The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Lake Travis High School (Texas) right-handed pitcher Jimmy Lewis with the No. 78 pick in the Competitive Balance Round B in the 2019 MLB Draft.
The selection was their third of the night as they took Tulane third baseman Kody Hoese with the No. 25 overall pick in the first round and North Carolina first baseman/second baseman Michael Busch with the No. 31 overall pick in the first round.
The Dodgers had that selection as compensation for failing to sign last year’s first-round pick, J.T. Ginn.
With both of their first two picks potentially signing for under their slot value, the Dodgers can afford to pay a little extra to lure Lewis away from his college commitment to LSU. The slot value for the No. 78 is $793,000.
Lewis is listed a 6’5″, 185 lbs., and has a three-pitch mix with a fastball that approaches 95 MPH. In nine starts his senior season at Lake Travis, he went 9-0 with a 0.52 ERA while striking out 83 and walking 15 in 53.1 innings. Lewis tossed a no-hitter against Hays High School at the end of April, striking out nine.
The Dodgers have a history of having success drafting prep pitchers in the past, most notably Clayton Kershaw, who also came out of Texas in the first round in 2006. They have also taken Dustin May and Caleb Ferguson in recent years.
If they fail to sign Lewis, then it would mark the second straight year the Dodgers were unable to sign a high-round prep pitcher, with Ginn, of course, being the first.
This was the Dodgers’ only pick outside of the first round on Day 1 of the Draft as they lost their own pick by signing A.J. Pollock last offseason. He declined a qualifying offer from the Arizona Diamondbacks prior to signing with the Dodgers.
L.A. received the No. 78 pick as compensation for Yasmani Grandal signing with the Milwaukee Brewers though after declining the Dodgers’ qualifying offer.
