Logan White talks about Dodger first-round pick Grant Holmes

Hey Grant Holmes, you’re going to Hollywood. #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/zme8CbndME

— MLB (@MLB) June 6, 2014

By Jon Weisman

Minutes ago, Dodger vice president of amateur scouting Logan White spoke about first-round pick Grant Holmes.

“We feel fortunate to have gotten the player of Grant’s magnitude at pick 22,” White said. ““He’s a mature, young and strong-bodied pitcher who throws hard and has a great breaking ball, but what separates him is he is a fierce competitor.”

When 2014 began, the Dodgers didn’t necessarily expect that Holmes would last as long in the draft as he did.

“If you look going into the season at most of the early season publications, he was ranked to go in the first 10 picks,” White said. “He certainly has that type of stuff to have been considered there. I think that the way the draft played out, it worked in our favor that you have a rash of Tommy John injuries, and sometimes people get a little squeamish with right-handed pitchers, and I think that may have added to it. But I don’t think there’s any question that he’s a mature physical player. He has now stuff – it’s not like we’re taking a player that’s projecting out. He’s got the now stuff.

“The sentiment from myself and all of our scouts, we feel we have an upgrade for the 22nd pick.”

White also noted that Holmes’ ability at the plate (.494 on-base percentage his senior year) followed in the tradition of such current Dodger pitchers as Zack Greinke, Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley, and that bodes well.

“I think the thing all of us note with him, he’s a terrific competitor and a really impressive athlete,” White said.

More on Holmes can be found here from Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.