“It is what it is.”

The expression may be hackneyed from decades of use, but it seems on-target in regard to the 2020 MLB First-Year Player Draft; a five-round draft rather than the normal 40, with deferred bonus payments for signees, $20,000 max bonus for free agent, un-drafted amateurs. While the majority of professional baseball operations departments were asking for more rounds, they got five.

“It is what it is.”

Nonetheless, from the Dodgers perspective, it was a very productive draft with the team selecting six athletic and very talented players. Selecting three right-handed, college pitchers (Bobby Miller, Landon Knack, and Clayton Beeter) in the first two rounds and the competitive balance pick acquired from the Minnesota Twins in the Kenta Maeda trade, the team shifted to position players.

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Jake Vogel – centerfielder

• Huntington Beach High School (CA)
• Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 165 | B-T: R-R
• Commit/Drafted: UCLA
• Age At Draft: 18.7
• Vogel has had scouts watching him for years at high-profile Huntington Beach (Calif.) High. Vogel is undersized at 5-foot-11, 165 pounds but has plenty of tools. He’s a plus-plus runner, is a plus defender in center field and has an average arm. Though he’s small, Vogel has a feel for barreling balls, producing loud contact when he connects, driving the ball to all fields, and showing sneaky power to his pull-side. Scouts are divided on Vogel’s hitting potential. But developing athletic players is what the Dodgers do best.

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Carson Taylor – catcher

• Virginia Tech
• Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 205 | B-T: B-R 
• Age At Draft: 21.0
• A draft-eligible sophomore who’s spent time at catcher, first base and DH for Virginia Tech. After a strong freshman campaign (.290/.389/.413), Taylor played in 12 games in the Cape Cod League, where he hit just .152/.243/.333. But he was off to a strong start in the 2020 season before the pandemic ended the season prematurely. The switch-hitting catcher led the Hokies in most offensive categories and managed a .431/.541/.690 line with 12-walks and only 5-strikeouts. Taylor has more power from the left side and has always shown good plate discipline – he has 32 career walks to 26 strikeouts. Coaches have praised his work behind the dish.

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The Dodgers final selection in the 2020 MLB Draft was another pitcher:

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Gavin Stone – starting pitcher

• Central Arkansas
• Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 175 | B-T: R-R 
• Age At Draft: 21.7
• Stone spent most of his first two seasons at Central Arkansas in the bullpen, but he ascended to the Friday starter role in 2020 and handled it well, albeit in a pandemic shortened season. Stone doesn’t have a true plus pitch, but he has three average offerings including a 90-92 mph fastball. He locates his changeup and breaking ball well, with his above-average control proving to be his best asset. Stone’s final start of the abbreviated 2020 season was one to finish on; a no-hitter with career-high 13-strikeouts.

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(Author’s Note: Background information and scouting reports from Baseball America [subscription required], which does an outstanding job of tracking amateur and professional baseball prospects.)

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