The Dodgers posted the best ERA in baseball at 2.80, gave up the fewest amount of hits (1114), the fewest amount of runs (513), the fewest amount of earned runs (451), had the lowest WHIP at 1.05 and recorded the lowest batting average against in all of the MLB. The Dodger’s pitching staff also issued the 2nd fewest walks of any club in the MLB granting just 407 free passes in 2022, and also recorded the 5th most strikeouts (1465), and gave up the 6th fewest amount of home runs at 152. It was a remarkable regular season for the Dodgers pitching staff, so let’s all hope they continue to dominate their way to a World Championship in 2022.

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Starting Pitchers

Watch Urias in the Dodgers Pitching Podcast

Julio Urias posted an ERA of just 2.16 on the year which was the best ERA in the National League and 2nd best in all of baseball only behind Justin Verlander of the Astros. He also gave up the fewest amount of earned runs, the 2nd fewest hits of any National League pitcher (127), and posted the 3rd best WHIP in the National League at 0.96. Aside from 2018 where he pitched just 4 innings, Urias set personal bests this year in ERA, WHIP, Runs allowed, and average against, so it was a spectacular year for the 26-year-old who has been in the Dodgers system since 2016.

Urias throws his 4-seam 47% of the time and his best secondary is listed as a curveball but would be more accurately labeled a slurve as it is a hybrid between a curveball and slider. He throws what I’m calling a “slurve” 33% of the time and also features a changeup that he sprinkles in a little less than 1 out of every 5 pitches, then throws a very occasional 2-seam sinker once or twice a game. Urias will sit at 93 and can touch as high as 96 with his 4-seam, so when he drops his 80 MPH curveball, it really keeps hitters off balance. His changeup sits at 86 miles an hour as well, so it is anywhere from 7 to 10 miles an hour off of his fastball which really allows him to pull the string with the pitch. But, he only throws his changeup for a strike 31% of the time as compared to his curveball, which lands in the zone close to 60% of the time, so he has much better command of his curveball than he does his changeup which is why he throws it more.

Watch Anderson in the Dodgers Pitching Prospect

Tyler Anderson threw the most amount of innings for the Dodgers in 2022 and is the only other starting pitcher other than Urias that threw enough innings in to be considered a qualified player this year. Anderson threw 178.2 innings in 2022 and posted the best ERA of his career at 2.57. He also posted his lowest WHIP as a professional at 1.00, his lowest average against at .221 and his 2nd lowest walks per innings pitched ratio of his career. While Anderson was walking fewer hitters per innings pitched, at the same time he also recorded the 2nd most strikeouts in his career, only behind the 164 he recorded in 2018. Anderson was 2nd in the National League in earned runs allowed (51), and was 5th in the League in ERA (2.57), hits given up (145), and was also 5th in the fewest amount of home runs given up having given up just 14 long balls in 178.2 innings, which equates to 1 home run every 12.7 innings. Anderson is 32 years old and has pitched for 5 different clubs during his MLB tenure and is having the best season of his career, and we all hope that carries into the post-season.

Anderson is a 5-pitch pitcher who is very balanced between his fastball and off-speed as he throws his 4-seam just 38% of the time. He is not only balanced in changing speeds but he is also balanced between the secondary pitches he throws as well. He features 4 off-speed pitches and throws his changeup and curveball the exact same amount of the time at 32%, then he’ll throw about 20-25 cutters a game on average, then will sprinkle in a handful or so of sinkers as well. Anderson is the master of changing speed and keeping hitters off-balance, and, with the added energy that playoff games present, that aspect of his game should play well.

Watch Gonsolin in the Dodgers Pitching Podcast

Tony Gonsolin threw the third most innings of any Dodgers pitcher hurling 130.1 innings in 2022. If he had thrown enough innings to qualify, he would have led the National League in ERA (2.14), average against at .172, and would have been top 10 in WHIP at 0.89. Gonsolin recorded career bests in ERA, hits per innings pitched, strikeouts, and average against, and had the best walks to innings pitched of his career if you discount 2019 and 2020 where he only threw 40 and 46 innings respectively in those years.

Gonsolin is one of the few pitchers in the Dodgers system that features a split-finger pitch that he throws almost a 1/3 of the time to pair with his 4-seam that sits 93 and can touch 96. He also features a slider that he throws 22% of the time, then he throws an occasional curveball as well. His split finger gives him a right turn to his shapes, his 4-seam gives him the riding effect, his slider gives him a left-turn shape and his curveball gives him the downward tumble, so he has every shape to present a hitter, which is a large reason why he has been so good.

Watch Kershaw in the Dodgers Pitching Podcast

Clayton Kershaw is a Hall of Famer who had a Hall of Fame kind of year although he fell below the threshold to be considered a qualified player which means his stats are not applied to the statistical leaders in the league. Kershaw posted a 2.28 ERA, which, if he qualified, would be tied for the 2nd best ERA in the National League and would be tied for 5th best in all of baseball. As an example of just how great Kershaw has been, as good as his ERA was this year, it is the 6th best he has posted in his illustrious 15-year career. He also posted a WHIP of just 0.94 which would be best in the National League and 2nd best in the MLB behind only Justin Verlander. Kershaw also posted a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 5.6 to 1 and had an average against of just .208 which would be 6th best in the NL if he qualified.

Kershaw featured 5 pitches in 2022, and is one of the rare pitchers that don’t throw the fastball the highest percentage of the time. His slider has become his go-to pitch as he throws it 43% of the time which is 3% higher than his fastball and 26% more than any other pitch he throws. His curveball, which used to be his go-to secondary pitch, gets thrown just 16% of the time, and then he’ll throw about 1 sinker and 1 changeup on average per game.

Watch Heaney in the Dodgers Pitching Podcast

Andrew Heaney, like Anderson, is another veteran who has found success with the Dodgers posting the best ERA of his career in 2022 at 31 years old. Heaney also set a personal best in WHIP at 1.09, strikeouts per innings pitched, and other than 2020, hits per innings pitched as well. Heaney was placed on the IL 2 different times and, thus, only logged 72.2 innings, but he certainly made the most of the time he was on the mound for L.A.

Heaney is a 3-pitch pitcher that leans very heavily on his 4-seam fastball that sits 93 and can touch 96. His best secondary pitch is his slider he throws to the backdoor and backfoot to righties, then uses it as a sweeper that is very tough on lefties. He throws his slider 32.4% of the time and lands it in the zone just 40% of the time, so he relies on hitters to swing at sliders that look like they are going to land in the zone, but then break out of it and induces a swing and miss strike. Heaney will also throw a handful of changeups as well to give him the tumble and left turn he needs to pair with the right turn of his slider and the rising effect of his 4-seam.