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By Jon Weisman
Here’s a link to MLB’s 2015 Draft Tracker of the Dodgers’ selections. Today brings rounds 3-10, and you can either follow along at MLB or see your updates as they come here at Dodger Insider.
The third round begins at 10 a.m., with the Dodgers making the 26th pick of that round and 101st overall.
That's 32 straight batters retired for @MBolsinger at Dodger Stadium. #whiff pic.twitter.com/YE0GOLKv4k
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 9, 2015
By Jon Weisman
Unlike his last start at Dodger Stadium, Mike Bolsinger allowed more than one hit tonight — in fact, he allowed three.
But with his seven-inning performance in the Dodgers’ 9-3 victory over Arizona, the 27-year-old righty continued to thrive at Dodger Stadium — and in fact, set a standard worth noting.
Not since Jerry Reuss in June 1982 — nearly six years before Bolsinger was born — had a Dodger pitcher retired 32 straight batters at home, the way Bolsinger did from the second batter of the first inning May 23 through the third inning tonight.
“Everything just felt smooth, from the curveball to the fastball,” said Bolsinger, who struck out eight tonight and lowered his ERA to 2.08. “Everything just felt right.”
Bolsinger, already establishing himself as about as easygoing as they come for a starting pitcher, holds no grudges against the Diamondbacks for taking him off their 40-man roster last fall and then selling him to the Dodgers for cash.
“The way I think about it, it’s probably like $5 million, $6 million, right?” Bolsinger joked.
But pressed further, Bolsinger acknowledged that he has had to make huge strides, on the field and off, to make himself a rotation regular. And though he believed in himself, even he seems a little blown away by the speed of his transformation.
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By Jon Weisman
Using the competitive balance draft pick (74th overall) they acquired from Baltimore in the Ryan Webb deal, the Dodgers selected 6-foot-3 college right-handed pitcher Josh Sborz from Virginia.
Here’s the MLB.com snapshot:
Sborz, whose brother Jay spent eight seasons in pro ball, pitched in relief as a freshman at Virginia before moving into the rotation as a sophomore. He returned to the bullpen in 2015, serving as the Cavaliers’ closer and thriving in the role. Sborz’s arm strength is what defines him as a prospect. He’s shown a fastball that he can crank up to 98 mph on occasion, though it usually sits in the 93-95 mph range, with some sink. He has a slider that should be at least Major League average and while he doesn’t need a changeup much in short relief, he will show occasional feel for the pitch. Scouts aren’t in love with his funky arm action, but the stuff is hard to be denied. Sborz didn’t pitch badly as a sophomore starter, and it’s possible a team taking him early could decide to send him out in a rotation. But he more than likely profiles as a hard-throwing short reliever at the Major League level.
And Baseball America …
The younger brother of one-time major leaguer and second-round pick Jay Sborz, Josh has the potential to be the second in his family to reach the big leagues. The younger Sborz has bounced back and forth between the rotation and the bullpen for Virginia, and scouts have had ample time to evaluate him in both places. Sborz has a less than conventional delivery, with a stab in the back followed by a deep finish out front that makes his stuff difficult to square up. His fastball works mostly at 90-94 mph, but can reach 95 and the pitch features late life, which allows Sborz to generate poor contact. His best offspeed pitch is his slider, which plays as an above-average pitch because of how late it breaks, but the pitch lacks the shape and depth of the standard swing-and-miss slider. Sborz tends to struggle with fastball command, sometimes elevating the offering and running into trouble. Even so, many scouts believe Sborz has the stuff, as well as the body, to make it as a back-of-the-rotation starter.
The MLB draft resumes beginning with the third round Tuesday morning.
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By Jon Weisman
Mitch Hansen, a 6-foot-4 left-handed outfielder from Plano Senior High in Texas, is the Dodgers’ second-round pick (67th overall) in the 2015 MLB draft.
Here’s what MLB.com says about him:
One of the more well-rounded position players in the 2015 Draft class, Hansen has solid tools across the board. Evaluators who like him think several of those could develop into plusses, though he’ll have to get picked early to deter him from his Stanford commitment. Hansen has a fluid, compact left-handed swing and a good feel for hitting. He uses the entire field, has performed well against quality pitching on the showcase circuit and with the U.S. 18-and-under national team, and is growing into some power. He’s not especially quick out of the batter’s box but flashes plus speed at times once he gets going. Hansen has enough speed and arm strength to play all three outfield positions, though he profiles best in right field. Scouts have compared him to Michael Saunders and Mets prospect Brandon Nimmo, a high school first-rounder in 2011.
And Baseball America …
In 1991, the Blue Jays were enamored enough with a tall, sweet-swinging and academically-inclined lefthanded-hitting outfielder to pick him sixth overall, which was enough to induce him to forgo his scholarship to Stanford. Both Shawn Green and the Blue Jays made a wise decision as Green went on to play nearly 2,000 MLB games. He’s unlikely to go in the top six picks, but Hansen, a tall, sweet-swinging and academically-inclined lefthanded-hitting outfielder with a Stanford commitment will face a similar decision. Hansen has been a two-sport star at Plano playing quaterback/wide receiver and outfield and his sister just set an Ivy League record in winning the women’s heptathlon. Hansen has an ideal corner outfielder’s frame as he should add significant good weight to his 6-foot-4, 200-pound frame. He plays center field for now and shows good reads and routes, but will likely grow to a corner spot as he gets bigger and slows down. He’s currently an above-average runner who turns in plus times at his best. His arm is below-average. His swing can get long at times, but it’s a smooth stroke with some lift and leverage that could eventually produce above-average power. Signability is a question if he falls far in the draft.
I'm a Dodger Baby!!! Glory to God
— Mitchell Hansen (@MHansen_16) June 9, 2015
Walker Buehler at the 2014 College World Series (Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
By Jon Weisman
Given that he wasn’t drafted by the Texas Rangers, the first thing Walker Buehler’s name brings to mind is the movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” Buelher has steered into that skid, taking the Twitter handle @buehlersdayoff.
“I do actually like the movie,” Buehler said. “I’ve seen it a bunch of times, probably 10 times. It’s one of those things, where you get to your first day of school, every teacher tries to reinvent the wheel, do the whole skit, so at some point I just went with it.”
Selected with the 24th overall pick of the MLB draft by the Dodgers, Buehler hopes someday to be taking four days off out of every five, as a member of the Los Angeles starting rotation.
Buehler already has a taste by pitching at the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic in March.
“It was awesome, man,” he said. “I guess it was the first time I ever pitched in a big-league park. It was a cool environment, cool area.”
Buelhler said that of all Dodger pitchers, the one he sees as a role model is Zack Greinke, because of a “similar body type” and, Buehler dares to dream, a similar type of pitching.
“We’re really excited to be able to take Walker at 24,” said Dodger director of amateur scouting Billy Gasparino. “He has a lean, athletic build, a power three-plus pitch mix and is a quality young man.”
All in all, Buehler was still digesting his newfound status as a potential Dodger.
“Pretty cool day,” Buehler said about two hours after his selection, adding that he didn’t have an inkling in advance that the Dodgers would draft him. “You have an idea of where you think you want to go, but I don’t think you ever know anything.”
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By Jon Weisman
With the 35th overall pick in the MLB draft — compensation for the free-agent departure of Hanley Ramirez — the Dodgers have nabbed Louisville right-handed pitcher Kyle Funkhouser.
Here’s the MLB.com scouting report on Funkhouser.
Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 | Overall: 55
Funkhouser ranked as the top prospect on the U.S. collegiate national team last summer, topping the staff with 36 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings. That capped a stellar sophomore season during which he tied for the NCAA Division I lead with 13 victories and helped Louisville reach its second straight College World Series.
Undrafted out of an Illinois high school in 2012 because of his commitment to the Cardinals, Funkhouser has a solid three-pitch mix that begins with a 92-96 mph fastball. Both his slider and changeup show flashes of becoming plus offerings as well.
Funkhouser’s 6-foot-2, 218-pound frame is built for durability. There’s some effort to his delivery, though not enough to lead scouts to think he’ll wind up in the bullpen. His biggest need is to improve the consistency of his control and command.
And here’s Baseball America:
… Funkhouser has a lengthy track record, including being the ace of USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team last summer, and has proven very durable. Thickly built at 6-foot-2, 235 pounds, Funkouser had made every start over the past two seasons and averages 111 pitches a start this season, having topped 100 pitches in 11 of his first 13 starts. Funkhouser’s control is well below-average for a first-round college arm. He’s improved his control as a junior, but his 3.7 walks per nine innings is a high number. Part of Funkhouser’s control issues come from the life of his fastball; sometimes it simply leaks out of the zone thanks to its excellent run. Funkhouser’s two-seam fastball is a potentially plus pitch. He pitches at 91-94 mph down in the zone with a two-seamer with plenty of bore and he gets excellent extension. He can elevate with a four-seamer that touches 96-97 mph when he needs it but it’s a truer pitch that’s easier to hit. The rest of Funkhouser’s assortment is solid. His slider shows flashes of developing into a plus pitch as he can throw it for strikes or bury it and he has shown a feel for using it to backdoor righthanded hitters. His curveball is more of a get-over pitch. He uses his changeup infrequently but it has a shown average potential. Funkhouser has a solid chance to be a solid mid-rotation starter who keeps the ball in the park. His stuff would seem to indicate that he has a higher ceiling, but so far he’s yet to show the command to unlock that potential consistently.
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By Jon Weisman
With their first-round selection, the 24th overall pick in the 2015 MLB draft, the Dodgers have selected 6-foot-2 Vanderbilt right-hander Walker Buehler.
Here’s a scouting report on Buehler from MLB.com:
Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 55 | Overall: 55
One of three potential first-round picks from Vanderbilt, Buehler had an exceptional summer, sharing playoff MVP honors in the Cape Cod League and pitching well with the U.S. collegiate national team after helping the Commodores win the College World Series. He missed the first two weeks of the 2015 season with elbow soreness but bounced back after that.
Buehler has a deep repertoire featuring four potential solid-or-better big league pitches and the ability to throw all of them for strikes. His best offering is his 90-96 mph fastball, and while he sometimes gets caught in between his curveball and slider, both can be weapons. His changeup similarly varies from inconsistent to effective.
Buehler could have been a draft pick in the top two rounds out of a Kentucky high school in 2012 had he been signable away from Vanderbilt. The biggest knock on him is that he’s just 6-foot-2 and 170 pounds, but he had been durable prior to this spring. His athleticism and sound delivery should allow him to remain a starter.
And here’s Baseball America’s take:
Buehler had a busy summer last year. After helping Vanderbilt win its first-ever national championship, he pitched briefly for Team USA and was then named co-MVP of the playoffs in the Cape Cod League, as he helped Yarmouth-Dennis to the championship. His start to his junior season at Vanderbilt was delayed by elbow soreness, but he’s pitched well since rejoining the Commodores rotation. At his best, Buehler has four above-average offerings. He throws his fastball in the low to mid 90s, though it doesn’t have a ton of life. That, in addition to his clean arm action, allows him to pound the strike zone, but also makes it a bit easier for hitters to square the pitch up if he misses in the zone. His curveball and slider both show promise and he has a good feel for spinning the baseball, but they run together at times. He gets good fading action on his changeup. Though at a listed 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, Buehler is taller than teammate Carson Fulmer, he isn’t very physical and also lacks ideal size for a righthander. Scouts have more confidence that Buehler will be able to remain in the rotation, however, thanks to his deep arsenal, athleticism and more polished delivery.
Buehler has already pitched at Dodger Stadium. He started in the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic against Texas Christian on March 8, allowing one run on three hits with five strikeouts over four innings.
Buehler’s Twitter handle is, wonderfully, @buehlersdayoff. Fellow Vanderbilt pitcher David Price was taken out of high school by the Dodgers in the 2004 draft, but chose to go to college.
Grant Holmes puts on a @Dodgers uniform for the first time. pic.twitter.com/6U7jxsuCc9
— MLB (@MLB) June 6, 2014
By Jon Weisman
This pregame post comes to you with the first round of the MLB draft underway. A year ago, the first rounds of the draft conveniently took place on an off day for the Dodgers, but this year, the Dodgers will be making their initial pick approximately one hour before the Major League club takes the field.
The past 365 days have been kind to 2014 Dodger No. 1 draft pick Grant Holmes, who has made 21 career appearances at two levels with a 3.48 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 116 strikeouts in 93 innings. Soon, we’ll know who will follow in Holmes’ footsteps.
By Jon Weisman
Clayton Kershaw has earned a piece of National League Player of the Week honors, the sixth time the Dodger lefty has won or shared the honor.
Kershaw allowed two runs on 10 baserunners in 15 innings (1.20 ERA) while striking out 18 across two starts, one in Colorado, the other at home against St. Louis.
Kershaw shares this week’s award with New York Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom, who — believe it or not — also allowed exactly two earned runs on 10 baserunners in 15 innings (1.20 ERA) while striking out 18 across two starts. So that’s a fairly well-earned tie.
By Jon Weisman
You might know about Rick Monday being the first No. 1 draft pick in Major League history, but what do you know about the Dodgers’ original No. 1?
Or the best Dodger draft picks by decade?
Or the elite talent chosen by the Dodgers that got away?
For the 50th anniversary of the MLB draft, Cary Osborne spoke to both Monday and John Wyatt for this Dodger Insider magazine feature, which we are proud to make our second Dodger Insider online special. (Our inaugural special, “Inside the #RallyBanana, can be accessed here.)
The package not only includes interviews with Monday and Wyatt, but snapshots of the original scouting reports on Wyatt, his first contract (original payment: $500) and more, along with a visual history of the Dodgers’ first 50 years in the draft.
But wait, there’s more: A special bonus today is an interactive edition of team historian Mark Langill’s montly Trivia Test.
Check it all out, and don’t forget, there’s more content like it in the June edition of Dodger Insider magazine, available at all Dodger Stadium team stores.
By Jon Weisman
In contrast to Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke is someone whose peripheral stats haven’t quite lived up to his ERA this season.
Though he had a streak of five consecutive starts allowing one run or less snapped Tuesday in Colorado, Greinke’s 2015 ERA is still a wonderful 1.97, but his fielding-independent ERA according to Fangraphs is 3.06 and his xFIP is 3.50. Greinke’s strikeouts per nine innings are at 7.4 this season, compared with 8.1 for his career and 9.2 in 2014.
Greinke’s WHIP is 0.95, lower than even what he had in his outstanding 2009 American League Cy Young Award-winning season. That’s thanks in part to a career-low .246 opponents’ batting average on balls in play, compared with .307 for his career.
One thing that can’t be denied is how well Greinke has pitched at Dodger Stadium. In 243 2/3 career regular-season innings here, Greinke has a 2.29 ERA with 239 strikeouts and a 0.99 WHIP.
Including the postseason, Greinke has made 17 consecutive starts at Dodger Stadium and 29 of his past 30 allowing three earned runs or less, the only exception being when he allowed four to the Pirates on June 1, 2014.
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By Jon Weisman
In his first game after missing 39, after striking out in his first two at-bats, Yasiel Puig broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the seventh by following a Chris Heisey double with one of his own.
Then, Puig raced home even after St. Louis second baseman Kolten Wong knocked down Justin Turner’s single on the infield dirt behind second base.
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That plus Clayton Kershaw’s sterling eight innings and a perfect ninth from Kenley Jansen equaled Dodgers 2, Cardinals 0.
Lance Lynn vs. Zack Greinke at 5 p.m. Sunday.
By Jon Weisman
Clayton Kershaw through D-Day 2014: 3.32 ERA, .241 opponents’ batting average, .272 opponents’ on-base percentage, .392 opponents’ slugging percentage, .664 opponents’ OPS, 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings.
Clayton Kershaw through D-Day 2015: 3.36 ERA, .221 opponents’ batting average, .272 opponents’ on-base percentage, .339 opponents’ slugging percentage, .611 opponents’ OPS, 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings.
Tonight, Kershaw went eight innings, allowed one hit (a clean second-inning single by Randal Grichuk), walked two, hit Matt Carpenter with a pitch and struck out 11, giving him 101 for the year.
In his past three games, Kershaw has pitched 22 innings, allowing two runs (0.82 ERA) on 14 baserunners while striking out 28.
Fun fact: Kershaw has had a lower ERA in the second half of every season of his career.
Any questions?
By Jon Weisman
Ending a 39-game absence, Yasiel Puig has been activated by the Dodgers from the disabled list and is back in the starting lineup against the Cardinals.
Puig is batting third, though Don Mattingly told reporters that he could see Puig batting second or fifth going forward.
The Dodgers went 21-18 with Puig out of the lineup, with Andre Ethier batting .285/.362/.504/.866 as the primary right fielder. Ethier is on the bench tonight while the Dodgers face Cardinals lefty Jaime Garcia, but figures to get much of the time in left field in the near term.
Scott Schebler, who went 1 for 3 in his MLB debut, has been optioned back to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Schebler will be joined there by David Huff, who cleared waivers, but Sergio Santos has elected to become a free agent. Former Oklahoma City reliever David Aardsma, who opted out of his contract, has signed a minor-league deal with Atlanta.
In other news, Brandon League is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Sunday.
Brett Anderson has a 2.28 ERA since May 1.
By Jon Weisman
I know a lot of people might be waiting for the other shoe to drop on Brett Anderson, but so far all footwear is hovering tranquilly in mid-air.
Continuing to bounce back from multiple injury-plagued seasons, the 27-year-old Anderson threw seven scoreless innings on 77 pitches before allowing two hard-luck runs in the eighth inning of a 2:22 2-1 Dodger loss tonight to St. Louis.
“Obviously, Brett was really good tonight,” manager Don Mattingly said. “It’s unfortunate he ends up with an L in a game like this. You can’t make any mistakes.”
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Since the start of May, Anderson has thrown 43 1/3 innings and allowed 11 earned runs (2.28 ERA) on 53 baserunners while striking out 33. His ERA for the 2015 season is down to 3.29, and only rain has ended any of his past seven starts before the seventh inning.
After sailing through those first seven innings tonight, Anderson began the eighth off-kilter with a four-pitch walk to Yadier Molina, but he still pitched well enough to avoid the loss. An infield single up the middle by Jason Heyward put runners on first and second, and pinch-hitter Tony Cruz’s sacrifice moved them both into scoring position.
Another infield single — an 80-footer that Adrian Gonzalez fielded but made no throw on — tied the game, and a Matt Carpenter sacrifice fly gave the lead to the Cardinals, who had been trailing since Joc Pederson’s bases-loaded walk in the second inning.
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“Through seven, it was about as well as I’ve thrown in a couple years, but you can’t walk the leadoff guy to start the eighth,” Anderson said.
Of the 23 outs Anderson recorded in the game, 17 came on strikeouts or grounders, appropriate for the pitcher leading the Major Leagues in ground-ball rate. Anderson has also allowed only two home runs in his past 53 innings.
Anderson’s last complete game — for that matter, his last outing of at least eight innings — came in 2011. But the next one seems ever closer, however frustrating tonight’s outcome was.
“Baseball is an infuriating game,” Anderson said, “but it’s also the best game in the world.”
What happens when three old friends in crisis fall into an unexpected love triangle? In The Catch, Maya, Henry and Daniel embark upon an emotional journey that forces them to confront unresolved pain, present-day traumas and powerful desires, leading them to question the very meaning of love and fulfillment. The Catch tells a tale of ordinary people seeking the extraordinary – or, if that’s asking too much, some damn peace of mind.
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