Cody Snavely
Entering the offseason, the Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen was seen as one of their strengths, and for good reason, as the group, otherwise known as the “Dawgs,” was instrumental in the franchise’s eighth World Series championship.
However, the team did have some departing names in the free agent and retirement markets, most notably right-handed pitchers Daniel Hudson, Joe Kelly, and Brent Honeywell. However, the team did opt to re-sign Blake Treinen to a 2-year, $22 million deal.
The Dodgers bullpen by no means needed any major upgrades as most of those arms were returning. Overall, the Dodgers bullpen pitched 648 innings, which was the fourth most in the National League. However, it still managed to rank third in ERA (3.53), second in WHIP (1.18), second in Batting Average (.220), and third in LOB% (73.5%).
Fast-forward to today, and the team added plenty of big names to their roster, including 2024 American League all-star Kirby Yates and his devastating splitter and lefty closer Tanner Scott, making the backend of the Dodgers bullpen one of the best in baseball.
Per FanGraphs, the Dodgers’ projected bullpen to start the season will consist of lefties Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia, Anthony Banda, and Justin Wrobleski and righties Kirby Yates, Blake Treinen, Ben Casparius, and Dustin May.
The Dodgers are expected to have Michael Kopech, Evan Phillips, and Brusdar Graterol out for an extended period as each player recovers from their injuries. They have already lost 28-year-old Michael Grove to season-ending shoulder surgery.
Heading into the 2025 season, the Dodgers bullpen has been ranked in multiple top-ten positions, including the number two spot, according to CBS Sports.
The biggest wrinkle in the Dodgers bullpen and pitching in general is health. Last season, the Dodgers bullpen was asked to eat multiple innings and games due to the Dodgers’ lack of starting pitching in mid-summer and October.
Despite Los Angeles adding Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, and eventually Shohei Ohtani to the mix, that will determine who’s in the bullpen and how often they’re used.
Still, the Dodgers’ pitching staff is one of the deepest in baseball, and multiple arms throughout the organization will make their impact this season, such as Bobby Miller, Landon Knack, Nick Frasso, and Jack Dreyer.
DodgersBeat Grade A
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