Getting to know top Dodger draftee Aaron Miller

Always knowledgeable Dodger Thoughts commenter Nate Purcell shared these thoughts on the Dodgers' top pick in the 2009 draft, 21-year-old Baylor lefthanded pitcher Aaron Miller:

I liked him coming out of high school: very athletic and projectable with the arm. The problem was, he wanted to go to Baylor because he liked to hit (a conflict discussed in this Waco Tribune-Herald story by Brice Cherry). So basically, after he got to college, he didn't really focus on pitching.

That's why his numbers aren't very good. His (strikeout) rate clearly shows he has the stuff in him, but he's very inexperienced on the mound with a relatively fresh arm. This was a pure scouting pick for the Dodgers. I think the Dodgers believed that picking so late at 36th, they had to basically gamble a little bit to pick a player with high upside. I bet they really liked him coming out of high school in '06, and when he flashed a plus fastball and plus slider at times this spring, it was enough to take a chance and turn him into a pitcher, I guess.

Ken Gurnick of MLB.com adds the following background:

Miller is 6-foot-3, 205 pounds and a two-way prospect, but the Dodgers drafted him as a pitcher. He went 3-3 with a 5.12 ERA in 13 games, with 65 strikeouts in 51 innings. As a hitter, he batted .310 with 12 homers and 47 RBIs in 186 at-bats.

"Aaron is a physical athlete who has had a limited amount of time on the mound," said Logan White, assistant general manager of scouting. "With the help of our player development staff, we see a bright future for him as a left-handed pitcher in the Erik Bedard mold. He is a terrific competitor and a first-class person with great makeup. ... He's definitely a prospect as a position player, but we like him better as a pitcher."

White was with the Orioles when they drafted Bedard.

Miller was drafted in the 11th round as a hitter by the Colorado Rockies out of high school three years ago, but he wanted the college experience. He played the outfield his freshman year at Baylor and pitched in only eight games his sophomore season. He played in 13 games with Chatham of the Cape Cod League last summer, but his season was cut short after undergoing surgery on his right (non-throwing) shoulder.

"That was weird," he said of the injury. "It really pushed me to start throwing again and it steamrolled into the season. As the season went on, I thought I could do this for a living."

Miller, a friend of Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw from their Texas high-school days, worked out for the club at Dodger Stadium on Monday to seal the deal and indicated he will be a quick sign because he wants to "get innings under my belt." ...

Gurnick also has some quick notes on the Dodgers' next three picks:

• Cal outfielder Blake (yes, another Blake) Smith, who put on an impressive power display at a Dodger Stadium workout Monday
• Kansas high school righty Garrett Gould, a first-round talent who will need big bucks to be lured away from Wichita State.
• Orange Coast College right-handed pitcher Brett Wallach, son of former third baseman and current Albuquerque manager Tim, and brother of Dodger minor leaguer Matt. Wallach "throws a hard sinker that White compared to Orel Hershiser's," Gurnick wrote.

The draft resumes Wednesday.

Comments

[Tripon]

"Ricky Rubio's Spanish league team, DKV Joventut, has transferred the rights to his contract buyout to the Spanish version of the Internal Revenue Service, in order to satisfy a debt. The move prompted Rubio to sue DKV Joventut."

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4246467&campaign=rss&source=NBAHeadlines

[Craig88USC]

Phenomenal Smith - Points taken.

Smith 2
Craig 0

[Craig88USC]

'Dre climbing up and over .280 now with his 2 blasts & a single.

[underdog]

Being able to sign Gould will be a key to this draft -- if they do, it's already a very good one. (Note, too, the comment on that Dodgers.com article from someone who has seen Gould firsthand and pretty much raved about him.) Hope they can bring him into the fold.

Okay, Tron-tron, do your thing.

[Craig88USC]

Adrian bunts?

[oshea2002]

throw strikes please.

[superbas]

here's the 8th inning sweat...again

[Craig88USC]

I see a
Tron Tron
Double Play
In our very very near future.

[Craig88USC]

I see outs people. ; )

[underdog]

Shoulda bet on that one, Craig!

Nice. Now just one more inning, with Brox at the helm...

[superbas]

the sweat was not very satisfying, i'll take it.

[Craig88USC]

U-Dog

I was countin' on Henry Blanco crawlin' to 1st base.

[Craig88USC]

Let me try something -

Russell go yard!

[Craig88USC]

Sittin' dead red!

[bhsportsguy]

The Dodgers have two Wallachs, a Van Slyke, a Mattingly, Gordon and De Jesus. Am I missing any other sons/brothers. Also Steve Johnson is a son of a former MLB pitcher.

[jujibee]

Austin Yount

[Craig88USC]

Good night Raffy

6 - 3 baby.

[Alex41592]

It's almost video game ridiculous for Andre in June:

OPS: 1.438

[ucladodger]

Bison speed leads to a perfect night for him.

[Craig88USC]

Bison wanderin' speeed.

[Alex41592]

Blake DeWitt with the bases loaded!

[Craig88USC]

DeBlake DeWitt!

[Alex41592]

That was very close.

[bhsportsguy]

BTW - Manny picked a good day to speak, just a sprinkling of media, the LAT columnists (Plaschke and Simers) are in Florida with the Lakers and the Lakers are the dominant story in town.

[Craig88USC]

Duncan thought DeBlake w a s s a f e.

Might get tossed by blind ump.

[Craig88USC]

BH - That's a great point about Manny.

Very smart of him.

[bhsportsguy]

I am sure this has mentioned before but Jim Tracy has led the Rockies to a 8-4 record so far.

[Craig88USC]

BROX

95
96
85
94

K 1 out

[Phenomenal Smith]

Jim Tracy has put the Rockies in a position where they can have success.

[Craig88USC]

93
Grounder
2 outs

[oshea2002]

Any initial news on what it would take to sign Gould?

[underdog]

Is that all due to Jim Tracy's presence? Hard to say, probably not. Do the players like him? I'd say so.

[jujibee]

There is a comment on the Dodger.com article where the poster believes it'll take 1.1 million to nab him. No source of course, but he seems to have some more info on Gould than most.

[Alex41592]

Or time will tell.

Gywnn is a tough tough out tonight.

[underdog]

Oh no, it's The Pest.

[oshea2002]

That DeWitt DP is looming a bit larger now.

[fanerman]

David Eckstein sure is anonying.

[underdog]

As I was saying... Grrr.
C'mon, Brox, shut the door.

So I can go back at staring at work and/or off into space.

[ucladodger]

There's one example where i dislike a call made by Russ. There's no reason to throw a slider to a guy who has been extremely late on fastballs.

[Alex41592]

Padres have a Gywnn and a pest. They've done it all tonight. 6 for 9 with walk.

[Alex41592]

KCAL's gun is slow. Broxton is throwing 95-97.

[Al B]

50 wins: 20-0 <

50 losses: 0-8

62 tossups: 20-12

Subjective judgments.

[underdog]

Ho hum, the Dodgers win. (just kidding. We win!)

[Alex41592]

There we go.

40-20.

[Craig88USC]

95 98 97 (88) 99 MPH

Game Over - Padres have been Broxtonized.

[DBrim]

That is 10000, no?

[Craig88USC]

Alex - I had to switch to a better gun }

You're right. What is up with KCAL cheatin' JB. ; )

[Bob Hendley]

I like the roundness of these numbers.

[Jon Weisman]

NPUT

[Jon Weisman]

Yes, DBrim

[Craig88USC]

40 - 20 = 108 - 54

Bob - How about THAT roundness. ; )