True Blue LA - Dodgers 2020 MLB Draft: Bobby Miller, 1st-round pickWhere The Dodger Dogs Are Always Grilledhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49563/truebluela_fav.png2020-06-19T14:53:02-07:00http://www.truebluela.com/rss/stream/210520682020-06-19T14:53:02-07:002020-06-19T14:53:02-07:00Dodgers sign 1st-round pick Bobby Miller
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<figcaption><em>Photo: </em><a class="ql-link" href="https://twitter.com/BMilled15/status/1274097488518164482" target="_blank"><em>Bobby Miller on Twitter</em></a></figcaption>
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<p>Louisville right-hander was drafted 29th overall</p> <p id="FQAYRZ">The <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> have reportedly signed their first-round draft pick, right-hander Bobby Miller out of Louisville, <a href="https://twitter.com/jimcallisMLB/status/1274092124674437122">per Jim Callis of MLB.com</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/jorgecastillo/status/1274095885568241665">Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times</a>. Miller also tweeted a picture of him signing the contract.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Officially a Dodger! So thankful for everyone who has helped me get to this point. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/gododgers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#gododgers</a> <a href="https://t.co/EQ3s9ANxmt">pic.twitter.com/EQ3s9ANxmt</a></p>— Bobby Miller (@BMilled15) <a href="https://twitter.com/BMilled15/status/1274097488518164482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2020</a>
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<p id="YpivsP">Both reported a signing bonus for Miller of $2.2 million, all but $2,500 of which counts against the bonus pool.</p>
<p id="mdRcVH">The 29th overall pick <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/mlb-draft/2020/6/9/21280418/mlb-draft-bonus-pool-dodgers">had a recommended slot value of $2,424,600</a>. With two of six picks signed so far, <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/mlb-draft/2020/6/10/21276370/2020-mlb-draft-tracker-dodgers">the Dodgers are $456,800 under their bonus pool</a>.</p>
<p id="jd9Knm">The Dodgers haven’t yet announced the signing.</p>
<p id="GLPnU9">Miller had a 2.31 ERA in his four starts as a junior with Louisville, with 34 strikeouts in 23⅓ innings. Like the other three pitchers drafted by the Dodgers, all made improvements from 2019 to 2020.</p>
<p id="oHQfrE">“We expect him to be a fast riser given his talent level, makeup, and current performance,” Dodgers vice president of amateur scouting Billy Gasparino said on draft night.</p>
<aside id="n2fWXb"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Bobby Miller, 1st-round pick","url":"https://www.truebluela.com/mlb-draft/2020/6/11/21288027/dodgers-mlb-draft-2020-bobby-miller-first-round"},{"title":"Dodgers 2020 draft tracker","url":"https://www.truebluela.com/mlb-draft/2020/6/10/21276370/2020-mlb-draft-tracker-dodgers"}]}'></div></aside><p id="L8CgO7">Gasparino said he didn’t see Miller this season since it was a truncated year, but did see Miller in person last year. Miller was one of two Dodgers draftees Gasparino saw in person, along with third-round pick Jake Vogel, an outfielder from Huntington Beach High School.</p>
<p id="JQQGbK">During the shutdown, Louisville’s weight room was closed, but Miller said he was able to work out at a local gym. If he’s not pitching to his catcher Ben Metzinger, Miller has been throwing into a net.</p>
<p id="pnoCGm">“I can still get all my throwing in, but not as many bullpens as I would like to,” Miller said on draft night. “I’ve been doing really good workouts right now.”</p>
<p id="4qTQBf">Now that he’s signed, it’s unclear what happens next for Miller, especially with the minor league season in doubt. Perhaps some time at Camelback Ranch in Arizona is in Miller’s future.</p>
<p id="X6qtw9">“We’re going to try our best to get him some kind of development time over the next three or four months, depending on what they allow us to do,” Gasparino said.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2020/6/19/21293832/dodgers-sign-bobby-miller-mlb-draftEric Stephen2020-06-10T21:59:40-07:002020-06-10T21:59:40-07:00Dodgers scout Marty Lamb crucial in 1st-round selection
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<img alt="2020 Major League Baseball Draft" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/uy7ZqdZZJtIQeDaA4w2_wi-4qUI=/0x0:4014x2676/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66920538/1219236550.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by MLB Photos via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Lamb has scouted 6 of the last 10 first-round picks for LA</p> <p id="jmIedm">LOS ANGELES — In a draft year unlike any other, with limited information and after three months without games to watch, the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> relied on one of their longest-tenured scouts in picking Louisville pitcher Bobby Miller with their first-round pick.</p>
<p id="HZ1nMM">“You have to give a lot of credit to Marty Lamb, he does a great job,” Dodgers vice president of amateur scouting, Billy Gasparino, said. “He’s very trustworthy, he’s very thorough. Everything he says, we take as gospel. It makes a big difference in the confidence with these picks, especially this year in not seeing as many players as we usually do in person.”</p>
<p id="eeRusM">Marty Lamb has been scouting for the Dodgers since 1999, and currently covers four states — Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, and Tennessee. Of the Dodgers’ 10 first-round picks since 2015, Lamb was the area scout for six of them, and also signed <span>Matt Beaty</span> and <span>Luke Raley</span>, both of whom are on the 40-man roster.</p>
<p id="4kbUFx">Lamb was in attendance for Miller’s first start this season for Louisville, against Ole Miss.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">A night I'll never forget. I'm beyond excited to join the <a href="https://twitter.com/Dodgers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dodgers</a>!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MLBDraft?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MLBDraft</a> <a href="https://t.co/M9rH7zVQWw">pic.twitter.com/M9rH7zVQWw</a></p>— Bobby Miller (@BMilled15) <a href="https://twitter.com/BMilled15/status/1270914446505005060?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2020</a>
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<p id="BFaepN">Miller only pitched four innings, and allowed three runs in that Feb. 15 start, striking out five and walking one. Despite the relatively ordinary outing, Gasparino said Lamb “identified that he made this jump we thought was possible.”</p>
<p id="Hy0IBQ">The jump for Miller included improved mechanics and better command. Gasparino said Miller’s fastball jumped three miles per hour over 2019, over 95 mph. He added a pitch, too, sort of a mix between a cutter and slider.</p>
<p id="L1MfNt">“It’s been more of a slider right now,” Miller said. “I can add a lot more velocity on that, and it really started playing off my fastball well.”</p>
<p id="2ckYUi">Miller had a 2.31 ERA in his four starts this season, with 34 strikeouts in 23⅓ innings. His strikeout rate jumped from 25.3 percent in 2019 to 36.6 percent this year, albeit in a small sample size. But thanks to the <a href="https://www.vox.com/2020/1/31/21113178/what-is-coronavirus-symptoms-travel-china-map">coronavirus</a> pandemic, that’s all we really have to go on. There haven’t been any games since March.</p>
<p id="CLNH1k">“He was off to a great start, facing good teams. He pitched well,” Gasparino said. “I think if he would have gotten to ACC play, it only would have helped his stock.”</p>
<p id="FtzmPv">Gasparino said he didn’t get a chance to watch Miller in person this year but has in the past. He and his staff have watched videos of all four starts this year and several from his junior year to prepare.</p>
<p id="GqQVQo">“When you have a good staff and a lot of people you can trust, we really rely heavily on them,” Gasparino said.</p>
<p id="M57tdQ">Miller said his favorite pitcher was <span>Walker Buehler</span> (also scouted and signed by Lamb, by the way), and joked that he’d be able to match Buehler’s profanity on the mound.</p>
<p id="tFtiEU">“He’s so electric on the mound, that’s how I try to be,” Miller said. “His competitiveness, it’s something I take pride in, being the biggest competitor on the field, and there’s absolutely no doubt he’s the biggest competitor on the field when he’s on the mound. He’s not a big guy but the way he makes himself look so intimidating when he’s on the mound is something I really love to watch too.”</p>
<div class="c-float-right"><aside id="nX6DwP"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Dodgers draft RHP Bobby Miller in the 1st round","url":"https://www.truebluela.com/mlb-draft/2020/6/10/21276448/2020-mlb-draft-first-round-dodgers-bobby-miller"},{"title":"Dodgers 2020 draft tracker","url":"https://www.truebluela.com/mlb-draft/2020/6/10/21276370/2020-mlb-draft-tracker-dodgers"}]}'></div></aside></div>
<p id="gVtLLK">The size disparity between the two makes comparison between them difficult. Buehler is listed at 6’2, 185 pounds, while Miller is 6’5, 220. Gasparino praised Miller’s size and athleticism, and his 95-plus fastball as a solid foundation.</p>
<p id="ooMg5Q">“We viewed him as an intriguing option coming into the year. We knew he was a great athlete, we knew he had great arm strength,” Gasparino said. “We were a little concerned with strike throwing and command, secondary pitches. Give the kid credit, he made big adjustments in his delivery and big adjustments in his slider.</p>
<p id="tCcU2K">“It was a good trend up in his delivery. If you go back and look at 2019, then look at 2020 he made significant adjustments for the better. We thought that was a very positive side of his attitude and athleticism. Our pitching group on the player development side love the direction he was going and what he was doing. They’re ready to take it to the next level.”</p>
<p id="bUlSBi">Miller started 25 games in his three years in Louisville, but also relieved 16 times. </p>
<p id="1cyZKI">“I like to truly think I am a starter, and I’ve been really proving that this year,” he said. “I worked so much this offseason on my endurance and my mechanics … I thought I really started to show I could hold that velocity late into innings, and added a new pitch.”</p>
<p id="Q2DVTH">“He better want to start, we’re planning on it,” Gasparino said with a smile.</p>
<p id="FzVgDh">Miller said he was a little surprised when the Dodgers picked him. He remembered two Zoom calls with the Dodgers since the season was shut down — <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/mlb-draft/2020/5/26/21270455/mlb-draft-preparation-dodgers-scouts">in-person contact was forbidden</a> — but also talked to Lamb earlier this week. </p>
<p id="BvaUC7">“It wasn’t anything serious,” Miller said. “He was just checking in, seeing how things were going.”</p>
<p id="pcVsEo">As for what’s next for Miller, that’s up in the air. The signing deadline for draft picks is August 1, but on-field plans are still to be determined.</p>
<p id="WqraDV">The minor league season hasn’t officially been canceled even though that seems inevitable. Miller might end up at the Dodgers’ facility in Glendale, Ariz. at some point, but that to date there isn’t even a plan for a major league season in 2020, let alone a minor league one.</p>
<p id="XozspF">“We’re going to try our best to get him some kind of development time over the next three or four months, depending on what they allow us to do,” Gasparino said.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/mlb-draft/2020/6/10/21287431/dodgers-mlb-draft-2020-bobby-miller-marty-lamb-scoutEric Stephen2020-06-10T19:00:48-07:002020-06-10T19:00:48-07:00Dodgers draft RHP Bobby Miller in the 1st round
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<img alt="NCAA Baseball: College World Series-Auburn vs Louisville" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mkHdge4qoRTsl2UFgKqZy2okIlA=/0x0:1931x1287/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66920207/usa_today_12916540.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Miller was the 29th overall pick</p> <p id="45gaxX">The Los Angeles <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> selected right-handed pitcher Bobby Miller out of Louisville with with their first pick in the 2020 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb-draft">MLB Draft</a> on Wednesday. Miller was the 29th overall selection in the draft.</p>
<p id="wG2Zoh">Various <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/mlb-draft/2020/5/28/21272357/dodgers-mock-mlb-draft-tracker">national mock drafts</a> linked the Dodgers mostly to college players, both hitters and pitchers. Miller was mentioned once to the Dodgers, <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2020/6/4/21280362/mlb-draft-2020-bobby-miller-dodgers">by Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com</a>.</p>
<p id="VwEWMI">“It’s probably the deepest draft in the last five years, especially in the first round,” Dodgers vice president of amateur scouting Billy Gasparino <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/mlb-draft/2020/5/26/21267212/2020-mlb-draft-dodgers-billy-gasparino">said two weeks ago</a>. “The college pitching group and the high school hitting group are really strong.”</p>
<p id="9k6TrL">There will nine college pitchers drafted in the first round this year, including Miller and his Louisville teammate Reid Detmers, who <a href="https://www.halosheaven.com/mlb-draft-2020/2020/6/10/21281247/mlb-draft-2020-first-round-angels-reid-detmers">was drafted 10th overall by the Angels</a>.</p>
<p id="GVNFMF">Miller is the first college pitcher drafted by the Dodgers in the first round since Jordan Sheffield in 2016.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Bobby Miller, Louisville (Junior).<br><br>82MPH Curve<br>88MPH Slider<br>99MPH 2 Seam <br>98MPH 2 Seam ⛽️<br>87Mph Change. <br><br>Stats so far this year:<br>23.1 IP, 34K, .181 batting average against. <br><br>Louisville's got themselves some arms. <a href="https://twitter.com/BMilled15?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BMilled15</a> <a href="https://t.co/4kfLPjwsbN">pic.twitter.com/4kfLPjwsbN</a></p>— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) <a href="https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1238881790854672384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2020</a>
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<aside id="h74gHh"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Dodgers 2020 draft tracker","url":"https://www.truebluela.com/mlb-draft/2020/6/10/21276370/2020-mlb-draft-tracker-dodgers"},{"title":"Dodgers draft primer","url":"https://www.truebluela.com/mlb-draft/2020/6/10/21286206/dodgers-mlb-draft-2020"}]}'></div></aside><p id="hvYj1N">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.</p>
<p id="twqVZU">Miller was rated the 28th best-prospect in the draft <a href="https://www.baseballamerica.com/rankings/2020-mlb-draft-top-prospects/">by Baseball America</a>, ranked 26th <a href="https://www.mlb.com/prospects/draft/">by MLB.com</a>, 47th <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/29251325/updated-2020-mlb-draft-rankings-latest-top-150-players">by ESPN</a>, ranked 57th <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F1850996%2F2020%2F06%2F06%2Fkeith-laws-big-board-ranking-the-2020-mlb-drafts-top-100-prospects%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.truebluela.com%2Fmlb-draft%2F2020%2F6%2F10%2F21276448%2F2020-mlb-draft-first-round-dodgers-bobby-miller" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">by Keith Law at The Athletic</a>, and 28th <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/prospects/the-board/2020-mlb-draft/summary?sort=-1,1&type=0&pg=0">by FanGraphs</a>.</p>
<p id="ruC6Tl">The <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/mlb-draft/2020/5/8/21246106/2020-mlb-draft-details-dodgers-5-rounds">recommended bonus slot value for the 29th overall selection is $2,424,600</a>. The deadline to sign draft picks this year is August 1.</p>
<p id="OUo6t1">On Thursday, the Dodgers have five more picks, beginning with the 60th overall selection, their second-rounder. MLB Draft coverage on Day 2 begins at 2 p.m. PT, <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/mlb-draft/2020/5/29/21239872/mlb-draft-2020-television-mlb-network-espn-espn2">televised by both MLB Network and ESPN2</a>.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/mlb-draft/2020/6/10/21276448/2020-mlb-draft-first-round-dodgers-bobby-millerEric Stephen2020-06-04T09:23:00-07:002020-06-04T09:23:00-07:00Draft profile: Bobby Miller, Louisville RHP
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<img alt="COLLEGE BASEBALL: MAY 27 ACC Baseball Championship" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/H1DJQpgLBvPiOWJweNJdhpkVBtk=/0x311:2093x1706/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66895084/963979588.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Jaylynn Nash/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Dodgers draft 29th in the first round</p> <p id="pBcq4u">College pitching gets another look at the end of the first round, with <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-mock-draft-june-3?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage">Jonathan Mayo in his third mock draft for MLB.com</a> projecting the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> to select Louisville right-hander Bobby Miller with the 29th overall pick.</p>
<p id="hXEUPF">Mayo also mentions South Carolina right-handed pitcher Carmen Mlodzinski and Illinois high school shortstop Ed Howard as possibilities here. We <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/2020/5/4/21246103/mlb-draft-mock-dodgers-ed-howard-ss">profiled Howard last month</a>.</p>
<p id="lRVCqT">Miller is the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/mlb-draft/2020/5/28/21272357/dodgers-mock-mlb-draft-tracker">sixth college pitcher linked to the Dodgers in national mock drafts</a>, with Florida State right-hander C.J. Van Eyk and Auburn righty Tanner Burns also mentioned just this week.</p>
<p id="qv8kew">The 6’5 Miller had a 2.31 ERA in four starts in his shortened junior season, including 12 strikeouts on February 22 against Valparaiso. In three years at Louisville, Miller had a 3.28 ERA with 175 strikeouts and 68 walks in 170 innings, splitting time between the rotation (25 starts) and bullpen (16 relief appearances).</p>
<p id="2Anq7s">Miller helped Louisville to its fifth College World Series appearance as a sophomore in 2019, <a href="https://www.cardchronicle.com/2019/6/8/18657955/louisville-punches-college-world-series-ticket-with-12-0-domination-of-east-carolina">coming within three outs of the first no-hitter in NCAA super regional history</a>, blanking East Carolina.</p>
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<p id="F2kU0u">MLB.com ranks Miller the highest in this draft at 26th overall, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/prospects/draft/bobby-miller-676272">and described his pitch mix</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p id="6br99C"><em>Miller’s fastball is notable for both its heat — he sat at 95-96 mph throughout his dominance of East Carolina and worked at 97-99 in shorter stints in the fall — and its heavy life. He also can miss bats with a slider/cutter that usually operates at 85-87 and reached 90 during the fall. He has faith in a splitter/changeup with similar velocity and employs a more traditional change in the low 80s.</em></p></blockquote>
<p id="HOsfqz"><a href="https://www.baseballamerica.com/rankings/2020-mlb-draft-top-prospects/">Baseball America</a> and <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/prospects/the-board/2020-mlb-draft/summary?sort=-1,1&type=0">FanGraphs</a> both rank Miller the 28th-best prospect in the draft, and ESPN <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/29251325/updated-2020-mlb-draft-rankings-latest-top-150-players">has him 47th</a>.</p>
<p id="Tf4XSy">Miller was drafted out of high school in the 38th round in 2017 by the <a href="https://www.camdenchat.com/">Orioles</a>, but did not sign.</p>
<p id="BARrTi">The Dodgers have only drafted one pitcher out of Louisville, picking <span>Kyle Funkhouser</span> in 2015, but they did not sign him. The only other first-round pick out of Louisville by the Dodgers is Will Smith (2016), now their starting catcher.</p>
<p id="nc6nxG">In this <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/mlb-draft/2020/5/8/21246106/2020-mlb-draft-details-dodgers-5-rounds">five-round draft</a>, the Dodgers have six picks, and the recommended slot bonus value for the 29th overall pick is $2,424,600. MLB Network and ESPN/ESPN2 will <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/mlb-draft/2020/5/29/21239872/mlb-draft-2020-television-mlb-network-espn-espn2">televise the MLB Draft on June 10-11</a>.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2020/6/4/21280362/mlb-draft-2020-bobby-miller-dodgersEric Stephen