Dodgers Ranked Among MLB’s Best Teams in Producing Homegrown Talent
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One of the biggest tells of a great MLB organization is how much of their talent is homegrown. It's one thing to sign and trade for big names, but it's another to build through the draft and through development in the minor leagues.
For years, the Dodgers have been among the league's best in producing homegrown talent. Their farm system is always loaded with talent, while their roster is usually rich with young up-and-coming stars.
In 2016 and 2017, Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger went back-to-back to win the National League Rookie of the Year Awards. And a few years later, the likes of Julio Urias, Will Smith, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May burst onto the scene.
The Dodgers' current 40-man roster has 19 homegrown players, including a bunch of big names. That's why, on Bleacher Report's MLB homegrown talent rankings, Joel Reuter had the Dodgers in the top five at No. 4. Here's a part of what he had to say.
"The Los Angeles Dodgers would have a case to climb as high as No. 2 in these rankings if Walker Buehler and Gavin Lux were not both on the 60-day injured list, but even without those two, this is still undoubtedly a top-five group.
"Julio Urías, Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin is as impressive a collection of homegrown starting pitching talent as any in baseball, and that list will only grow once Bobby Miller, Gavin Stone, Ryan Pepiot, Michael Grove and Landon Knack establish themselves at the MLB level.
"The recent departures of Corey Seager, Joc Pederson and Cody Bellinger has left the team with less homegrown position-player talent, but Will Smith is one of baseball's best offensive catchers and Miguel Vargas is one of the NL Rookie of the Year front-runners."
Reuter absolutely hit it on the head here. Those four starting pitchers makes this homegrown talent as good as it gets, and they're throwing to one of the best homegrown catchers in baseball in Will Smith.
And even with the key departures of Seager and Bellinger, the Dodgers have their fair share of stars waiting in the wings, in Miguel Vargas, James Outman, Bobby Miller, Gavin Stone, Diego Cartaya and more.
The Dodgers are known for producing talent, and for the next few years, it won't be any different. The Dodgers are incredible at drafting, and have one of the best development teams in the league. So, expect to continue seeing future stars come up and contribute over the next few seasons.
