The Dodgers enter the 2026 MLB Draft with a much smaller margin for error than they had a year ago, and they won’t even get on the board until pick No. 40 in the second round.
That’s the cost of doing business after breaking through luxury tax thresholds and signing free agents tied to qualifying offers. Los Angeles is working with a $3,951,900 bonus pool this year, a steep drop from its $9,031,300 total in 2025. And just like last year, the Dodgers do not have a first-round pick after “exceeding the second threshold surcharge of the Competitive Balance Tax” in 2025.
The draft begins Saturday, July 11 at 10 a.m. PST on NBC/Peacock, with Rounds 1-4 on the first day and Rounds 5-20 set for Sunday on MLB Network. The Dodgers’ real work comes later in the process, since their first selection won’t arrive until the second round.
As for who they might take, the picture is still pretty murky. Once you get past the top 10, mock drafts start to get fuzzy fast, and plenty of projections don’t even venture far enough to reach Los Angeles’ first pick.
Baseball America’s latest mock does, though, and it has the Dodgers taking University of Virginia shortstop Eric Becker. Becker is ranked No. 41 on MLB Pipeline’s draft prospects list, and his slot value is listed at $2,504,200, which would eat up a big chunk of the Dodgers’ pool.
Even then, this is the kind of draft where Los Angeles can zig when everyone expects a zag. If a player with an injury history slips out of the first round, the Dodgers could jump on him and work out an under-slot deal to create a little extra room elsewhere. Andrew Friedman also doesn’t tend to telegraph whether the club prefers prep or college talent, or pitchers over position players, so the guesswork around this pick is very much alive.
The Dodgers also took a hit in the order itself. Their first-round selection was pushed back 10 spots as a penalty for overspending, and they lost their official second-, third-, fifth- and sixth-round picks after signing Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz, both of whom had rejected qualifying offers from the Cubs and Mets, respectively.
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Dodgers Farm System Suddenly Has A Return And Bat Fans Can't Ignore
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There was more than one reason for Dodgers followers to keep an eye on the lower levels, too. Great Lakes and Ontario both took losses, but the individual performances still stood out, especially in Ontario where Easton Shelton added to his league-leading home run total. Between the batters heating up in Oklahoma and the steady stream of notable nights elsewhere, the system is offering plenty for the organization to track as the week rolls on. [Read more 🡒]