Will the Dodgers draft another Charlie Hough or Jonathan Broxton?

The Dodgers have six picks in the 2020 MLB Draft, which begins on Wednesday night. Let’s take a look at some historical draft picks at the various spots LA selects this year.

Charlie Hough was the best player drafted by the Dodgers with any of the overall pick numbers they have in this year’s draft. The knuckleballer was taken 159th overall in 1966, in the eighth round. He pitched a whopping 25 seasons in the majors, including his first 11 years (1970-80) with the Dodgers.

The best player picked by any team in the history of the draft with any of these overall selections was George Brett, picked 29th overall by the Royals in 1971, in the second round. He totaled 88.6 Wins Above Replacement in his career, on the way to the Hall of Fame.

Other notables include Adam Wainwright (29th, Braves, 2000; 40.5 WAR) and Ron Gant (100th, Braves, 1983; 34.1 WAR).

Great players picked with these selections who did not sign with their teams include Fred Lynn (60th overall, Yankees, 1971; 50.2 WAR), Nomar Garciaparra (130th, Brewers, 1991, 44.3), and Steve Garvey (60th, Twins, 1966, 38.1 WAR).

Dodgers draft history

The Dodgers have never drafted anyone 29th overall, their slot in the 2020 first round. But they have made multiple selections at each of their other five spots in previous years, 15 players in all.

Only three of these 15 played in the majors with the Dodgers, Hough the most notable. Jonathan Broxton was taken 60th overall in 2002, and pitched seven seasons for the Dodgers. He made two All-Star teams, had a 132 ERA+ with LA, and is one of only three Dodgers pitchers to strike out 500 batters in relief. But he’s most synonymous with being ruined by Matt Stairs in consecutive NLCS.

Joe Simpson was drafted 66th overall by the Dodgers in 1973 out of Oklahoma and played in parts of four seasons with the Dodgers (1975-1978) but only totaled 71 games and 67 plate appearances before finding regular time in Seattle and Kansas City. He shared a rookie card in the 1979 Topps set with Pedro Guerrero and Rudy Law, but Simpson is most known as the longtime Braves broadcaster.

The Dodgers signed pitcher Chris Nichting, picked 66th overall in 1987. He pitched parts of five seasons in the minors with them before leaving as a free agent. He was the only other one of this group of signed Dodgers draftees to make the majors, pitching parts of four seasons with the Rangers, Indians, Reds, and Rockies.

The only one of these 15 Dodgers draftees they didn’t sign was Ron Cash. The shortstop was drafted out of high school by the Dodgers with the 100th overall pick in 1967, but he opted instead to go to college. This was back in the days when there were secondary drafts in both June and January, neither of which have existed for decades. But Cash was drafted a total of six times in five years, ultimately signing with the Tigers after they took him out of Florida State in the June secondary draft in 1971. He played parts of two seasons in the majors (1973-74), totaling 34 games.