Do the Dodgers Develop or Acquire Their Superstars

As I said on my first post back at LADT, I am a contrarian. While I am not a contrian just to be one, I do have strong takes on the Dodger Farm system, and they do not always ally with the LAD faithful. 

Over the years, I have fully acknowledged and reported that the Dodgers have put more players into MLB than any other team.  Not long ago I did a research project on the Dodgers who were drafted during the AF era and made MLB, and learned that they indeed put more players in the League than any other organization.  Houston had the 2^nd most.  It is probably time for another project.

But my bar goes higher.  How many home grown LAD prospects have gone on to become All Stars?  A team can develop them, trade for them, or sign them as a FA.  LAD does all three, but puts more emphasis on the second two.

The current LAD 26-man roster has 9 home grown players:  Will Smith, Andy Pages, Dalton Rushing, Justin Wrobleski, Ben Casparius, Emmet Sheehan, Jack Dreyer, Edgardo Henriquez, and Alex Freeland. While only two are potential All Stars this year, all will be counted on to produce enough to pull off a 3-peat. 

Please do not misunderstand.  I completly agree with Mark that Will Smith is a HUGE success when it comes to LAD development.  The same appears to be true with Andy Pages, Emmet Sheehan, Gavin Stone, and Justin Wrobleski.  I will also include River Ryan in that group.  He may not have been drafted by LAD, but it was LAD that has fostered his development as a pitcher. 

Smith and Pages are absolutely stars who have been developed by the Dodgers system.  I was in Smith’s corner when the discussion was Smith or Keibert Ruiz.  I have been in Pages’ corner, even to the dismay of many regarding my comments that I prefer Pages over PCA. But let’s not pretend that every organization does not develop stars.  They all do.

LAD home grown All Stars since the AF era:  Walker Buehler, Tony Gonsolin, Will Smith, and Zach McKinstry (Detroit).  Hopefully this year, Andy Pages and Michael Busch (Cubs) will be added. 

OTOH, Ned Colletti was the top LAD baseball executive from 2006 to 2014.  He drafted, or signed as Amateur Free Agents, multiple players who later became MLB All Stars:  Clayton Kershaw, Corey Seager, Joc Pederson, Cody Bellinger, Nathan Eovaldi, Yasiel Puig, Julio Urías, Hyun-Jin Ryu, and Ross Stripling…Kenley Jansen was signed two years prior to Colletti as a catcher, but he was converted to a HOF reliever and was developed as such under Colletti’s development team. 

Home grown Washington Nationals developed under Mike Rizzo from 2009-2019:  Stephen Strasburg (2009), Bryce Harper (2010), Robbie Ray (2010), Anthony Rendon (2011), Lucas Giolito (2012), Nick Pivetta (2013), Erick Fedde (2014), and Jesus Luzardo (2016).

Billy Beane and The Athletics have developed Mason Miller, Sonny Gray, Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Nick Kurtz, Jacob Wilson, Tyler Soderstrom, and Yoenis Cespedes.  Only Kurtz has not made an All Star team…YET.

The difference is that the latter two do not have the necessary $$$$ to retain them, while the Dodgers do, if they choose to.  It is hard to develop a consistent contender if you cannot retain your young stars, and are constantly rebuilding.

Now if you want to say that no team scouts better than the Dodgers, you will get no push back from me.  From advance scouts at the MLB and MiLB level and amateur scouts (national and international), the Dodgers are at the top of the pyramid.  I am not about to do the research, but I find it hard to believe that there are many amateur scouts better than Marty Lamb.

I also fully recognize that where the Dodgers draft, it is difficult to develop superstars compared to teams that are consistently drafting in the top ten.  This year, the Dodgers will lose 4 draft picks (2, 3, 5, and 6), and $1MM in International bonus pool $$$. I do not think they are complaining about the losses when compared to adding Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz.

The Dodgers generally draft or sign (IFA) players with higher floors.  That works for them, extremely well.  No team in MLB comes close to the depth the Dodgers have.  Is that scouting or development?  Undoubtedly both, but to what degree?

For the majority of stars on the team, they look at trades for All Stars (Mookie and Glasnow) and All Star Free Agents/Purchased (Shohei, Yamamoto, Freddie, Muncy, Teoscar, Tucker, Snell, and Díaz). 

I am passionate about the prospects, and I follow them religiously. I root for every one of them, even Maddux Bruns.  So I am hopeful that the next group coming up makes more of a mark.  But even if you look at the top LAD prospects, 7 of the top 12 came to LAD via trade (Hope, Sirota, Ryan, Ferris, Zazueta, Tibbs III, Serwinowski).  Three other Top 30 prospects were acquired via trade: Ehrhard, Hurt, and Miller.  I still consider them all home grown.

Which one of De Paula, Hope, Sirota, Quintero, Tibbs III, or Ehrhard will be developed enough to stick with LAD? Some have to be moved, right? Or do they languish in MiLB like Ryan Ward and Kody Hoese?Right behind them is Davalan, Ko, Vidourek, and Tunink. And probaably Chase Harlan whose best position may be a corner OF.

So it is true that the Dodgers do develop players, but they rely more on other avenues to acquire their superstars at the MLB level.

MiLB WRAP

OKC Comets pounded out 18 hits and scored 13 runs on their way to a 13-8 victory over the Las Vegas Aviators (A’s) in Las Vegas.  OKC sent 5 pitchers to the hill, and only Keynan Middleton was unscored on in 1.1 IP.

The hitting star in this one was Zach Ehrhard who went 4-6 with a pair of doubles and RBIs.  Ryan Fitzgerald also with a big night going 4-6 night and 3 RBIs.  The big RBI bat belonged to Nick Senzel who went 3-6 with 7 RBIs, including a Grand Slam in the 6^th.

Eliézer Alfonzo had 3 hits and a walk.  James Tibbs III continued his hot bat with 2 hits, including his 3^rd HR and 4^th double.

Box Score