The Dodgers aren’t winning games yet, but they are getting valuable pieces to the puzzle moving forward. Mookie Betts is off to a good start, Yoshinobu Yamamoto looked good, and so did Tony Gonsolin.
Spring training is all about getting the players on the 26 man roster ready to do, not about wins and losses.
Tony Gonsolin threw some nice split fingers, located his fastball well, and turned the ball left with his slider. And, he did it while staying in the strike zone. There was no other way to leave yesterday other than being excited about where he is at now as he competes for the 6th spot in the rotation.
It’s easy to forget just how effective Gonsolin has been when he’s been healthy, and if he can pitch like he did yesterday, as a 6th starter, this Dodgers roster gets that much better.
Atta Baby Barnsy! Click the picture or any of the highlighted links to listen to some tremendous perspective from Rick Monday on just how hard it is to give consistent production, while not getting consistent playing time. If it’s hard for a veteran like Barnes, imagine how hard it is for a rookie with no experience, and just trying to get comfortable.
Absolute Audio Gold from the National Treasure! On Dodgers Dawgs, we often discuss the Dodgers’ Culture, to the point that I’m sure Dodgers fans get tired of hearing it.
Well, don’t believe me, listen to someone who knows better than anyone about the importance of the way the Dodgers do things. Do yourself a favor and take the time to listen to Rick Monday, it’s worth your time.
Luis Garcia is another veteran pitcher the Dodgers brought in over the off-season. He had a rough outing today, but with his experience, it’s hard to know how simple the plan was, which can drastically affect results.
Another candidate you would have to assume could be the Quad A depth in a pinch. Think Nabil Crismatt, Eduardo Salazar or Dinelson Limet.
Garcia has 528 MLB innings, and has posted a career 4.14 ERA. 6 pitch mix dominated by his sinker, then he splits time between his slider and splitter.
Atta Baby Wardo! Ryan Ward made a nice catch in Right Field and followed that with a base hit. This dude falls out of bed raking, he can hit. I say this quite a bit, but he might have the best pure hit tool of any prospect in the org. when comparing the ability to hit for average vs. power.
He is the only Bryant Bulldog to hit over .400 for a full season, and he’s consistently towards the top of the home run list in the organization every year.
The question would be, where would he plug in defensively on a roster as loaded as the one the Dodgers have built? If there are baseball gods, this guy will get his chance, somehow, in some way.
The Maytag! Jack Dreyer made his debut, and, in no surprise, he cruised right through it.
Dreyer was signed as an undrafted free agent due to Tommy John and shoulder surgeries at Iowa, and he has absolutely dominated since he hit the ground running in 2023 in affiliated baseball.
His K% in 2023 was 34.8% in 2023 with High A Great Lakes, it was 29.9% in AA Tulsa last year, and 31.7% in AAA OKC. His ERA at the Minor League level has been 2.20, his WHIP has been just 0.99.
As a show of how valuable he is viewed, Dreyer was put on the 40-man roster this off-season to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.
Nicest guy you’ll ever meet off the field, and the most competitive athlete you’ll ever see on. Stay tuned, this dude is the real deal.
Joe Jacques is another off-season signee with Major League experience who was signed to a Minor League contract. We are lucky at OKC to get to see these MLB professionals, who really show you how Major Leaguers operate.
Although Jacques has only 29.2 MLB innings, he knows what a Major League clubhouse is like and what to expect. He can use that knowledge in his preparation and as a model for others.
Career 5.46 ERA is a small sample size, so not much to judge from those statistics, especially considering the work the Dodgers do with pitchers once they get them in the system.
Jacques features a Sinker, Sweeper, and Slider. Low 3/4 slot with a ton of movement, I’m already pissed thinking about trying to hit that, lol.
Ben Casparius has invented and reinvented himself through the Minor League process, but he’s always built around his slider, and ability to beat hitters with his off-speed stuff.
It’s one thing to have sharp breakers that can entice hitters to chase—many professional pitchers can do that. But it’s a whole other thing to be able to throw your off-speed in the zone and consistently beat hitters. Quite a few fewer pitchers can do that, but Casparius can, and his fastball has continued to develop.
The result has been what you see now, a pitcher who is ready to make a consistent impact at the Major League level.
Ben is not a finished product, not because he’s not good enough to be, but because he never quits working on trying to find the best version of himself. I enjoy watching this guy pitch, enjoy watching his process more, and enjoy watching him compete even more than that.
Chris Okey had 2 hits yesterday, including a home run to Center field. Okey is a 30-year-old catcher who played in 45 games last year and had 165 at-bats. He’s been a good depth piece in an organization that makes a ton of moves so that part of it is valuable.
Would anticipate that he’ll have the same type of role this year with Feduccia and Rushing likely getting the bulk of the catching duties with AAA OKC. Good player, and a good asset to any organization.
Been tellin’ anyone who wants to listen, that Carlos Duran is healthy and ready to break out this year. Duran was a top prospect in the system but has had his progress slowed due to Tommy John Surgery.
6’7, really good slider, has different hesitations in his windup to throw hitters timing off, and a fastball that can touch 96, maybe a tick higher on occasion.
He’s worked both as a starter and as a reliever, so let’s call him “bulk inning.”
He’s scheduled to start in OKC, so he’s close, stay tuned!
Chris Campos and his dad built a mound in his backyard and worked like crazy to master his slider last off-season, and, it absolutely worked.
Campos is one of the most self-aware young pitchers I’ve seen pitch, and what I mean by that is he knows what makes him good, and he knows how to execute his mix and sequencing.
He was the starting short stop at Saint Marys and didn’t pitch much at all, so his ceiling is just now starting to grow. ++ athlete, which is very important, as we see with guys like River Ryan, live arm, and as stated before, he’s just getting started as a pitcher.
Campos has a similar backstory to Gavin Stone. He was told that he was too little to play D1 baseball, but, instead of letting that narrative get in his way, he, instead, responded by going to a great baseball school and becoming an everyday player. And he played a premier position.
The Dodgers saw his arm talent, athletic ability, and ability to absorb and apply information, drafted him, and then converted him to a pitcher.
Keep your eye on this guy, he’s gonna continue to get better and better.
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