LOS ANGELES - The Dodgers selected a pair of Razorbacks to kick off their Draft Day, selecting left-handed pitcher Zachary Root with the 40th overall pick and following it up with outfielder Charles Davalan at 41, both out of the University of Arkansas.
Root put together a solid junior season for the Razorbacks, going 9-6 with a 3.62 ERA in 19 starts. Root struck out an impressive 126 batters in 2025, 50 more than his strikeout total from the season before.
Root has a complete pitch arsenal and a mid-90s fastball that he can push higher. He spent his freshman and sophomore seasons at Eastern Carolina before transferring to Arkansas for the 2025 season and quickly reaching ace status on his squad.
The Dodgers' selection of Root comes as a bit of a late surprise, considering that many mock drafts, including Baseball America and The Sporting Tribune's mock drafts, had Root going somewhere in the 30s, though he had to wait a bit longer to hear his name called by the reigning World Series champions.
Davalan heard his name next. While his five-foot-nine frame may indicate a scrappy, contact-hitter profile, Davalan boasts a strong amount of pop. He slugged .561 with 14 home runs and 12 doubles in 2025.
The picks are certain to bolster the Dodgers already impressive farm system, with Root becoming yet-another prestigious pitcher in the Los Angeles system while Davalan will look to find his place in the outfield.