Hall of Fame manager Bill McKechnie said it best on January 31, 1940:

“No, sir, you never have enough pitching. Just when you think you have it, it is usually the time when you suddenly find yourself with pitchers who can never start a game.”

Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman is clearly a huge fan of the former 24-year MLB manager from 1922 through 1946 that included World Series championships in 1925 and 1940 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds, respectively.

While the National League and American League All-Stars were preparing to square off for the 2021 All-Star Game at Coors Field in Denver, Major League Baseball was finishing up the 2021 MLB Draft a mile and a half away at Bellco Theatre. And though the fact that 17 of the Dodgers’ 19* draft picks were pitchers may come as a surprise to many, it was clearly Friedman’s strategy all along.

Here are the 19 high school and college players selected by the Dodgers in the 2021 MLB Draft:

* (The Dodgers traded their second-round pick to the Cincinnati Reds in the Trevor Bauer deal).

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Obviously, not all of these 19 will actually sign with the Dodgers, especially those selected in the later rounds, as they will attempt to improve their draft rankings next year and possibly beyond. But you have to believe that a good many of the Top-10 – all pitchers – will indeed sign with the defending World Series Champions.

If and when they do, rest assured that Bill McKechnie will be smiling down on them.

…and on Andrew Friedman.

Play Ball!

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