Maybe that’s the plan – have a bad season so you can get a good draft pick the following year. Heaven knows it worked for the Washington Nationals with Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper, right?

Of course the Dodgers are not intentionally having a bad season, although at times it certainly seems that way. But as it stands right now and if the season were to end today, the Dodgers would have the 5th overall draft pick in 2014, which would be their highest pick since Clayton Kershaw at number seven in 2006 and their second highest ever.

The 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft will be held on June 6, 7 & 8 and will be broadcast live from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey.

I love the draft and can’t imagine what it must be like waiting for your pick. Imagine Logan White holding his breath when the Tigers took Andrew Miller (6th) before Kershaw (7th) in 2006.

What’s your guess for this year’s draft? That is, which position will the Dodgers try to fill with their number 18 pick? I think they simply have to take the best player available (BPA) when number 18 comes around.

Tommy Lasorda and Charlie Hough will represent the Dodgers at the 2013 MLB Draft.
(Photo courtesy of MLB Network)

Recent history has been for the Dodgers to take high school players as their first pick (eight of their last ten first round picks have been high school players). Their history has also been to draft pitchers (eight of those ten picks were pitchers).

This year’s draft again seems to be weighted more heavily with top prospect pitchers but there is also strength at the outfield position with guys like Clint Frasier, Austin Meadows and Hunter Renrfroe. I’m going with a pitcher (again) because by the 18th pick, most of the top rated position players will most likely be gone.

Mark Appel (RHP) and Jonathan Gray (RHP) will undoubtedly be the first and second picks (or second and first), with Appel being the most MLB ready of the two. Corner infielder Kris Bryant (who could be a surprise number one pick) is the best power bat and will be long gone by the time that the Dodgers draft number comes around, as will top catcher Reese McGuire, shortstop J.P. Crawford and third baseman Colin Moran.

Unfortunately LHP Sean Manaea has a problem with shoulder tightness which may drop all pitchers in the first round down a notch but that may free up a bat for number 18. Not much chance of getting Ryne Stanek (RHP), Kohl Stewart (LHP), Braden Shipley (RHP), so after them teams may be into second tier pitchers – unless there is a ringer or two out there, which I am sure there is.

My guess is that the Dodgers will again go after an athletic-type high school pitcher, perhaps local and perhaps from among the following:

• Ian Clarkin (LHP) – James Madison High School, CA – ranked in the top three best high school secondary pitch by Baseball America (BA)
• Phil Bickford (RHP) – Oaks Christian High School, CA
• Hunter Harvey (RHP) – Bandys High School, NC – son of Bryan Harvey
• Rob Kaminsky (LHP) – St. Joseph’s High School, NJ – top three best high school secondary pitch according to BA
• Trey Ball (LHP) – New Castle High School, IN (a pipe dream on my part) – also an OF and on best athlete list by BA (great name, huh?)

My top college picks would be:

• Chris Anderson (RHP) – Jacksonville University – one of youngest college players turning 21 in July
• Kevin Ziomek (LHP) – Vandrebuilt University
• Marco Gonzales (LHP) – Gonzaga University – top three best secondary pitch at college level – filthy change up, maybe best in draft

Some possible surprise picks might include:

• Alex Gonzalez (RHP) – Oral Roberts University
• Kyle Serreno( RHP) – Farragut High School, TN – top three best high school command by BA
• Cavan Biggio (2B) – St. Thomas High School, TX – (son of future Hall of Famer Craig Biggio) – not a first round pick as he will probably be going to college at Notre Dame
• Andy McGuire (INF) – Madison High School, VA – versatile infielder
• Dominic Smith (OF/1B/LHP) – Serra High School, CA
• Jonah Wesely (LHP) -Tracy High School, CA
• Dustin Driver (RHP) – Wenatchee High School, WA
• Mike Yastrzemski (OF) – Vanderbilt University (grandson of Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski)

Regardless of how it all ends up, the MLB First-Year Player Draft is one of the most exciting times of the year for me as it has a direct impact on the very future on the organization that I so passionately love.