For the better part of five decades, the Dodgers 1968 draft class was considered to be the best in the history of the MLB First-Year Player Draft. At the time, the draft was conducted in four different phases — two in January and two in June. The January phases were for high school kids who had graduated, community college players, or players who had reached the age of 21.

The regular January phase was for players who hadn’t been drafted before, the secondary phase for those who had previously been drafted. The regular June phase was for all high school and college players who hadn’t been drafted previously; the secondary phase was for all previously drafted players.

The Dodgers signed a total of 11 future big leaguers from that draft class who combined for more than 235 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) and five others who had at least ‘a-cup-of-coffee’ in the Major Leagues. Six of the players signed by the Dodgers would go on to become MLB All-Stars for a total of 23 Mid-Summer Classic appearances:

• Pitcher Doyle Alexander (Woodlawn High School, Birmingham, Alabama);
• First baseman Bill Buckner (Napa High School – California
• Third baseman Ron Cey (Washington State University)
• Third baseman Steve Garvey (Michigan State University)
• Outfielder Davey Lopes (Washburn University – Kansas)
• Outfielder Tom Paciorek (University of Houston – Texas)

Other members of the 1968 Dodgers draft class included: outfielder Joe Ferguson (University of Pacific, Stockton, California); Bobby Valentine (Rippowam High School, Stamford, Connecticut); and pitcher Geoff Zahn (University of Michigan). What General Manager Al Campanis accomplished in that draft put the team in position to compete for World Championships for more than a decade.

No other Major League team has come close to the overall quality of that Dodgers draft. But based on their minor league careers to date, there is a recent draft class that has a legitimate shot to one-day replace that 1968 class as the best ever; the Dodgers 2016 draft, which included: middle infielder Gavin Lux, catcher Will Smith, pitcher Jordan Sheffield, pitcher Mitchell White, pitcher Dustin May, outfielder DJ Peters, middle infielder Errol Robinson, outfielder Luke Raley, pitcher Tony Gonsolin, outfielder Cody Thomas, catcher Steve Berman, and middle infielder Zach McKinstry.

There is no way to know which of these players will ever make it to The Show, let alone be regulars or All-Stars. Dodgers fans can only watch and enjoy their respective development, hoping that one day they will be as good – or better – than Messrs Buckner, Lopes, Cey, and Garvey, and will one day form the nucleus of future World Championships.

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