and discussed the ensuing few years with Don Williams of the Brownwood Bulletin this week:

“Tommy John rehab is a pretty rigorous process,” he said, “and it’s something every day as far as arm care and strength. Thankfully, I got to travel with the team that year, so while everybody else is getting ready for games, I’m just worried about my rehab and strength training.”

3rd round - Jake Vogel, OF - Huntington Beach HS (CA)

Vogel was rated the 89th best-prospect in the draft by Baseball America, ranked 82nd by MLB.com, and ranked 77th by Keith Law at The Athletic. Law rated Vogel’s speed a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale, good enough to stay in center field. Vogel is listed at 5’11, 165 pound

4th round - Carson Taylor, C - Virginia Tech

Taylor has considerable bat speed from both sides of the plate. He’s shown a good feel for the strike zone and has walked more than he’s struck out in his college career. While there’s a lot of raw power to tap into, Taylor gets pull-happy and out front on his swing too often to get to it consistently. He can make hard contact, but pitches on the outer third of the plate gave him trouble.

5th round - Gavin Stone, RHP - Central Arkansas

Stone, a 6’1 junior, posted a 2.42 ERA in three seasons with Central Arkansas, including a 1.30 ERA in four starts in 2020, with 31 strikeouts and six walks. He pitched mostly in relief in his first two years in college, starting only seven times in 32 games, but moved into the starter’s role this year.

He pitched a no-hitter in his final start of the season, striking out 13 against SE Louisiana on March 6.