Identify, develop: Dodgers aim to stick with winning Draft blueprint

LOS ANGELES -- Something that occasionally gets lost in the noise of the Dodgers' recent high-spending offseasons is that they have a knack for identifying and developing talent. The organization will put those skills to the test once more in this year's MLB Draft, which begins on Sunday in Atlanta.

The Dodgers have been a force for more than a decade, winning two of the past five World Series and 11 of the past 12 National League West titles dating back to 2013. That type of regular-season success does not lend itself to favorable conditions in the Draft, but Los Angeles nevertheless entered this year with the fourth-best farm system in the Majors, according to MLB Pipeline.

Los Angeles hasn't picked higher than 20th overall since 2013 because of its dominance in the regular season. This year, the Dodgers -- along with the Mets and Yankees -- don't have a first-round pick because they exceeded the second Competitive Balance Tax surcharge threshold. Their top pick was moved back 10 spots as a result, meaning that Los Angeles' first pick of the 2025 Draft will come at No. 40, in Competitive Balance Round A.

The last time the Dodgers didn't have a first-round pick, they selected catcher Dalton Rushing out of the University of Louisville with their top selection in the second round of the 2022 Draft. That worked out quite well, as Rushing rose to the top of L.A.'s farm system and is now cutting his teeth with the big league club as the backup to three-time All-Star Will Smith.

The Dodgers will have back-to-back picks in Competitive Balance Round A, as they also acquired the No. 41 pick, along with highly regarded outfield prospect Mike Sirota (Dodgers' No. 17), from the Reds in exchange for Gavin Lux this past offseason.

• Day 1 picks: 40, 41, 65, 104
• Bonus pool allotment: $9,031,300, 24th in MLB
• Last year’s top pick: Kellon Lindsey, SS, pick 23 ... One of the fastest players and top shortstop prospects in the 2024 Draft class, Lindsey signed with the Dodgers for $3,297,500, the team's biggest Draft bonus since 2010. L.A.'s No. 7 prospect slashed .280/.394/.390 with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga before he was sidelined with an injury. He has since begun a rehab assignment with the Arizona Complex League.
• Breakout 2024 pick: Elijah Hainline, SS, pick 220 ... The Dodgers signed Hainline for below slot value after selecting him out of Oregon State in the seventh round. He's hitting .301 with an .855 OPS with Rancho Cucamonga in his first full professional season, and he recently spent five games with Triple-A Oklahoma City to fill in for an injured Alex Freeland.

Here are a few trends to note from the Dodgers' recent Draft classes:

Preps up top
The Dodgers' last three first-round picks -- Lindsey in 2024, Kendall George in '23 and Maddux Bruns in '21 -- were high schoolers. Might they pick up another prep player with the No. 40 pick?

The top talent in Los Angeles' farm system tends to skew younger as it is. Twenty of the organization's Top 30 prospects are age 22 or younger, which makes sense for a big league club with quite a few pieces locked up for the long haul.

The Dodgers don't necessarily need to draft a player who can make an impact in the next season or two. Their championship window has been open for a long time, and they're looking to keep it that way well into the future. They can afford to take their time with young talent.

Eye on upside
When the Dodgers acquire talent, through the Draft or otherwise, they're often targeting a standout quality of some sort. They seek players who could have the skills to stick at a premium defensive position, or those who have at least one outstanding tool, even if the rest of their game isn't yet well-rounded.

Heavy on arms
In each of the past two Draft classes, the Dodgers have selected a lot of pitchers, taking 13 (and a two-way player) in 2023 and 10 in '24. They can't get enough pitching depth at the big league level, so it would come as little surprise if the club continues to stock its farm system with arms.