The Los Angeles Dodgers selected right-handed pitcher Landon Knack out of East Tennessee with the 60th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. It has a $1,157,400 slot value, which makes up nearly one-fifth of the club’s bonus pool of $5,928,400 for this year.
Knack led Division 1 with 51 strikeouts against just one walk this past season, and pitched to a 2.29 career ERA, which was a school record. He suffered a torn right labrum in 2015 and dislocated left shoulder in 2017.
The Dodgers’ selection of Knack represents the first of five they will make on Day 2. The club also holds the No. 66 overall pick, which was acquired from the Minnesota Twins in February as part of the trade that most notably involved Kenta Maeda and Brusdar Graterol.
Afterwards, the Dodgers will make one selection in the third through fifth rounds, bringing their total number to six over the two-day span. MLB, of course, shortened this year’s Draft from the usual 40 rounds due to financial losses brought on by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Though there are only five rounds, teams are permitted to sign an unlimited amount of undrafted free agents. However, they are capped at offering a maximum of $20,000 to each prospect.
On Day 1, the Dodgers selected right-handed pitcher Bobby Miller out of Louisville with the No. 29 overall pick. Known for his electric fastball, he was previously selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 38th round of the 2017 MLB Draft.
Among his many accolades, Miller was named a Freshman All-American (Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, D1Baseball, Perfect Game) in 2018, in addition to being selected to the All-ACC Third Team and 2018 ACC All-Freshman Team.
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