Dodgers sign 19 of 22 MLB Draft picks

Now that Tuesday’s signing deadline has passed, we can look back and say the Dodgers announced that they signed 19 of their 22 picks from the 2023 MLB Draft.

The only unsigned picks were pitcher Jaxon Jelkin, the 14th-round pick out of South Mountain community College in Arizona, who announced on July 16 that he was staying in college, transferring to the University of Houston; Javen Coleman, a left-handed pitcher drafted in the 16th round who announced Tuesday he was returning to LSU; and 20th-round pick DJ Uiagalelei, the quarterback for Oregon State who the Dodgers hoped would eventually decide to pitch.

Among the last Dodgers draftees to sign were Texas outfielder Dylan Campbell (fourth-round supplemental, the compensatory pick for Tyler Anderson signing with the Angels), LSU and Duke right-hander Luke Fox (17th round).

Campbell had a 38-game hit streak this season for Texas, and hit .339/.436/.603 with 35 extra-base hits and 26 steals in 64 games as a junior.

Coleman pitched only 14 innings the the College World Series winners with a 7.07 ERA and 16 walks, but also struck out 21 batters.

Fox had similar numbers in 2022 with Duke, with a 6.54 ERA in 52⅓ innings but with 66 strikeouts, but missed the 2023 season after having Tommy John surgery. His Baseball America scouting report mentioned, “Fox seemed like a solid top-10 round talent in the 2023 draft class prior to having Tommy John surgery.”

In all, the Dodgers signed all eight position players they drafted, and signed 11 pitchers.

They signed all six high school draftees, with the amount first-rounder Kendall George’s bonus was below slot value ($515,200) was nearly equal to the total of the above-slot amounts ($523,100) for fellow high schoolers Bryan González (sixth-round shortstop), Jaron Elkins (eighth-round outfielder), and Starling Patick (18th-round pitcher).

In total, including any signing bonus amounts over $150,000 for picks in the 11th through 20th rounds, the Dodgers spent $258,400 above their $7,274,600 bonus pool, 3.55 percent.

Because they did not go more than five percent over the bonus pool — no MLB team has done this under the current format — the Dodgers don’t have to forfeit any future draft picks, but will pay a 75-percent overage tax on the $258,400.

In total, the Dodgers spent $8,583,000 in draft signing bonuses, which as Jim Callis at MLB.com noted ranked 24th among major league teams.

Through Tuesday, three Dodgers draft picks from this year have begun their professional careers, with first baseman Joe Vetrano (fifth round), infielder Sam Mongelli (10th round), and shortstop Jordan Thompson (15th round) all playing a few games with the Arizona Complex League Dodgers.