With their second and final pick on the first day of the 2026 MLB Draft, the Dodgers selected Florida Gators pitcher Russell Sandefer in the fourth round, with the 132nd overall pick in the draft.
The 6’1 junior right-hander had a 4.42 ERA in 19 games for Florida this season, including 12 starts, with 60 strikeouts and 22 walks in 57 innings. His season highlight was striking out 11 in seven scoreless innings against Ole Miss on April 4.
MLB
Pipeline rated Sandefer as the No. 177 prospect in the draft, while Baseball America had him 182nd.
“Listed at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, Sandefer has a deceptive look with a slingy, sidearm slot and a crossfire landing that creates some unusual angles for hitters,” said the BA scouting report. “Sandefer is typically a fastball/slider pitcher against righties, and a fastball/changeup/cutter pitcher against lefties. He’s a solid strike-thrower who might be more reliant on inducing weak contact than racking up strikeouts, but has a chance to profile as a backend starter.”
The 132nd overall pick comes with a recommended slot value of $575,300.
The first day of the draft is now complete for the Dodgers, who don’t pick again until the seventh round, having lost their second, third, fifth, and sixth-round draft picks this year for signing free agents Edwin Díaz and Kyle Tucker during the offseason. Day 2 of the draft begins on Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m. PT, streaming on MLB.com and MLB.tv.
