2019 MLB Draft: Dodgers select RHP Jack Little in fifth round, No. 161 overall

With the No. 161 pick, the Dodgers selected right-handed pitcher Jack Little from Stanford.

Last year with the Cardinal, Little made 24 appearances as a reliever. He converted 12 saves, and had an ERA of 3.32. In 50 innings, he struck out 50 and walked only 11, while holding opponents to a .221 average.

His best season came the year prior in 2018, where he posted a 0.60 ERA in 25 appearances. In 45 ¹⁄₃ innings he struck out 58 and walked only eight, while opponents hit only .167 off him.

Here’s a breakdown of the 21-year-old, courtesy of MLB Pipeline:

A product of baseball powerhouse Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Little didn’t do much in his freshman year at Stanford to stand out. Given a chance to close as a sophomore, Little ran with it and tied Colton Hock for the school’s single-season saves record. He’s added a bunch more as a junior, but some scouts feel he has the repertoire and feel for pitching to start at the next level.

The 6-foot-4 right-hander has the potential to have a four-pitch mix should he get the chance to be in a rotation. He’s added a little velocity while at Stanford and can touch 94 mph on occasion, but typically sits in the 90-92 mph range with his fastball. He added a curveball in his sophomore season and it’s become his go-to breaking ball. He continues to work on his slider, and some think if he does end up in a bullpen at the next level, that would be a better breaking ball option for him. He can mix in a solid changeup as well.

Stanford has opted to have pitchers with starting potential stay in the bullpen because it’s more valuable to be able to use them multiple times over the weekend. That’s what they did with Hock, who did get some opportunities to start with the Marlins since he was a fourth-round pick in 2017. Little has less effort in his delivery than Hock did, and his ability to throw strikes could give him the chance to be a back-end starter as a pro.