The Dodgers Have Drafted More Active Big Leaguers Than Any MLB Team

Jason Fray | Mar 31, 2024

The Dodgers are the golden standard for MLB franchises at this given time. Objectively speaking, there’s no other franchise better at maximizing its resources. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and company have built a true juggernaut – but perhaps not in the way many lazily generalize.

While the franchise undoubtedly is flush with cash, this is a developmental system. We’ve seen countless examples of discarded players (Chris Taylor, Max Muncy, Ryan Brasier, Justin Turner) turning into above-average impact performers based on the hard work of the organization. They were able to recognize something special in the aforementioned talents, and as such cultivated a plan to get the best out of them.

This has extended to the draft and beyond, where the farm system is traditionally ranked among the best in baseball. While we’ve seen high-priced signings in recent years, this is a team built from the ground up via development and the draft.

Case in point an article recently posted by Baseball America. Speaking about the influence L.A. has on the rest of the league, the Dodgers are responsible for drafting more Big Leaguers than any other club currently.

"There are 583 draftees on Opening Day active rosters (74.8% of the total number of players on rosters), so the average team will produce 19.4 big leaguers. Any club with more than that is above average. Anyone below that is below average. It’s probably no surprise that the Los Angeles Dodgers lead the way with 29 active big leaguers on Opening Day. There are six homegrown Dodgers on its own roster (Will Smith, Bobby Miller, Michael Grove, James Outman, Gavin Stone and Gavin Lux), but 23 other Dodgers draftees have made other teams’ rosters, led by Corey Seager, Nathan Eovaldi and Alex Verdugo."

The narrative that this is a ‘checkbook’ team is simply foolish and ignorant. The numbers don’t lie – nor do the talent this franchise has directly or indirectly developed. As long as the franchise continues to operate ‘like a small market team’ about the draft and player development, the Dodgers will be a threat to win the World Series on an annual basis.