The Dodgers are possibly the best organization in baseball at finding young arms that are very good to begin with, but, even more importantly, have the potential to grow. And that growth is usually substantial as prospects work their way through the system.
Think of the Dodgers as stock brokers, where performance draws the attention, but growth, many times from the ground floor, is what makes the money.Â
Hence, the phrase “his or her stock is rising”!
That phrase could be used to describe 22-year-old right-handed fireballer Alex Makarewich, who is a very talented pitching prospect with a lightning bolt of a right arm.Â
Background
Makarewich was born in Santa Monica, but moved to the DFW metroplex fairly early in his life and ended up going to Keller, which is the same High School that Max Muncy also graduated from. Shea Langaliers hails from that powerhouse as well, and they all played for the same coach, Rob Stramp, who is on his way to winning 1000 baseball games as a Head Baseball Coach.Â
Coach Stramp will be a Hall of Famer almost immediately after he retires, so Makarewich had great direction and preparation very early in his career.
Yeah, just growing up in Keller, and being able to wear the Keller Indians uniform was awesome. Obviously, at a school like that, there’s an expectation of success, so it was really cool to begin to hone my skills there and be around a lot of talent every single day, so it was definitely a blessing.Â
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The Growth Process
After a great career at Keller, Makarewich had several options but eventually ended up in Natchitoches, Lousiana, pronounced Nacadesh, and don’t ask why, because no one I’ve ever asked has had the answer to that question.Â
But, getting back on track, all you need to know is that it felt like home to the young DFW native, especially when the students were on campus and the city was revolving around a sporting event.Â
And, it was there where he continued to see the velo bumps, and in a fairly natural progression.
He could touch the high 80s when he entered College, which is very good for a pitcher of that age, but, by the time he left, he was touching 96-97.Â
Going to school did a lot of good for me just to gain weight and become a man and that kind of thing. My Freshman year I think I got up to 92 or 93, then as a Sophomore I maybe grabbed a 4. But, it really wasn’t until the Summer before my Junior year where I saw the biggest jump when I touched 96-97 in a bullpen, and I was like, okay, something is clicking here. So, going through the season all the mechanical stuff kind of stuck and I found my groove. I would be like 93-95 for the most part, so there wasn’t any kind of crazy jump all at one time, it just slowly came together.
Drafted
Makarewich was drafted by the Dodgers in the 13th Round of the 2023 Draft which is plenty of reason to turn pro, but the young hurler had even more reason than the average Collegiate athlete. He had been very aggressive with his studies and had already graduated. To think he was able to carry that type of educational load while being a Division 1 baseball player tells you all you need to know about the type of work ethic he possesses.
With a degree in hand, it became a pretty easy decision to turn pro when the Dodgers drafted him in the 13th Round of the 2023 draft.Â
Lucky for me I was able to bring some High School credits into College, so it kind of just worked out for me. I mean, I was done with school, so I was like, let’s go see where this baseball thing will take me. So, it was kind of a perfect storm, and, of course, when it’s the Dodgers that draft you, you can’t turn them down.Â
Adjustments and Mix
Inevitably, even with the progress Makarewich had made in College, there were plenty of adjustments for him to make once he entered the system.
Breaking Balls: Makarewich didn’t really throw a “true” breaking ball in College, so the first pitch he developed when he entered the system was a slider. Then, Makarewich also added a curveball and used the Fall League to get very comfortable throwing it any count.
So, moving forward, Makarewich feels like the curveball will be a big pitch for him.Â
Adjustments: Makarewich could touch 96 when he came to the Dodgers, but, as soon as he got in the system, he did make some adjustments. As a result, he has reached 99 since, and he says the Dodgers make adjustments in a way that is very natural.
Consistency: As with all young power pitchers, putting the ball in the strike zone consistently becomes the key. The more they are in the zone, the more they are able to get to their best stuff in leverage counts. That’s a big focus for Makarewich moving into next year. As he puts it “the stuff is never going to hold him back”, and that’s because it is big.
Finishing Up
Last season was the first professional action of any kind for Makarewich, so it was definitely a 6-month long learning lesson. He has “big” tools, and the Dodgers are the best at using what each pitcher does well, then adding or creating bridges between that big stuff and what has to be done to create consistency. That’s a process that will be super exciting to watch as Alex makes his way likely to Great Lakes and beyond, so stay tuned.Â
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