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.
Dodger News & Notes
More from Dodger Talk
Dodgers Food Trailer
I did this interview a couple of weeks ago with Chef Mike, who runs the Dodgers Food Trailer for the Great Lakes Loons. They are there for every home and road regular season and playoff game. They prepare three meals a day for approximately 50 people (players and coaches). Since games end late most evenings, they do not prepare breakfast. Many of their hotels have a complimentary breakfast anyway. However,…
Meet LAD 2026 Draft Picks 1-12
3 picks were High School players (2 SS and 1 OF). There was a college OF, college catcher, college SS, and 10 college pitchers. Of all the talk for a need for a catcher, the only catcher the Dodgers selected was Luke Bard, son of LAD bullpen coach Josh Bard. Bard was a 4th year senior from Houston Christian University. He is not a prospect, so the Dodgers are still…
Interview with Paul Beachy – Team Bus Driver For The Great Lakes Loons (LA Dodgers Minor League Team)
It’s been a few days since I did this interview. We have evidently been working my son-in-law (the video guy) like a rented mule at US Water Systems. However, I am taking him to London with me in a few days, so maybe Watford will buy him a pint as a tip, but he’s a dang Red Sox fan, so there is that! I thought that it would be interesting…
Thanks for Your Service: Chris Taylor
I was going to do this post when Chris announced he was retiring, then he changed his mind, but since the chances of him ever playing for the Dodgers again are slim and non-existent, I will go ahead with this post. He unretired, went on the IL, then decided to call it quits on May 24th. Taylor was born in Virginia Beach VA on August 29th, 1990. He attended Great…
Discussion (61)
Disagree, not disagreeable
This is interesting:
Dodgers Sign Eddie Rosario To Minors Contract
Open on www.mlbtraderumors.comhttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/02/dodgers-sign-eddie-rosario-to-minors-contract.htmlDodgers just signed OF Eddie Rosario to a minor league deal. Yes, that Rosario, the one who single handedly demolished LA pitching in the 21 NLCS.
Maybe a trade in the works.
Having differing opinions is healthy for a dodger fan. The fact is they’re going to start the season with a 5 man rotation. That was never in doubt. After that anything is possible. Nobody even knows what the roster will look like in May. But we all know Ohtani will be a 14th pitcher. How they utilize that spot is up for debate. Heck, they might be down to a 4 man rotation by the time Ohtani takes the mound. Pitching injuries will happen. And the team will squeeze every drop they can out of that extra spot. There is a high possibility that they carry 6 starters but not employ a 6 man rotation. Think Yarbrough….Dustin May…Honeywell’s. This is fun JayB. We don’t know what we don’t know. Ha Ha.
Book em