Los Angeles Dodgers Mock Draft: Last-Minute Picks and Predictions

The 2015 MLB draft is set to begin on June 8, with the Los Angeles Dodgers slated to make a selection at No. 24.

Last year, the team chose right-handed pitcher Grant Holmes out of Conway High School in South Carolina with the 22nd pick.

The Dodgers have always been a team that prides itself on pitching. Sixteen of the Dodgers' past 21 first-round picks have been hurlers, so it would not be a shock to the system to see this trend continue next week.

Los Angeles also received a compensatory pick at No. 35 for Hanley Ramirez signing with the Boston Red Sox as well as pick No. 74 (and the accompanying increase in bonus pool) via a trade with the Baltimore Orioles.

As for the first-round selection, there are a few names floating around various mock drafts. Some experts have tied the same player to Los Angeles in their respective projections, while other players are also liable to end up with the Boys in Blue at No. 24. Let's take an early look.

Justin Hooper, LHP

Bleacher Report’s own Justin Hussong has this tall left-hander headed to the Dodgers in his latest mock draft.

The 6'7" pitcher from De La Salle High School in Northern California possesses a fastball that has been clocked as high as 97 mph. Los Angeles drafted a high school pitcher last year, and there’s no indication that the team won’t do it again.

Lenny Ignelzi/Associated Press

Hooper’s fastball shows significant life, but his command had been a recurring issue. These struggles can be attributed to correctable mechanical problems associated with his height and long limbs. The lanky lefty throws from a three-quarters arm slot, not unlike Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox.

This spring, Hooper crept into the conversation regarding the early first round. The inability to improve upon his mechanical weaknesses has dropped his stock a bit, but David Hood of True Blue LA believes that Hooper’s “upside is immense.”

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Despite his slide, Hooper's upside is immense and his talent just needs the right development staff and patience to coax it out of him. The Dodgers' renewed focus on player development would make him a good fit, and the big league team is well stocked and can be patient awaiting his development. Additionally, the threshold just to make the Dodgers 25-man roster is higher than most clubs, so the Dodgers have to take some gambles on high ceiling/high risk talents that have the potential to meet the demanding criteria of an upper division player.

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Reports indicate that Hooper’s curveball projects to be a plus pitch, while his changeup has potential as well.

Brady Aiken, LHP

Last year, the Houston Astros took pitcher Brady Aiken with the first overall pick in the draft. However, the left-hander became the first top pick since 1983 to go unsigned after the two sides could not come to an agreement about the health of his elbow, per MLB.com’s Jim Callis.

Aiken is no longer among the top prospects in next week’s draft, especially now that he is recovering from Tommy John surgery (looks like the Astros were right).

John Manuel of Baseball America believes the Dodgers will take a flier on Aiken, and ESPN's Eric Longenhagen explains why.

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Since the new ownership group has taken over, the Dodgers have essentially been acting out the Joker Money Parade scene from Batman, throwing their financial weight around unlike any other team in baseball. Aiken's asking price is going to be high, but the Dodgers have the money to do it. They pick 24th, but have the seventh richest bonus pool in the draft this year.

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There is no reason to believe that Aiken can't one day become a star. During his senior season in high school, he struck out 111 batters in 59.2 innings. Opposing hitters managed just a .127 average against him.

He likely won't be ready until sometime in 2016, but the Dodgers need pitching help for the future to complement their top prospect on the mound, Julio Urias. Starters Hyun-Jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy are out for the year, and Los Angeles may lose both Zack Greinke (opt-out clause) and Brett Anderson (free agent) at season's end.

It must be noted that Aiken is still only 18 years old. There will be plenty of time for the Dodgers' excellent pitching coaches to further develop his already impressive skills in the event that Los Angeles assumes the risk and drafts him. Remember, the Dodgers' compensatory pick theoretically reduces that risk.

Mike Matuella, RHP

Another high-risk, high-reward pitcher that the Dodgers may target is Duke University’s Mike Matuella. Both ESPN’s Keith Law and Fangraphs’ Kiley McDaniel have the 6'7" right-hander headed to Los Angeles in their latest mock drafts.

Matuella was projected to be an early first-round pick—possibly even No. 1 overall—until he suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament this spring.

This setback puts him in a similar boat as Aiken, and the Dodgers will look at both pitchers as reclamation projects with high upside. However, there are also some injury concerns with Matuella’s back.

Still, the 21-year-old probably has the highest ceiling of any pitching prospect in this year’s draft class because of a solid four-pitch arsenal highlighted by a fastball that consistently hums in between 95-97 mph. When healthy, Matuella’s breaking ball is devastating, and his changeup is also an offering that has shown improvement throughout college.

Once again, the deep-pocketed Dodgers represent a prime candidate to take a chance on a pitcher like Matuella at No. 24. As the recent surgery causes his draft stock to plummet, Matuella’s bonus demands could outweigh the risk that smaller-market clubs may be willing to take on by drafting him earlier in the first round.

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