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The Times’ baseball rankings

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Free agents attract all the splashy headlines, but perennial contenders build their foundation through the draft.

There are no sure things in the draft. Mike Trout was a first-round pick, Albert Pujols was not. Clayton Kershaw was a first-round pick, Matt Kemp was not.

The baseball draft starts Monday. Here is a look at picks the Dodgers and Angels made from 2000-2007: who they took first, who they could have taken first, and which of their picks each year turned out best. In parentheses are the number of games played in the majors:

Dodgers

2000
First pick: P Ben Diggins (5)
Available: P Adam Wainwright (Braves, 213)
Best: P Joel Hanrahan (2nd round, 310)

2001
First pick: P Brian Pilkington (0)
Available: 1B Ryan Howard (Phillies, 1,027)
Best: P Edwin Jackson (6th round, 219)

2002
First pick: 1B James Loney (832)
Available: 1B Joey Votto (Reds, 667)
Best: C Russell Martin (17th round, 834)

2003
First pick: P Chad Billingsley (203)
Available: OF Andre Ethier (Athletics, 904)
Best: OF Matt Kemp (6th round, 823)

2004
First pick: P Scott Elbert (98)
Avail. 2B/SS Dustin Pedroia (Red Sox, 763)
Best: P Cory Wade (10th round, 122)

2005
First pick: P Luke Hochevar (100)
Available: P Jeremy Hellickson (Rays, 39)
Best: Hochevar

2006
First pick: P Clayton Kershaw (129)
Available: P Tim Lincecum (Giants, 168)
Best: Kershaw

2007
First pick: P Chris Withrow (0)
Available: OF Giancarlo Stanton
(Marlins, 300)Best: No major leaguers yet

Angels

2000
First pick: P Joe Torres (0)
Available: 2B Chase Utley (Phillies, 1,109)
Best: C Mike Napoli (10th round, 609)

2001
First pick: 1B Casey Kotchman (834)
Available: P Dan Haren (Cardinals, 286)
Best: Kotchman

2002
First pick: P Joe Saunders (171)
Available: P Cole Hamels (Phillies, 198)
Best: 2B Howie Kendrick (10th round, 704)

2003
First pick: SS Brandon Wood (272)
Available: SS/OF Adam Jones (Mariners, 675)
Best: SS Sean Rodriguez (3rd round, 368)

2004
First pick: P Jered Weaver (188)
Available: OF Hunter Pence (Astros, 785)
Best: Weaver

2005
First pick: P Trevor Bell (52)
Available: 3B Chase Headley (Padres, 580)
Best: OF Peter Bourjos (10th round, 237)

2006
First pick: C Hank Conger (72)
Available: P Andrew Bailey (Athletics, 157)
Best: P Jordan Walden (12th round, 96)

2007
First pick: P Jon Bachanov (0)
Available: 1B Freddie Freeman (Braves, 222)
Best: SS Andrew Romine (5th round, 15)

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