Dodgers' fourth-round pick, ex-Longhorn confidently thinks he'll be steal of draft

Fresh off the biggest embarrassment of his collegiate career, it seems new Dodgers draft pick Dylan Campbell has confidently shaken off all lasting effects.

With a College World Series berth on the line, the Texas Longhorns outfielder and projectable top prospect watched -- or, rather, didn't watch -- a fly ball drop to the turf, giving the Stanford Cardinal yet another appearance in the Final 8.

It was gutting -- or, it would've been, if the slugging outfielder wasn't fresh off a breakout junior campaign in which he hit .339 with 13 homers. Campbell may have been shocked by the sudden ending, but he, and all of Longhorns Nation, knew brighter things were ahead for him, and soon.

After lasting a few more rounds than he probably would've liked to, the Dodgers pulled the trigger on Campbell with the 136th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2023 MLB Draft. Based on his post-draft interview, Campbell is ready to hit the ground running in LA, a franchise that isn't short on either talent or poise.

Dodgers' draft pick Dylan Campbell thinks he was a total steal

"I think they got the best steal of the draft, honestly," Campbell told ABC 13 at his draft party. "I was a little bit surprised that I slid that low, but it's just good for the Dodgers, because they're getting a player who can do everything for 'em and help them in every way."

According to projections, Campbell didn't slip in the draft. Instead, he was actually selected a little bit ahead of where consensus placed him. Entering the first round, MLB Pipeline had him as the draft's No. 171 prospect, while Baseball America chose not to rank him in their top 200. Considering their first-round pick, it's hard to argue the Dodgers cave to consensus come draft time, though. They like what they like. And they liked Campbell more than most (but not more than Campbell likes Campbell).

Campbell's not the type of player to shrug, nod, and say, "No. 136 sounds about right," though. That confidence helped fuel the remarkable 38-game hitting streak that put him on the draft map this spring. It also seems like it'll be what carries him past his recent lows and into the thrilling highs of rising through the Dodgers' farm system.