The Los Angeles Dodgers had the 36th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft on Sunday and they actually surprised many, taking 18-year-old high school outfielder Kendall George. While George did believe he'd be taken by the organization, he didn't expect it to be so early.

Via The LA Times:

“I was always going to be a Dodger at the end of the day,” George said. “But getting bumped up to that first [selection], it was definitely a surprise.”

The expectation was the Dodgers would draft George at 60th overall, which appeared to be where most scouts had him landing. But, LA clearly believed it was worth nabbing the youngster earlier. MLB.com had George ranked as the 65th-best prospect in the country, while Baseball America rated him at 115th.

George was incredibly thankful for the Dodgers taking a chance on him. Via MLB.com:

“It felt amazing,” George said on getting drafted. “It was a dream come true. Just from a young age, I’ve always wanted to be a professional baseball player and it’s just a dream not many people can live out. It’s a great feeling. It’s almost unexplainable.”

George, who is committed to play college baseball at Arkansas, is a toolsy player with blazing speed on the basepaths. While high school numbers aren't exactly the most accurate representation of what a prospect could be at the pro level, he hit .455 with three home runs and 34 RBIs in his senior year. Not bad.

The Texas native also made it clear he will “100%” be signing with the Dodgers and forego college. George can receive up to $2.3 million for a signing bonus.