Cody Snavely
The 2023 Los Angeles Dodgers are at it again, defying all odds from the beginning of the year, on their way to yet another NL West title, and hopeful for another deep run in October. However, their pitching from the minor leagues has been a big part of this. With the injuries to Dustin May, the continued rehab of Walker Buehler, and the off-the-field issues with Julio Urías, it is impressive that the team is where they are now.
Future ace
Perhaps the biggest surprise from the farm system has been highly touted prospect Bobby Miller, who has met all the high expectations put on the young right-hander from Louisville. Since his debut against the Atlanta Braves in May, Miller has never looked back on being a prominent piece in the Dodgers rotation. Since his debut, Miller has posted a 9-3 record, 92 SO, 3.98 ERA, and an SO9 at 8.1. We here at DodgersBeat have talked about Miller a lot, and with the current state of the rotation and the type of pitcher Miller has been, he will likely start game one or two of the NLDS. Miller is well on his way to being an Ace for LA in the future, and if the team is to make a run this year, expect Miller to be a massive part of it.
The Double-A rotation
Earlier in the season, I wrote about the Dodgers Double-A rotation, which was arguably the best in the minors. At the time, the rotation of Emmet Sheehan, Nick Frasso, Landon Knack, River Ryan, Nick Nastrini, and Kyle Hurt made every start with a combined ERA of 2.78. Looking at the team now, we have often seen or heard these names.
Emmet Sheehan has led the pack getting the all to the majors first and, in his debut, took a no-hitter into the 6th inning until he was pulled. Sheehan has been in the rotation for the bulk of the 2nd half, going 3-1 with a 5.79 ERA, but has shown spots of ace-level material with his debut start and a start against the MLB-leading Braves, only allowing an HR to MVP front-runner Ronald Acuña Jr.
Kyle Hurt is the newest member of the Tulsa Drillers to make an impact on the Dodgers in 2023, getting the call to face the Padres in the 8th and 9th innings. Hurt has a Monster fastball, tons of swing-and-miss on secondaries, and 145 Ks in 88.1 innings between AA and AAA. Dave Roberts said that Hurt is not auditioning for an October role; however, if he gets an opportunity for more innings and is as dominant as he has been all year, it is hard to argue not to put him in there.
The hopefuls
Gavin Stone is lost in the excitement for other rookies, who, in 2023, has gotten multiple opportunities to make his case to be on the big league roster but has not yet lived up to the hype from his minor league career. Stone, who also was called up in late May with Bobby Miller, has not had the same success and has been more of an emergency arm the Dodgers call upon if needed. While the young RHP has a lot of potential left, it will likely be reevaluated next spring after his recent outing against the Padres. He did not impress anyone and gave up seven runs in 5.1 innings.
In his first year in the big leagues, Stone has posted an ERA over ten and a WHIP over 2.0. What may be Stone’s most significant issue is his pitch selection and the inability to put hitters away., While he does have a plus change-up, the failure to have a dominant third or fourth pitch is something he has to develop for future success.
