Dodgers pick 30th in the first round of the MLB Draft

The Dodgers are off on Monday, very nice of them to oblige and step aside so the first day of the 2018 MLB Draft could occupy the front burner. The first and second rounds are Monday night, the first of three days of this annual event.

Finishing with the best record in baseball gets you the last pick in every round the next year, so the Dodgers draft 30th in the first round on Monday night. Their other pick on the first day is No. 68 overall, their second round pick.

There are a few competitive balance picks and some compensation picks, some between the first and second rounds and some in between the second and third rounds. None of those involve the Dodgers, who have 40 picks in their 40 rounds.

The Dodgers have never picked No. 30 overall in the previous 53 years of the draft.

They never picked 29th either. The Dodgers did pick 31st three different times, but none of those players ever reached the majors — infielder Mike Watters (1985), pitcher Greg Miller (2002) and infielder Preston Mattingly (2006).

The best 30th pick in the history of the draft was Mike Schmidt, who was picked by the Phillies in 1971 and went on to lead the National League in home runs eight times and win three MVPs on his way to Cooperstown. Four of the top six 30th picks, as ranked by Wins Above Replacement, played for the Dodgers at some point or another — David Wells, Jerry Reuss, Brian Jordan and Terry Forster.

The Dodgers have selected a position player with their first pick in each of the last two drafts, drafting outfielder Jeren Kendall in 2017 and infielder Gavin Lux in 2016. Before that they picked a pitcher first in 12 of the previous 13 years.

The first two rounds are Monday, 78 picks in all, but only the first 43 picks will be televised on MLB Network. The rest of the draft will be streamed online at MLB.com.

Tuesday will see rounds 3-10, and rounds 11-40 will take place on Wednesday.

Draft schedule

• Monday: 4 p.m. PT (Rounds 1-2, plus other stuff)
• Tuesday: 10 a.m. (Rounds 3-10)
• Wednesday: 9 a.m. (Rounds 11-40)

TV: MLB Network (Round 1 plus FA compensation picks & Competitive Balance Round A)

Online: MLB.com