Dodgers Interview: Wrobo talks 2026 expectations and being ready for anything

LOS ANGELES — Justin Wrobleski showed up to DodgerFest sounding like a guy who already knows what his job description is going to be in 2026. Because when you’ve proven you can handle chaos, the rest of it starts to look pretty simple: stay ready, take the ball, get outs, repeat.

And Wrobleski has a fresh receipt for that. He finished last season as a bulk weapon for the Dodgers and then somehow went from “depth arm” to “World Series innings” without blinking, putting up five scoreless frames across four appearances in the Fall Classic.

“More of the same” offseason

Asked how he’s gearing up with spring training right around the corner, Wrobleski didn’t make it sound like he reinvented himself in a lab somewhere. He said Dodgers strength coach Travis asked if he’d done anything different, and Wrobleski’s answer was basically: not really.

“I think for me it’s been more of the same,” he said, noting he’d already dealt with a shorter offseason last year and “had a good idea of how I wanted to go about it… and I feel pretty good. I’m ready to go.”

Last year forced the adjustments

When thinking about 2025, Wrobo didn’t pretend it was smooth from day one.

“I learned last year… had to make some changes, make some adjustments, change the mechanical stuff,” he said. “It’s all part of the process… unfortunately, it took me a little bit of time to kind of figure out what I can do.”

Wrobleski gave credit to the organization for staying with him through what he called his “figure it out phase,” and he made it sound like the biggest growth wasn’t only physical. “I learned a ton last year from… not only physical but just mental standpoint,” he said, “and it was a great year and I’m excited for this year.”

The track record supports the idea that his role started shifting as the year went on. By the end of 2025, he was being used as a bulk reliever who could cover real innings and keep games from getting sideways.

World champs for five minutes, then right back to work

When the conversation turned to the World Series and the trophies, Wrobleski sounded exactly like every guy on a championship club who’s still hungry. “Obviously ending with the trophies… what you want to do every year,” he said. “But… you get it and then you just want it again.”

He said he took about a week and a half, maybe two weeks off from throwing, and then it was back to the program. Not because he’s trying to be a robot, but because he understands the reality of being the hunted. “You want to take time to enjoy it,” he said, “but at the same time… you have to get ready for next year and you know that everyone else is out there chasing after you.”

Starter, reliever, hybrid? His answer: “My guess is as good as yours”

This was the heart of the interview, and Wrobleski didn’t dodge it. He was as clueless as everyone else on the field. Asked how the Dodgers view him going forward, he laughed at the uncertainty.

“My guess is as good as yours,” he said.

But he’s not waiting for a label to start preparing. “They’ve talked to me… about some things and kind of how I’m going to be used this spring training,” he said, “but… if I’m ready to go multiple innings, that puts me in a good spot to do whatever they need me to do.”

It doesn’t take a baseball savant to look at the Dodgers’ depth chart. There are a lot of names and a lot of salary on that list before the name of Wrobleski pops up. It’s going to take injuries or collapse before his number is called to start. However, he’s taking it all in stride.

“Be ready to go three, four, five, six innings, whatever, just like I’m a starter,” he said. “And then… we can always work back from there. I know how to do both now. So whatever they need me to do, I’m going to do.”

That flexibility matters on this roster, especially when you’re trying to build an Opening Day pitching staff and you’ve got more arms than chairs. Even some guys who were on postseason rosters aren’t guaranteed anything in March.

The biggest leap: simplifying his brain so he can pitch

Wrobleski admitted he came up as a heavy planner, the type who wants to study everything, map everything, and build a perfect plan for every hitter. Then he talked about learning when that can backfire.

“I always want to dive really deep into things,” he said. “And I think sometimes I can get in the way of just going out there and being me.”

He told a story about wanting to make a detailed “card” for hitters and getting told not to early on, then later, once he understood how to use his stuff and his command tightened up, building something that actually fit him. “That’s something I’m going to take into this year and continue to refine,” he said, adding that it was “super helpful” learning it in a relief role, and that it’ll help if he starts again.

That’s the swingman brain in a nutshell. You still prepare, but you don’t paralyze yourself. You simplify until you can compete.

The World Series innings weren’t a fluke.

Somebody brought up the part Dodgers fans remember: Wrobleski throwing scoreless innings on the biggest stage. He treated it like gratitude mixed with purpose.

“It’s great,” he said. “Being able to go out there and do that was super special to me. Growing up, that’s what you want to do… pitch in World Series games… come through for your team when it matters.”

And he made sure to point at the trust factor. “I’m so thankful… to Dave Roberts and everybody for trusting me,” he said. “I just wanted to come through for him.”

We’ve got the receipts on those innings, too. He logged 1.1 scoreless in Game 7, and that appearance had its own little dose of World Series drama when a hit-by-pitch helped spark a benches-clearing moment.

His spring plan is the simple

With the rotation stacked and the bullpen crowded, Wrobleski still described spring training the way most pitchers do when they’re trying to force a decision. “Go out there and dominate,” he said, “and kind of show them I belong… get better each day.”

That’s the pitch. That’s always the pitch. But it hits a little different when it’s coming from a guy who already got October outs and didn’t flinch.

Wrobleski isn’t walking into camp as a mystery anymore. He’s walking in as a weapon the Dodgers already used in the loudest moments. Now he’s trying to make it impossible to put him back in the box.

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