The Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the National League West division. Since the institution of MLB's Rule 4 Draft, the Dodgers have selected 67 players in the first round. Officially known as the "First-Year Player Draft",[1] the Rule 4 Draft is MLB's primary mechanism for assigning players from high schools, colleges, and other amateur clubs to its franchises. The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings, with the team possessing the worst record receiving the first pick.[1] In addition, teams which lost free agents in the previous off-season may be awarded compensatory or supplementary picks.[2]
Of the 67 players picked in the first round by Los Angeles, 37 have been pitchers, the most of any position; 24 of these were right-handed, while 12 were left-handed. Nine players at shortstop and nine in the outfield were selected, while five catchers, three first basemen, and three third basemen were taken as well. The team also selected two players at second base.[3] Seven of the players came from high schools or universities in the state of Texas, while California follows with six players.
Nine Dodgers first-round picks have won a World Series championship with the team. Pitchers Bob Welch (1977) and Steve Howe (1979) played with the 1981 championship team.[4][5] Shortstop Dave Anderson (1981) and first baseman Franklin Stubbs (1982) were a part of the 1988 championship team.[6][7] Catcher Mike Scioscia (1976) won championships with both teams.[8] Pitchers Clayton Kershaw (2006) and Walker Buehler (2015), shortstop Corey Seager (2012), and catcher Will Smith (2016) all played with the 2020 championship team.[9][10][11][12] Welch was also on the Oakland Athletics' 1988 team which lost to the Dodgers in the 1988 Series.[4] Howe, Seager, and Rick Sutcliffe (1974) each won the MLB Rookie of the Year award.[5][11][13]
The Dodgers have made 11 selections in the supplemental round of the draft and have never made the first overall selection.[3][14] They have also had 16 compensatory picks since the institution of the First-Year Player Draft in 1965.[3] These additional picks are provided when a team loses a particularly valuable free agent in the prior off-season,[2][15][V] or, more recently, if a team fails to sign a draft pick from the previous year.[16] The Dodgers have failed to sign one of their first-round picks, Luke Hochevar (2005), but received no compensation pick.[17][18]
| Year | Links to an article about that year's Major League Baseball Draft |
| Position | Indicates the secondary/collegiate position at which the player was drafted, rather than the professional position the player may have gone on to play |
| Pick | Indicates the number of the pick |
| * | Player did not sign with the Dodgers |
| § | Indicates a supplemental pick |
| '81 | Player was a member of Dodgers' 1981 championship team |
| '88 | Player was a member of Dodgers' 1988 championship team |
| '20 | Player was a member of Dodgers' 2020 championship team |
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