The MLB Draft has been around since 1965. During those 50 years the Dodgers have had exactly zero first round, number one overall picks – zip, zilch, nada. The best they have done was getting the number two overall pick in 1993 when they selected right-hander Darren Dreifort, whose MLB career lasted a grand total of nine seasons – although he missed two of them due to injuries – for which he received almost $64 million. Not bad for a guy with a career record of 48-60 and ERA of 4.36 … not bad for Darren Dreifort, that is. And while the popularity of both being and getting a first round draft pick has become far more popular over the past decade than in the past, the success rate of those selected by the Dodgers in the first round hasn’t been all that great.

Former Dodgers outfielder and current broadcaster Rick Monday was the first player ever drafted, although it was by the Cubs not the Dodgers. (AP photo)

Since 2006, when the Dodgers selected Clayton Kershaw as their first round draft pick (seventh overall), the Dodgers have had a only two other first-rounders make it to Dodger Stadium – 2007 first-rounder Chris Withrow and 2012 first-rounder Corey Seager, who made his MLB debut as a September call-up last year. And while there is every indication (or at least ever hope) that 2014 first-rounder Grant Holmes and 2015 first-rounder Walker Buehler (who is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery) will eventually make it to the big club, the only other former first-rounders that are still in the Dodgers organization probably will not – those being Zach Lee (2010), Chris Anderson (2013).

Aside from Clayton Kershaw, Chris Withrow and a cameo appearance by Zach Lee, shortstop Corey Seager is the only other former first round draft pick in the last 10 years to actually play for the Dodgers.
(Photo credit – Mark J Rebilas)

To be fair, Zach Lee did make one MLB spot start for the Dodgers in 2015 but it did not end well and he was shipped back to Triple-A Oklahoma City immediately following that game. And though Lee is still on the Dodgers 40-man roster and getting a very close look this spring at Camelback Ranch, it is unlikely that he will break camp in the Dodgers Opening Day rotation. He could, however, be among the first to be called up by the Dodgers to make a spot start this season in the event of an injury to one of the Dodgers starters – if he hasn’t been traded before then, that is.

Dodgers first-round draft pick Zach Lee made one major league start in 2015. It did not end well.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Although never having had a first overall draft pick in 50 years can be rationalized to mean that your team has never been the worst in all of baseball, it certainly doesn’t mean that they were among the best either. In fact, since 1965, the Dodgers have won the World Series exactly three times including (ironically) 1965. And among all of their former first round draft picks, only Mike Scioscia, Bob Welch, Steve Howe, Dave Anderson and Franklin Stubbs played for the 1981 and/or 1988 World Series Champion Dodgers.

Getting back to the here and now and with all of the 2016 free agents now accounted for, the Dodgers will have the 20th overall pick when the 2016 MLB First Year Player Draft takes place on June 9-12 in Secaucus, New Jersey. Additionally, they will receive a 32nd overall pick in the first Compensation Round for losing Zack Greinke to the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks this past off-season.

Here is the final 2016 MLB First Year Player Draft selection order (per MLB Trade Rumors):

1. Phillies
2. Reds
3. Braves
4. Rockies
5. Brewers
6. Athletics
7. Marlins
8. Padres
9. Tigers
10. White Sox
11. Mariners
12. Red Sox
13. Rays
14. Indians
15. Twins
16. Angels
17. Astros
18. Yankees
19. Mets
20. Dodgers
21. Blue Jays
22. Pirates
23. Cardinals

First Round Compensation picks:

24. Padres (for Justin Upton signing with the Tigers)
25. Padres (for Ian Kennedy signing with the Royals)
26. White Sox (for Jeff Samardzija signing with the Giants)
27. Orioles (for Wei-Yin Chen signing with the Marlins)
28. Nationals (for Jordan Zimmermann signing with the Tigers)
29. Nationals (for Ian Desmond signing with the Rangers)
30. Rangers (for Yovani Gallardo signing with the Orioles)
31. Mets (for Daniel Murphy signing with the Nationals)
32. Dodgers (for Zack Greinke signing with the Diamondbacks)
33. Cardinals (for John Lackey signing with the Cubs)
34. Cardinals (for Jason Heyward signing with the Cubs)

Worthy of note is that the Dodgers will also have the 36th overall draft pick for failing to sign their 2015 first-round pick Kyle Funkhouser. The 21-year-old right-hander elected to returned to the University of Louisville for his senior year rather than sign with the Dodgers. The problem for the Dodgers is that Funkhouser’s agent – baseball’s Antichrist Scott Boras – waited until the day before the signing deadline to inform the Dodgers of this, just as he did with former Dodgers first-round pick Luke Hochevar in 2005. Did I mention that Scott Boras is baseball’s Antichrist?