Dodgers Announce Selections From Day One of the 2025 Draft

DODGERS ANNOUNCE SELECTIONS FROM DAY ONE OF THE 2025 DRAFT

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers announced their four selections from day one of the 2025 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, picking University of Arkansas left-handed pitcher Zach Root (first round, No. 40 overall), University of Arkansas outfielder Charles Davalan (first round, No. 41 overall), Florida State University right-handed pitcher Cam Leiter (second round, No. 65 overall) and University of Cincinnati outfielder Landyn Vidourek (third round, No. 104 overall).

The 6-foot 2, 210-pound Root was the first of two Arkansas Razorbacks selected by the Dodgers with consecutive picks. The Fort Myers, Florida native spent his freshman and sophomore seasons at East Carolina University before transferring to Arkansas. In his lone season with the No. 3 ranked Razorbacks, Root went 9-6 record with a 3.62 ERA over 99.1 innings pitched. He struck out 126 batters, the fifth most by NCAA pitchers, throwing one complete game and three shutouts in addition to limiting hitters to a .220 average. His 51 strikeouts on his curveball led the NCAA.

“We thought Zach was one of the best left-handed pitchers in the draft, with an ability to execute pitches, play the front/back game and really just compete,” said Billy Gasparino, Vice President of Baseball Operations, Los Angeles Dodgers. “He has a very old-school throwback delivery. He’s someone our scouting staff was all over, and we're excited to have him.”

Davalan, like Root, was named a second-team All-American by Perfect Game. The 5-9, 190-pound Montreal native played his freshman season at Florida Gulf Coast University, starting all 56 games and splitting time between the infield and outfield. A left-handed batter, he slashed .346/.433/.561 with 14 home runs and 60 RBI, while leading the team in base hits (93) and stolen bases (10) at Arkansas. The First-Team All-SEC honoree posted a .994 OPS, while drawing 35 walks compared to 27 strikeouts.

“What stood out to us about Charles was his ability to conduct an at-bat, use the whole field and hit with power,” Gasparino said. “We think the world of him. We love his makeup. We love his ability to adjust and get better, and we think he's going to be a great Dodger.”

The 6-5, 234-pound Leiter, the Dodgers’ third selection, started his college career at Central Florida before transferring to Florida State his sophomore year. Due to a shoulder injury in 2025, the 21-year-old right-handed pitcher last toed the mound during his 2024 campaign, in which he started seven games and finished with a 4.63 ERA, striking out 56 in 35.0 innings pitched. He is the nephew of former MLB pitchers Al Leiter and Mark Leiter Sr., as well as the cousin of Texas Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter and New York Yankees pitcher Mark Leiter Jr.

“We thought if Cam were healthy and pitched this year,” Gasparino said, “he would have been one of the better college pitchers out there. We love his background and his willingness to fight through adversity to get better, and we think he's got a ton of ceiling and potential.”

The 6-1, 192-pound Vidourek, who like Davalan bats left and throws right, played three seasons at Cincinnati. The 21-year-old’s best stretch was in 2025 when he slashed .304/.434/.576 with 14 home runs, 47 RBI, 56 runs scored and 39 stolen bases in 40 attempts.

“I think that Landon’s athleticism and the tool package were some of the highest we had in the whole draft class,” Gasparino said. “With his ability to run, throw, play center field and hit for power with ease, we just don't see that kind of athletic package very often, and that's why he was so enticing to us.”

The 2025 First-Year Player Draft will resume Monday with rounds 4-20 starting at 8:30 a.m. PDT. The Dodgers’ selections from the 2025 First-Year Player Draft can be tracked using the following link: https://www.mlb.com/draft/tracker/2025/all/team/dodgers

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