Dodgers Select RHP Walker Buehler with First Round Pick of 2015 Player Draft
LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Dodgers today selected Vanderbilt University right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler with their first pick (24th overall) in the 2015 First-Year Player Draft.
The 6-foot-2, 175-pounder went 4-2 with a 2.97 ERA in 14 starts this season for Vanderbilt, which is heading to the College World Series. Buehler, 20, was rated by Baseball America as the third-best pitcher in the 2015 draft and struck out 81 against only 25 walks in 78.2 innings this year. He made his Dodger Stadium debut on March 8, starting the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic for the Commodores against TCU and allowing just one run on three hits with five strikeouts in 4.0 innings.
"We're really excited to be able to take Walker at 24," said Dodger Director, Amateur Scouting Billy Gasparino. "He has a lean, athletic build, a power three-plus pitch mix and is a quality young man."
During the course of his three-year college career, Buehler, a junior, went 20-7 with a 2.88 ERA (78 ER/244.0 IP) in 49 games (39 starts), striking out 249 against only 83 walks.
Buehler was scouted by Dodger area scout Marty Lamb and originally selected by the Pirates in the 14th round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of Henry Clay High School in Lexington, Kentucky.
The Dodgers have selected a pitcher with their top pick in the draft 12 of the last 13 years. With its second pick, Los Angeles selected University of Louisville right-hander Kyle Funkhouser (No. 35 overall, compensation pick for Hanley Ramirez) and the club will make two more selections tonight; No. 67 (second round) and No. 74 (competitive balance B pick from trade with Baltimore).
Below are the Dodgers' first-round selections since the start of the draft in 1965:
1965 John Wyatt (INF)
1966 Larry Hutton (RHP)
1967 Don Denbow (INF)
1968 Bobby Valentine (OF)
1969 Terry McDermott (C)
1970 Jim Haller (RHP)
1971 Rick Rhoden (RHP)
1972 John Harbin (INF)
1973 Ted Farr (C)
1974 Rick Sutcliffe (RHP)
1975 Mark Bradley (INF)
1976 Mike Scioscia (C)
1977 Bob Welch (RHP)
1978 None
1979 Steve Howe (LHP)
Steve Perry (RHP)
1980 Ross Jones (INF)
1981 Dave Anderson (INF)
1982 Franklin Stubbs (1B)
1983 Erik Sonberg (LHP)
1984 Dennis Livingston (RHP)
1985 Chris Gwynn (OF)
1986 Mike White (OF)
1987 Dan Opperman (RHP)
1988 Bill Bene (RHP)
1989 Kiki Jones (RHP)
Tom Goodwin (OF)
Jamie McAndrew* (RHP)
1990 Ronnie Walden (LHP)
1991 None
1992 Ryan Luzinski* (C)
Michael Moore* (OF)
1993 Darren Dreifort (RHP)
1994 Paul Konerko (C)
1995 David Yocum (LHP)
1996 Damian Rolls (INF)
1997 Glenn Davis (1B)
1998 Bubba Crosby (OF)
1999 Jason Repko* (INF)
2000 Ben Diggins (RHP)
2001 None
2002 James Loney (1B)
Greg Miller* (LHP)
2003 Chad Billingsley (RHP)
2004 Scott Elbert (LHP)
Blake DeWitt (3B)
Justin Orenduff* (RHP)
2005 Luke Hochevar* (RHP)
2006 Clayton Kershaw (LHP)
Bryan Morris* (RHP)
Preston Mattingly* (INF)
2007 Chris Withrow (RHP)
James Adkins* (LHP)
2008 Ethan Martin (RHP)
2009 Aaron Miller* (LHP)
2010 Zach Lee (RHP)
2011 Chris Reed (LHP)
2012 Corey Seager (SS)
Jesmuel Valentin* (SS)
2013 Chris Anderson (RHP)
2014 Grant Holmes (RHP)
2015 Walker Buehler (RHP)
Kyle Funkhouser* (RHP)