Van Kempen Selected in 12th Round of 2026 MLB Draft to Los Angeles Dodgers
July 12, 2026 | Baseball
PHILADELPHIA, Penn. - East Carolina graduate student Gavin Van Kempen was selected in the 12th round (373 overall) of the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Van Kempen is the 32nd Pirate under Cliff Godwin and the 135th in program history to be drafted.
Selected in the 12th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers, he is the second Pirate to be drafted in the 2026 MLB Draft. He is the first Pirate under Godwin to be drafted by the Dodgers and joins former Pirates James Rayor (1966), Travis Meyer (1995) and Jharel Cotton (2012), who were also drafted by the Dodger organization.
Van Kempen came to East Carolina from West Virginia, where he showed starting potential and earned a spot in the weekend rotation. In his lone year for the Pirates, he posted a 1.84 ERA in six starts with 45 strikeouts in 29.2 innings pitched and held opponents to a .157 batting average before his season came to an end due to injury.
The Castleton, N.Y. native stood out early, showing his potential as a solid Pirate starter. Van Kempen delivered back-to-back career starts on March 7, throwing a career 7.0 innings with 11 strikeouts while allowing one run and three hits against No. 16 Coastal Carolina. In his next start on March 14 against Pennsylvania, he set a career high with 14 strikeouts in 6.0 shutout innings, earning American Conference Honorable Mention honors in two consecutive weeks.
In his three seasons at West Virginia, Van Kempen posted a 4.94 ERA and a 12-1 record in 39 appearances and 22 starts. The right-hander recorded 93 strikeouts as a Mountaineer while holding opponents to a .235 batting average.
East Carolina Draft Selections Under Cliff Godwin
2015 – Reid Love, Baltimore Orioles (10th Round/Pick 313)
2015 – Luke Lowery, Arizona Diamondbacks (14th Round/Pick 406)
2015 – David Lucroy, Milwaukee Brewers (20th Round/Pick 601)
2017 – Evan Kruczynski, St. Louis Cardinals (Ninth Round/Pick 274)
2018 – Dwanya Williams-Sutton, San Diego Padres (Fifth Round/Pick 141)
2018 – Chris Holba, St. Louis Cardinals (11th Round, Pick 333)
2018 – Connor Litton, Philadelphia Phillies (20th Round/Pick 587)
2019 – Jake Agnos, New York Yankees (Fourth Round/Pick 135)
2019 – Bryant Packard, Detroit Tigers (Fifth Round/Pick 142)
2019 – Spencer Brickhouse, Arizona Diamondbacks (Seventh Round/Pick 212)
2019 – Trey Benton, Cleveland Indians (15th Round/Pick 460)
2019 – Evan Voliva, New York Yankees (18th Round/Pick 555)
2019 – Turner Brown, Colorado Rockies (19th Round/Pick 579)
2019 – Jake Washer, Chicago Cubs (29th Round/Pick 882)
2020 – Alec Burleson, St. Louis Cardinals (Second Round/Pick 70)
2021 – Gavin Williams, Cleveland Indians (First Round/Pick 23)
2021 – Connor Norby, Baltimore Orioles (Second Round/Pick 41)
2021 – Thomas Francisco, St. Louis Cardinals (19th Round/Pick 571)
2022 – Carson Whisenhunt, San Francisco Giants (Second Round/Pick 66)
2022 – Zach Agnos, Colorado Rockies (10th Round/Pick 296)
2023 – Josh Grosz, New York Yankees (11th Round/Pick 342)
2023 – Tyler Brandt, St. Louis Cardinals (16th Round/Pick 485)
2024 – Trey Yesavage, Toronto Blue Jays (First Round/Pick 20)
2024 – Jacob Jenkins-Cowart, Miami Marlins (Eighth Round/Pick 244)
2024 – Ryan McCrystal, Cincinnati Reds (Ninth Round/Pick 269)
2024 – Carter Cunningham, Toronto Blue Jays (10th Round/Pick 307)
2024 – Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman, Seattle Mariners (16th Round/Pick 483)
2024 – Erik Ritcher, Philadelphia Phillies (19th Round/Pick 582)
2025 – Dixon Williams, Atlanta Braves (Fourth Round/Pick 136)
2025 – Ethan Young, St. Louis Cardinals (Fifth Round/Pick 150)
2026 – Ethan Norby, Cincinnati Reds (Fourth Round/Pick 122)
2026 – Gavin Van Kempen, Los Angeles Dodgers (12th Round/Pick 373)
Selected in the 12th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers, he is the second Pirate to be drafted in the 2026 MLB Draft. He is the first Pirate under Godwin to be drafted by the Dodgers and joins former Pirates James Rayor (1966), Travis Meyer (1995) and Jharel Cotton (2012), who were also drafted by the Dodger organization.
Van Kempen came to East Carolina from West Virginia, where he showed starting potential and earned a spot in the weekend rotation. In his lone year for the Pirates, he posted a 1.84 ERA in six starts with 45 strikeouts in 29.2 innings pitched and held opponents to a .157 batting average before his season came to an end due to injury.
The Castleton, N.Y. native stood out early, showing his potential as a solid Pirate starter. Van Kempen delivered back-to-back career starts on March 7, throwing a career 7.0 innings with 11 strikeouts while allowing one run and three hits against No. 16 Coastal Carolina. In his next start on March 14 against Pennsylvania, he set a career high with 14 strikeouts in 6.0 shutout innings, earning American Conference Honorable Mention honors in two consecutive weeks.
In his three seasons at West Virginia, Van Kempen posted a 4.94 ERA and a 12-1 record in 39 appearances and 22 starts. The right-hander recorded 93 strikeouts as a Mountaineer while holding opponents to a .235 batting average.
East Carolina Draft Selections Under Cliff Godwin
2015 – Reid Love, Baltimore Orioles (10th Round/Pick 313)
2015 – Luke Lowery, Arizona Diamondbacks (14th Round/Pick 406)
2015 – David Lucroy, Milwaukee Brewers (20th Round/Pick 601)
2017 – Evan Kruczynski, St. Louis Cardinals (Ninth Round/Pick 274)
2018 – Dwanya Williams-Sutton, San Diego Padres (Fifth Round/Pick 141)
2018 – Chris Holba, St. Louis Cardinals (11th Round, Pick 333)
2018 – Connor Litton, Philadelphia Phillies (20th Round/Pick 587)
2019 – Jake Agnos, New York Yankees (Fourth Round/Pick 135)
2019 – Bryant Packard, Detroit Tigers (Fifth Round/Pick 142)
2019 – Spencer Brickhouse, Arizona Diamondbacks (Seventh Round/Pick 212)
2019 – Trey Benton, Cleveland Indians (15th Round/Pick 460)
2019 – Evan Voliva, New York Yankees (18th Round/Pick 555)
2019 – Turner Brown, Colorado Rockies (19th Round/Pick 579)
2019 – Jake Washer, Chicago Cubs (29th Round/Pick 882)
2020 – Alec Burleson, St. Louis Cardinals (Second Round/Pick 70)
2021 – Gavin Williams, Cleveland Indians (First Round/Pick 23)
2021 – Connor Norby, Baltimore Orioles (Second Round/Pick 41)
2021 – Thomas Francisco, St. Louis Cardinals (19th Round/Pick 571)
2022 – Carson Whisenhunt, San Francisco Giants (Second Round/Pick 66)
2022 – Zach Agnos, Colorado Rockies (10th Round/Pick 296)
2023 – Josh Grosz, New York Yankees (11th Round/Pick 342)
2023 – Tyler Brandt, St. Louis Cardinals (16th Round/Pick 485)
2024 – Trey Yesavage, Toronto Blue Jays (First Round/Pick 20)
2024 – Jacob Jenkins-Cowart, Miami Marlins (Eighth Round/Pick 244)
2024 – Ryan McCrystal, Cincinnati Reds (Ninth Round/Pick 269)
2024 – Carter Cunningham, Toronto Blue Jays (10th Round/Pick 307)
2024 – Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman, Seattle Mariners (16th Round/Pick 483)
2024 – Erik Ritcher, Philadelphia Phillies (19th Round/Pick 582)
2025 – Dixon Williams, Atlanta Braves (Fourth Round/Pick 136)
2025 – Ethan Young, St. Louis Cardinals (Fifth Round/Pick 150)
2026 – Ethan Norby, Cincinnati Reds (Fourth Round/Pick 122)
2026 – Gavin Van Kempen, Los Angeles Dodgers (12th Round/Pick 373)
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