The Dodgers had far and away the least draft capital to work with of any team. Their first round pick, already in the back after the World Series win, was pushed back ten spots to #40 due to competitive balance overages. Then they lost their second, third, fifth, and sixth round draft picks after signing Edwin Díaz and Kyle Tucker, leaving them with just two picks in the first six rounds. Their total bonus pool of $3.95 million was more than $1.5 million below the next lowest bonus pool, that of the Blue Jays, and in fact the entire bonus pool was roughly the same value as the #23 pick alone. Still, the Dodgers made do, as they always do. Even with the small pool, they managed to float star prep bat Bo Lowrance down to the #40 pick despite rumblings he could go 20+ picks higher. After that, it was a pitching-heavy class featuring mostly college arms. They did take two high school position players late in the draft, and it remains to be seen if they're signed, though they probably won't have much money left over to do it.
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Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. For example, "2-50" would indicate that a player was taken in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.
1-40: SS Bo Lowrance, Christ Church Episcopal HS [SC]
Slot value: $2.5 million. Signing bonus: $3 million ($493,300 above slot value)
My rank: #21. MLB Pipeline: #21. ESPN: #35.
The Dodgers have done it again. Despite not picking until #40 with very little wiggle room to go over slot, they brought in a near-consensus first round talent and one whose name was thrown around as early as the top twenty picks. Bo Lowrance endeared himself to scouts with a huge senior season in Greenville, South Carolina, projecting as potentially one of the best all-around bats in the prep class when all is said and done. Listed at 6'5", he deploys an effortless left handed swing to make very consistent contact against all levels of competition, including last summer on the showcase circuit and this spring back in a competitive region of South Carolina. For now, he's much more focused on contact than power and it shows in his production, pointing to a hit-over-power profile in the short run. However, given his immense projection and the ease with which he swings, he could add significant pop in pro ball both as he fills out and as the Dodgers look to get him driving the ball in the air. If he can do both of those things without sacrificing the hit tool, he could be a future middle of the order bat. The Dodgers' recent success with prep bats like Zyhir Hope, Chase Harlan, Jaron Elkins, and Easton Shelton pushes expectations sky high for the newest stick in the system. Previously committed to UVA, his $3 million signing bonus swallowed up three quarters of the Dodgers' $3.95 million bonus pool and roughly fit the value of the #33 overall pick.
4-132: RHP Russell Sandefer, Florida
Slot value: $575,300. Signing bonus: $431,475 ($143,825 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #177. ESPN: unranked.
Going a bit under slot to sign Russell Sandefer for late fifth round money here in the fourth round, the Dodgers picked up a talented arm who could pit it together in pro ball. He began his college career at Division II Saint Leo, but transferred to UCF after one season and continued to throw well as a sophomore. Transferring once more to Florida for his junior year, he dominated at times (7 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 11 K against Ole Miss and 7 IP, 1 ER, 7 K at eventual national champion Oklahoma) but could never quite string together a stretch of strong starts. He has loud stuff, beginning with a low to mid 90's fastball that touches 98 in relief, playing more as a sink and run ground ball pitch than a run and ride swing and miss pitch. He drops in a nice slider which functions as his out pitch, missing bats at a good clip, and he can tighten it into a cutter to run in on the hands of lefties. Sandefer rounds out his arsenal with a solid fading changeup that he also deploys against lefties, giving him four average or better pitches when all is said and done even if none stand out as plus. The 6'1" righty moves well on the mound and profiles for average command, so the Dodgers will look to fine tune his arsenal and help one or more of his four pitches take the step forward to lead his arsenal. This is a back-end starting pitching profile that could work well in long relief.
7-223: LHP Charlie West, Connecticut
Slot value: $260,300. Signing bonus: likely around slot value.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. ESPN: unranked.
The Dodgers' third pick comes here in the seventh round, where they'll land an accomplished college arm in Charlie West. West did not pitch much as a freshman at UConn, but threw very well in a swingman role as a sophomore to earn the Friday night role as a junior. In 2026, his 111 strikeouts led all Big East pitchers and a three start stretch in April against Butler, eventual Super Regional participant St. John's, and Georgetown saw him strike out 37 batters in 22.2 innings. What likely sold the Dodgers was a very strong run through the Cape Cod League just before the draft, where he put up a 2.16 ERA and a 26/7 strikeout to walk ratio over 16.2 innings against very good hitters. West is a 6' lefty with a low 90's fastball that doesn't overwhelm with velocity, but plays up from a high release point and massive riding life to create a unique look. His slot works well with a hammer two-plane curveball, while he adds a solid changeup to retire right handed hitters as well. His command comes and goes and will be the key to remaining in the rotation, but jumping to the bullpen could add a few ticks to his fastball and get him into a better velocity band. The Long Island native is also very young for a college junior, set to turn 21 just after the season. If the Dodgers can build off the momentum he showed on the Cape, he could surprise some people.
8-253: LHP Miles Gosztola, Oregon
Slot value: $218,500. Signing bonus: likely a bit below slot value.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. ESPN: unranked.
The first West Coast product in this Dodgers draft, Miles Gosztola brings a funky arm that Los Angeles will look to mold into more. He started his career at Gonzaga and spent the better part of two years in the Bulldogs' rotation, where he pitched to uneven results (9-12, 6.05 ERA) but flashed significant upside in two summers on the Cape (1.53 ERA, 31/13 K/BB in 29.1 IP). Oregon scooped him out of the transfer portal and helped him take a step forward in 2026, where he dropped his ERA to 3.61 as a swingman and bumped his strikeout rate to a career best 26.2%. Gosztola works with a low 90's fastball, a sweeping low 80's slider, and a really nice changeup to round things out. The 6'3" lefty has a funky delivery that features significant crossfire to create unusual angle on his pitches, making the ball difficult to pick up especially for left handed hitters watching it run away from them. His command has been fringy throughout his time in school, so in addition to helping him add some power to his arsenal, the Dodgers will look to help him pound the zone a little bit more frequently perhaps by simplifying his longer delivery. The Seattle native brings some of the more unique traits the Dodgers tend to look for and could end up a back-end starter in Los Angeles, or if not he could add some needed power to his arsenal in short stints in the bullpen. His frame, three pitch mix, and youth (he was still 20 on draft day) point to starting upside if he can stay healthy.
11-343: LHP Cody New, Cal Baptist
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: likely around $150,000, possibly a little above.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. ESPN: unranked.
The Dodgers returned home to Southern California to open the back half of the draft, grabbing Hesperia native and Hesperia Christian alum Cody New in the eleventh round. New crossed the San Gabriel Mountains to play college ball at Cal Baptist, where by his sophomore year he had established himself as one of the better pitchers on the West Coast. Entering 2026 with high expectations, he instead blew out his elbow in his first start and missed the rest of the season with Tommy John surgery. When healthy, New shows the kind of stuff that will profile in a big league rotation. His low 90's fastball touches 96 at peak and it's easy to see him pushing it another couple of ticks, while his feel for spin stands out in particular. New throws the full spectrum of breaking balls and can really make the ball dive across the plate, setting him up nicely for pro hitters. His changeup gives him another strong weapon to round out a true starting pitcher's arsenal, and he has improved his command during his time in Riverside to boot. The 6'3" lefty probably would have gone in the top five rounds if healthy and gives the Dodgers tremendous value here in the eleventh round, even if he won't pitch until 2027. He has a very real shot to become a #3 or #4 starter if he gets healthy and can take another step forward with his velocity.
12-373: RHP Gavin Van Kempen, East Carolina
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $147,500.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. ESPN: unranked.
Gavin Van Kempen brings the Dodgers another unique arm they'll try to turn into a monster. He spent three years at West Virginia but never found much consistency, then transferred to East Carolina for his senior year. The results were fantastic, and through six starts he had a 38.5% strikeout rate and a 1.84 ERA. Unfortunately, he went down with an arm injury and had internal brace surgery that knocked him out for the rest of the season. Still, the Dodgers were enticed by the stuff and results and popped him here in the twelfth round. The fastball sits in the low 90's and touches 95 at peak, but plays up with a sky-high release point over seven feet in the air that helps put massive riding life on it. He drops in a downer slider and a sinking cutter, with everything coming straight down on the hitter and secondaries falling even farther. Los Angeles will want to help him incorporate more lateral movement into his arsenal, perhaps with additional shapes on his breaking ball to help him work a little more east-west. At present, it's probably a reliever profile unless he can broaden his arsenal, but the Dodgers are one of the best pitching development machines in baseball and Van Kempen gives them tremendous clay to work with. The 6'7" righty also ran a career-best 7.7% walk rate and, now nearly 21 years old (young for a college senior), seems to be coming into his own.