Why Do the Dodgers Have so Few Homegrown Players?
Frequently, I read and hear fans complaining that the Dodgers don’t have many homegrown position players. Well, duh… that’s what happens when you win your division every year and go to the playoffs as well. You draft at the bottom of each round. Here are four reasons why it is…
Frequently, I read and hear fans complaining that the Dodgers don’t have many homegrown position players. Well, duh… that’s what happens when you win your division every year and go to the playoffs as well. You draft at the bottom of each round. Here are four reasons why it is so difficult to draft at the bottom of each round:
- Top Talent Goes Early:
- The most highly touted prospects (elite high school players, top-performing college athletes) often go in the first half of the first round. Drafting late means missing out on these “can’t-miss” talents.
- Shallower Talent Pool as Rounds Progress:
- While baseball drafts are long (20 rounds now, previously 40), the further down you pick, the harder it is to find high-impact players. By the time late-first-round picks come up, the consensus top talent is often gone.
- Bonus Pool Limitations:
- MLB uses a bonus pool system for signing draft picks. Teams drafting earlier have larger bonus pools, giving them more flexibility to sign top talent, including players who might be tougher to sign due to college commitments or financial demands.
- Development is Crucial:
- Even top prospects need extensive development, and lower picks often need more time and effort to refine their skills. Teams drafting late must be exceptional at scouting and player development to find hidden gems.
In summary, when you are as successful as the Dodgers have been in the past 10 years, you have to find better ways to acquire and develop players. However, not all is lost or dismal. Unlike the NFL or NBA, where top picks often make an immediate impact, MLB players often take years to develop. Teams with strong scouting departments (like the Dodgers, Rays, and Braves) consistently find value late in the draft. Every year, highly skilled players fall due to signability concerns, injuries, or being from smaller programs. Smart front offices can capitalize on this (think of how the Dodgers snagged Walker Buehler at 24th overall in 2015 despite injury concerns). Additionally, teams successful in international markets can build strong farm systems even without high draft picks.
BTW, the Dodgers Competitive Balance Payroll (for the purpose of the Luxury Tax) in 2025 is now $402,335,656, according to Cots Contracts. By comparison, the Marlins and the White Sox payrolls are both $86 Million… and the Dodgers are ruining baseball? Tight-ass owners are the real reason.
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Discussion (61)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Max is adequate, but not spectacular. He is who he is. The dodgers could have Nolan as i write this, but evidently they don’t want him. (i guess?). Aaron Boone? i like him till he opens his mouth! I’ve never gotten over boone , smiley Jess, and vascersion(spell check) on ESPN! He calls the best organization in baseball “classless”? Well Verdugo didn’t have a lot of class . He didn’t stay in LA did he? But the Yankees snapped him up quickly didn’t they? Joe Kelly didn’t even play in the series! Classless? what about those 2 “yankees “ fans who tried to dismember Mookie? Yankee fans know their yankee baseball. But the majority of yankee fans don’t know squat about the other teams in baseball! i’m a dodger fan! But i’m a baseball fan fan! From 1988 till 2020 i watched games the dodgers didn’t play in. And i still watch other teams today. (except the aaaaassssstros!). And until Altuve is gone i won’t watch them unless they are playing the dodgers. Probably not watching a lot of Red sox games either. in ending, Does Aaron Boone think Clayton, Freddie,Mookie, Teo,Edman, Glasnow, Trienan, Phillips, Yamamoto, Max, most of all Doc Roberts are classless? At least Boone has Judge. Rizzo is a class act too. But he’s gone. So judge your own team Mr. Boone or go back to tv where you weren’t so good either.
I had that book when I was a kid. I think I got it for about 10 cents. I read the whole thing and tried to follow those basic instructions. Al Campanis was a stickler for fundamentals. Using those fundamentals, the Dodgers still need some improvement defensively. Muncy made three errors in the first series with the Padres last year.
Anything to detract from his teams atrocious play and his bad decisions.
Probably the easiest path anyone has ever had to a WS berth….
Aaron Boone’s a piece of shit. Nepo baby do nothing famous for one hit.