The 2021 MLB Draft is now complete after 20 rounds that began on Sunday, and the Los Angeles Dodgers added a bevy of pitching to their farm system.
The Dodgers had 19 total picks in the Draft and ended up selecting a pitcher in each of their first 14 picks. By the end of the Draft, they took 17 pitchers, one shortstop and one outfielder.
“It really surprised us a little bit. It definitely wasn’t any intent,” Dodgers director of amateur scouting Billy Gasparino said about selecting 17 pitchers.
“It just kind of kept happening, happening and happening. You look up at the totals and you’re like, ‘Oh my God. We took all pitchers.’ It does show you how talent-focused we are. The position of need doesn’t really factor at all.”
“As we kept lining up talent on the board, the position player group went higher than our picks allowed, and the middle ground position player group just wasn’t really attractive to us. We thought it was very clear in favor of the pitching.”
Round 11: Justin Wrobleski, 342nd pick
A left-handed pitcher from Oklahoma State University, Justin Wrobleski stands 6’1 and is recovering from Tommy John surgery. He started his college career at Clemson University before transferring to State College of Florida.
In 2021, Wrobleski appeared in nine games and threw 40.2 innings with 50 strikeouts and a 4.20 ERA.
“From a talent standpoint, it’s an athletic lefty up to 95 (mph) with a plus-curveball. We thought he was maybe in the top five round talent range that we were able to get in the 11th round,” Gasparino said.
“We’re going to go through the Tommy John process and hope he comes out on the other end as a healthy, high-upside lefty.”
Round 12: Ronan Kopp, 372nd pick
The Dodgers followed with another southpaw, selecting the 6’7 Ronan Kopp out of South Mountain Community College.
Kopp, who turns 19 later this month, made six starts and appeared in 10 games while throwing 25.1 innings. He posted a 2.84 ERA while striking out 38 hitters and walking 25.
He is also a former Arizona Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year and didn’t make an error in his appearances.
Round 13: Antonio Knowles, 402nd pick
Antonio Knowles is a 6’1 right-hander out of Florida Southwestern State College. He played at Stetson University prior to transferring.
In 2021, Knowles made 24 appearances in relief and threw 40 innings with a 1.35 ERA and 13 saves.
As a First Team All-American, the first in the program’s history, Knowles struck out 72 hitters while only walking five.
Round 14: Jordan Leasure, 432nd pick
The Dodgers followed with another right-handed reliever from Florida and selected the 6’2 Jordan Leasure out of the University of Tampa.
Leasure made 17 appearances for the Spartans and threw 38.1 innings with a 0.94 ERA. He also added six saves and 60 strikeouts with only four walks.
He has been with the Spartans since his freshman year and threw 124.1 innings with a 3.04 ERA and 11.94 strikeouts per nine over that time.
Round 15: Madison Jeffrey, 462nd pick
With their 14th pick, the Dodgers added their third consecutive right-handed reliever, this time out of West Virginia University.
Madison Jefferey, who was on the Big-12 Commissioner Honor Roll, threw 20 innings in 18 appearances and posted a 6.75 ERA with 28 strikeouts, 25 walks and four saves.
In his three-year career at WVU, Jeffrey pitched 37.1 innings in 36 appearances and held a 5.79 ERA with 47 strikeouts and 37 walks.
Round 16: Michael Sirota, 492nd pick
The first position player the Dodgers selected in the draft, Michael Sirota is a shortstop from The Gunnery School in Connecticut.
In 2020, he hit .400 and ended up being named to the Perfect Game Northeast All-Region 1st Team. He is also the great-nephew of Hall-of-Fame pitcher Whitey Ford.
Gasparino said he was a little bit surprised Sirota was still available in the draft but that it was likely because of his commitment to play at Northeastern University.
“We like Mike a lot. We’re kind of hoping in some ways that we can create enough money as he was a target selection,” Gasparino said.
“There are a lot of positive reviews, our scouts loved him and did a great job on him. I think the way it looks at this point is probably a tougher sign and probably goes to school, unless the circumstances change. But we wanted to select him and just have him there in case something unexpected happens.”
Round 17: Adam Tulloch, 522nd pick
The Dodgers got back to drafting pitchers with their 16th selection and took another arm from West Virginia.
Adam Tulloch is a 21-year-old southpaw who made eight starts and struck out 52 batters in 37.1 innings with a 6.27 ERA.
He transferred to WVVU after a year at the College of Central Florida.
Round 18: Damon Keith, 552nd pick
The only other position player L.A. selected, Damon Keith is an outfielder from California Baptist University.
He was named the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year after starting all 56 games in 2021 while hitting .336/.434/.588.
He ranked amongst the conference’s best in multiple categories: runs (1st, 57), home runs (1st, 13), hits (2nd, 72), slugging percentage (2nd, .588), walks (4th, 35), RBI (5th, 44), batting average (6th, .336), stolen bases (7th, 12), and on-base percentage (8th, .434), leading him to be an all-conference first team member.
In his three-year career at CBU, Keith hit .309/.412/.529 with 16 home runs, 81 runs scored and 64 runs batted in over 327 at-bats.
Round 19: Gabe Emmett, 582nd pick
The Dodgers went the JuCo route again and selected a 6’5 right-hander from Folsom Lake College in Folsom, Calif.
Gabe Emmett pitched for the Falcons and made 14 appearances with 13 starts. He threw 56 innings with a 3.54 ERA, 54 strikeouts and 31 walks.
Round 20: Charlie Connolly, 612th pick
The Dodgers closed out the draft by taking right-hander Charlie Connolly from Navy that stands 6’4.
The All-Patriot League Second Team honoree made eight starts and held the opposition to a .241 batting average with a 4.50 ERA and 45 strikeouts across 36 innings.
He also earned the rank of Eagle Scout in high school. Connolly is currently an ensign assigned to the Naval Academy and his request to pursue his pro career reportedly was declined.
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