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James Outman Breakdown and Analysis
The Dodgers made big news when they chose not to tender Cody Bellinger a contract for this upcoming season in 2023. Bellinger is just 27 years old and is just 3 years removed from being the MVP of the National League, so it was a cliffhanger because we all know that he still has MVP talent.
And he still has plenty of time in his career to return to that MVP form.
But, the decision was made, and unless he agrees to come back to the Dodgers at a lesser rate, something which seems unlikely, especially knowing that Scott Boras is his agent, the Dodgers are moving on.
So, whose next? Is James Outman the future in Center Field for the Dodgers?
That’s the million-dollar question that, most likely, the organization hasn’t even sorted through yet, so today’s article will make Outman’s case.
2022
Outman hit .294 this past season, had an OPS of .978, knocked in 106 runs, and had 31 home runs. He, quite possibly, was the best player in the Minor Leagues last season when taking into account the type of defense he plays, which, has always been his strongest point.
In the following video watch how “fearless” Outman is going back on balls toward the wall. He was a Linebacker at Serra, and it shows when danger lurks because it doesn’t phase him.
Over the Wall
If you’re still not convinced of how good he is going back on the ball, and how he’s not phased by the wall, check out this next video where Outman actually flips over the wall.
Coming In on the Ball
We’ve seen how good Outman is going back on the ball, so naturally, you may be asking how he does coming in on the ball. Well, here you go, watch this next video and be the judge for yourself.
Speed
Outman is one of the best athletes in the system and is an above-average runner and has a speed tool that has been rated as a 55 grade. He didn’t steal a ton of bases last year, 13 to be exact, and getting jumps to steal bases isn’t his best tool, but he is a very aggressive base-runner and knows how to take the extra base. So, he likely won’t ever be near the top of the league in stolen bases, but he’s most definitely capable of putting multiple 20/20 years together.
Arm
His arm is an above-average tool as well as it has been rated as a 60 grade by the MLB pipeline. His footwork is very good which helps make him an accurate thrower. This next video shows him fielding the ball, transitioning into a throw, then making accurate throws to gun down base runners.
Power
Outman hit 31 home runs in 2022 which would have tied for 3rd most in the PCL if he had enough at-bats to qualify, had an OPS of .978, hit 31 home runs, and had 31 doubles. Again, he didn’t have enough at-bats to qualify, but, again, if he did, his 31 doubles would have been tied for 7th most in the PCL. He added 7 triples which would have also been 4th most in the league, so, he, unquestionably, was one of the better hitters in all of the Minor Leagues in 2022.
Explosive
If you were paying close enough attention to the last video you noticed that Outman hit for the cycle in that video. As a matter of fact, he hit for the cycle twice this year, both within a one-week span. When combining that with the fact that he also hit 2 grand slams, and had 106 RBIs, it goes to show just how explosive his offensive game is.
You’ve already seen his first cycle in the last video, now you can watch his 2nd cycle in this next video.
Offensive Game
Outman is one of the most explosive offensive prospects in the game and has unlimited potential, but one aspect of his offensive game that needs improvement is his strikeout rate. He struck out 152 times last year and had a K Rate of 27%, which needs to come down a little. Of course, it’s a trade-off because his power is great, and guys that hit with his kind of power swing and miss more often. But, barring injury, if, for some reason, he doesn’t end up becoming a top-shelf MLB player, his strikeout rate would, most likely, be the only reason why.
But the good news is that, since the beginning of August, when he got brought up to LA, then sent back down, his strike-out rate went down to 25% in AAA action which is the lowest since his first year in Pro Ball. So he showed improvement in that area in the last 2 months of the season, and again, a guy like Outman needs the freedom to be able to swing and miss to stay aggressive. That much can’t be debated. But what can be debated is the question of the right balance between swing and miss and power.
Polishing It Up
Outman’s situation last year was odd because he hit .462 during his time with LA and certainly made the most of his opportunities. But, that time was limited to just 4 games and 13 at-bats. The peculiar aspect to that is that the Dodgers FO had to have known at the time that it was possible that Bellinger wasn’t coming back, so it was odd that Outman never got called back up and given much more experience.
Especially considering that the Dodgers had such a huge lead in the Division.
But, I’ve learned at least one thing over the years about this organization, and that is that the Front Office always has a plan and they are very disciplined in executing it. So, what are the plans for Outman? Only time will tell, but as of right now he looks like he is a future everyday outfielder and that’s a very good thing.
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Ryan Sublette: Always Been a Winner
Learning how to win at an early age is a critical part of development because it motivates young athletes to want more. Winning breeds competitiveness, competitiveness leads to work ethic, and work ethic leads to success.
Ryan Sublette is a Right-handed relief pitcher in the Dodgers organization that knows nothing other than winning, and now he’s poised for the biggest baseball victory of his career, the MLB.
Sublette grew up in Lemont, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, and always loved baseball for as long as he can remember, and for good reason, he’s always won. He won 2 State Titles in High School, played on the same showcase Summer team as Bobby Miller, and went to Texas Tech in college where he got to pitch in the College World Series. He was also a big part of Great Lakes’ miraculous comeback in the first half of this past season when they made up an 8 1/2 game deficit with 13 games to go, so, all he knows is winning, and he doesn’t plan on changing that any time soon. Lemont High School
Sublette helped lead a recent rise at Lemont that has placed the school as one of the perennial powers in the State of Illinois, and one that has become known for cranking out State Titles.During his time at Lemont, the 3/4 throwing Sublette not only led his team to 2 State Titles, he also earned All-Conference honors and holds the Illinois State Tournament single-game strikeout record with 14. He was named to the WWBA Underclassmen World Championship team and also played on the Cincinnati Reds Midwest Scout team, so his prep career was jam-packed and full of elite achievements.
Sublette received several offers from D1 schools and eventually chose Texas Tech.
Wreck ’em
It’s funny how history tends to repeat itself, and, just like back home at Lemont, Texas Tech has seen a resurgence in its baseball program in the last decade. Under Tim Tadlock, the Red Raiders have made 4 College World Series appearances and have won 5 Regionals and 3 Conference Titles all in the last 8 years.
Dan Law Field is the home for Tech and the fans in Lubbock pack it out for almost every game. Sublette knew he wanted to play for a winner, he wanted to play South of Chicago, and he wanted to play big-time College baseball in front of packed crowds. Texas Tech checked every box.
Going to Tech stems back to my Travel ball days where we didn’t lose very much, then it so happened that my High School team won 2 State Titles, so I’ve always just wanted to be on a really good team.
With a Sublette grin, he continued
I was fortunate enough to be pretty well recruited during my time in High School, but it was kind of a situation where I always dreamed of going to play at a big stadium with a lot of fans down South and having the chance to go to a World Series. Thankfully J-Bob Thomas came out to watch me pitch, took me on a visit and that was that.
Sublette made an immediate impact at Tech and earned 13 appearances as a Freshman on a team that was loaded full of great arms. He also got to pitch in the College World Series against Michigan as a Sophomore then helped the Red Raiders build a 16-3 record during his Junior year in 2020 before Covid ended their season. As a Redshirt Junior in 2021, he posted an ERA of 2.34, an average against of just .183, and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 3.64 to 1. Sublette was a starter his whole life and came to Tech as a starting pitcher, but transitioned during his Sophomore year into the role of a high-leverage reliever. He loved being a starting pitcher, and that’s a feeling that will never go away, but the move has worked out very well and is one that he has bought completely into.
I would say that, at first, I still wanted to be a starter, but looking back I was definitely more of a thrower than a pitcher and I wasn’t throwing enough strikes to be a starter. So, although I may not have fully liked it at the time, I feel like I’ve bought into it and adopted the role. Not to say I don’t miss starting, but I’m happy coming out of the bullpen.
Here’s what his Pitching Coach in college, Matt Gardner, had to say about Sublette.
We love Ryan.
Ryan was a kid that had arm talent when he came to campus. He worked extremely hard to become the pitcher he is today. He is mentally tough as a player and he had some ups and downs in college but really decided to put in the work. His success is not a surprise with how he dedicated himself on and off the field. He is one of the best competitors and teammates we have had on our pitching staff.Those are very big words considering the amount of talent, and specifically pitching talent, that has found its way through Lubbock.
On To The Next Winner
Sublette was drafted in the 7th Round of the 2021 draft and was moved to Single-A Rancho Cucamonga after just 1 start in the Complex League. During his time with Rancho, the side-slotting former Red Raider continued to show his ability to strike hitters out by posting a 12 to 1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He paired that with a WHIP of just 1.03 and an ERA of 3.72 so he left 2021 ready to be promoted and that’s exactly what happened.Sublette broke camp with High A Great Lakes this past season, in 2022, and was with the Loons for the entirety of the season. After a good May where his ERA was 3.48, June was bumpy, but then he really settled in. His ERA in July was just 1.59, it was 1.93 in August then 0.00 in September.
He was also a big part of the Loon’s big comeback in the first half of the season when they miraculously caught Dayton after trailing by 8 1/2 games with just 13 to play.
Sublette says it was fun because the team was so focused.
Everyone was locked in every pitch and really wanted to win and wanted to out-compete the other team and it was just a lot of fun when things were going our way. When you play hard you get rewarded and that was a crazy streak we had there to clinch the first half. To have the champagne showers was pretty fun too.
Feature Cut
Sublette throws with what is known as a low 3/4 slot which might make one assume that he should be a sinker ball pitcher.
This is where modern-day machinery and analytics have revolutionized the game, however.
Although he does have a low 3/4 arm slot, he still stays on top of the ball, so he gets the best of all worlds. His delivery makes it uncomfortable for Right-handed hitters, but he can still ride the ball at the top of the zone and throw a true slider and a changeup, the preferred mix for the vast, vast majority of relief pitchers in today’s game.
Here is what he looks like in full speed, and notice the 3/4″ arm slot.
On Top of the Ball
Now look at this still photo and notice how, although his slot is a 3/4, his hand is still directly behind the baseball, which means he is able to stay on top. This is big because it allows him to maximize the amount of backspin he can get on the ball which increases his velocity and allows him to ride the top of the zone.
Look at this release and imagine how difficult this makes it on the hitter when he comes up and in.
Slider
Another thing that staying on top of the ball does for Sublette is it allows him to get depth on his slider. If he was on the side of the ball he would be able to get good East/West movement, but it would be difficult for him to create tumble and sink.
Changeup
Moving the ball away from hitters is always preferred which is why Right-handed pitchers like to throw the slider to righties and the changeup to lefties. The slider takes a left turn and the changeup fades into a right turn. Having both of these shapes allows them to be equally effective to right-handed hitters as they are left-handed hitters.
What’s Next?
Sublette spent all of 2022 in High A Great Lakes so it will be interesting to see where he starts in 2023. Regardless of where he starts, I would have to imagine that he will spend a good amount of time in AA Tulsa, something which I am looking forward to because I will get to see him pitch in person.
Actually, I should say, see him again.
I saw him in person while he was in college, and all I can say is that I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a hitter square him up. Between his 3/4 slot and the way he is able to sink the ball, but also carry the top of the zone makes it an incredibly uncomfortable at-bat for hitters, and one that usually ends in weak contact or a swing and a miss.
To go with his talent, Sublette has always been on winning teams, so he knows nothing different and carries himself like a winner. He’s certainly not arrogant, but he damn sure is confident, a trait that has been the backbone of his Alma-Mater Texas Tech.
If I could make a suggestion, do yourself a favor and watch Texas Tech play a big weekend series next year, put it in your memory bank, and keep it until the next time you have a chance to watch Sublette. Once you see the confidence, some may say swagger, you’ll have a full picture of this young Illinois natives mentality, where it came from, and why it’s never going away.
In closing, I would like to thank Ryan for joining Dodgers Daily for an interview. Although he was a rival to my beloved Pokes, it was an honor to get to speak with this young man, and I’m so excited that he’s on my side now.
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Michael Hobbs: Bigtime Gamer!
Championship-caliber teams have leaders who lead by example, set high standards, and leave but 2 choices, in or out.
And there is no in-between.
Michael Hobbs is a right-handed pitcher in the Dodgers organization that knows all about that leadership process because he’s been through it, he’s lived it, he knows how to use it, and, because of it, he’s almost made it.
To the Major Leagues!
The Process of Winning
Hobbs grew up in Corona, California, and learned how to compete at an early age. His High School Coach, Andy Wise, was one of the original dirtbags from the Long Beach State team that played in the College World Series, and then he also played for the Cubs in the MLB. Wise built a very competitive environment that taught his players how to win, and also how to hold each other accountable. Getting on the field was not easy, and the older players led by example. “Coach Wise was the man and he really knows what he is doing so he was a huge part of it. The older guys were a huge part too though. Seth Kaneen and Tristan Beck were guys that were Juniors when I was coming in as a Freshman, and to be honest, they simply laid down the law. They showed everyone what’s right and what’s wrong, and if you did something that was wrong they would let you know about it.”
“Our biggest thing was to win at all cost and that’s kind of how it is with the Dodgers so it was awesome being brought up in that kind of atmosphere with those older guys taking charge and leading the way.”
Hobbs earned letters in his last 3 seasons at Corona but it wasn’t until his Junior Season that he made his biggest impact. As a Junior, he hit .376, then backed that up his Senior year by hitting .364 with 27 RBIs. His offense was very good, but his calling card was on the mound.
As a pitcher, he posted ERAs that were below 2.00 in every year starting with his Sophomore season, and as a Senior he posted an ERA of just 1.08 and had 76 strikeouts. That’s obviously very good in and of itself, but when you factor in the competition he was pitching against, it becomes infinitely more impressive.
Hobbs is known as a “gamer” and he attributes a lot of that to having to earn all of his playing time in High School.
“Honestly, it stems from High School and from those older guys. I was definitely not thrown into the biggest moments right away. I didn’t play as a Freshman at Corona, my Sophomore year I was coming out of the pen, and I didn’t get the biggest taste of it until I was a Junior. So I think the sense of having to claw my way up on that team is definitely where me becoming a “gamer” stems from.
“Everyone wants to pitch in the biggest moments and in the biggest games, and, honestly, I’ve learned to understand that, whatever the situation is, it kind of stays the same the whole time. I don’t get extra “geeked” up if we’re up 1 or if we’re up 10, it’s the same all the way through.”
St. Mary’s
After High School, Hobbs chose St. Mary which, ironically, was very similar to Corona in the sense that the roster was loaded. St. Mary’s produced Tony Gonsolin and Corbin Burnes, and also had Tom Candiotti’s sons, Casey and Clark, on its roster when Hobbs arrived on campus. Greg Moore had just taken the reins for the Gaels and he is widely known as a program builder. Moore came from Cal State Northridge where he built probably the best 4-year span in the history of the school, so Hobbs knew he was going to be playing for a winner.
To add to the appeal, Josh Nashed was the Gael’s pitching coach and he brought with him his own resume of success. Nashed played in the Indians organization and specializes in teaching pitchers how to compete so Hobbs knew he’d be surrounded by great players, great coaches, and a competitive environment.
And that made him feel right at home.
Hobbs pitched in all 4 seasons as a Gael and overcame a season-ending injury his Junior year before posting 6 saves, a 1.00 WHIP, and a 0.72 ERA as a Senior. He recorded 25 saves for his career at St. Mary’s which made him the All-Time saves leader in the school’s illustrious history of baseball.He proved himself, again, to be a “gamer”.
The Dodgers drafted him in the 10th Round of the 2021 Draft. and he was so well-liked by his coaches and teammates at St. Mary’s, that they celebrated with him when he got drafted. Here’s what his Head Coach at St. Mary’s had to say about Hobbs when he got drafted.
“Michael is the rare mix of a professional worker and a genuinely good teammate. Every one of his coaches and teammates was fist pumping when Michael was taken by the Dodgers.”
Hometown Dodgers
Hobbs grew up in Corona, California which is less than 50 miles from Dodgers Stadium, so you can imagine how excited he was when he heard his name called. You can also imagine how excited he was to have been drafted in any round, but, with it being the 10th, he, quite possibly, was the biggest steal of the 2021 Draft. Although the 10th Round is certainly not an excessively low Round, his competitiveness, grit, work ethic, and character are equal parts to his Track Record and talent, so he is a top-shelf prospect. When asked if he pitches with a chip on his shoulder based on where he got drafted, knowing he was the All-Time saves leader at St. Mary’s, this is what he had to say.
“I think I always play with a chip on my shoulder, and I don’t think being drafted in the 10th Round has too much to do with it. To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect going into the draft so I’m honestly just kind of happy and thankful that it worked out the way it did.”
2022
Hobbs was assigned to High A Great Lakes in 2022 and it didn’t take him long to settle in and get comfortable. After a bit of a slow start in April posting a 5.59 ERA, he was lights out in May and was starting to round into his usual form as a shut-down high-leverage bullpen arm. But, after posting an ERA of just 2.45 in May, a batting average against of just .184, and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 6 to 1, he was sidelined with inflammation in his arm for a period of time that was quite a bit longer than expected.Hobbs made 1 return appearance in June but was ultimately forced to shut things down all the way until August 30 after that appearance.
It was a frustrating situation on several levels.
First of all, he was throwing great when he was put on the IL, and then, also, in his mind, he never expected the inflammation he was experiencing to keep him out that long. Here’s what he had to say about that period of time.
“Yeah, the injury itself was actually super annoying, to say the least. I’ve had surgery before, so I know what that’s like with the full rehab process and all that sort of stuff. But after we got it checked out it was just inflammation so there was nothing structurally wrong and we were happy about that, but it had been nagging for so long and it had taken so long to clear up.”
“That was the most frustrating part because, in my head, I was telling myself that I wasn’t injured and that I just had a little whatever it is, and then it ended up taking longer than I had planned.”
Hobbs made it back to pitch in 4 games total at the end of the season and picked up right where he left off. In 4 outings to finish 2022, he threw 4.2 innings, gave up no runs, had an average against of .071, and a WHIP of 0.82. After all of the frustration of waiting out a nagging injury, Hobbs was super glad he got to return in 2022 and finish with his team, especially with as well as he pitched. Here’s what he had to say about his return.“I was happy the way that I was able to come back and feel better from the injury to finish the season. It definitely would have sucked, you know, if I would have done all of that and pushed too close to the line and didn’t get to finish up with the boys up there in Midland. Obviously, it was frustrating but I was glad how I came back for those last couple of weeks.”
Feature Cut
Hobbs went back and forth between a 4-Seam and a sinker in college but since he has entered the Dodgers organization he has learned a lot about how his stuff plays the best. He is throwing to the top of the zone more, and it’s working in his favor. His 4-Seam was sitting 93-96 last year with the Loons.Slider
Hobbs slider has late life, a lot of movement, and is a legit swing-and-miss pitch.
Bottom of the Zone
Although Hobbs is using the top of the zone more, and it has been very effective, he still has a natural ability to tail the ball away from lefties and give them a sinker look. He is able to do that while using the bottom of the zone as if it’s natural, which helps him get both right-handers and left-handers out.
He’s a Gamer
I’ve mentioned several times in this article that, although Hobbs is very talented, his best trait might be that he is a “gamer”. The fact that he is the all-time saves leader in the history of Saint Mary’s speaks to that, and so does this next sequence. Earlier in 2022, Hobbs won an 11-pitch battle, and what you’ll notice is that he never gives in.
Finishing Up
Hobbs has a lot of natural qualities that you simply can’t teach. His competitive nature, his ability to lower his pulse in the big moments, and the fact that he simply never gives in to hitters are traits that are going to take him a long way. He has used analytical data to determine what works best for him and it has worked.
The only thing that has ever gotten in his way has been injuries, both as a Junior in College and this past season with the Loons. Each time he has been faced with injury, however, he has dominated the rehab process and has come back stronger than ever.
So the way he has handled those situations eliminates all concerns, in my opinion.
2023 will be an exciting year for Hobbs as he will almost certainly get promoted to AA Tulsa, hopefully, sooner than later, and I can’t wait because I’ll get to see him pitch with my own eyes.
In closing, I would like to thank Michael for joining Dodgers Daily and spending time letting Dodgers fans get to know him a little better. Having seen him pitch in College, then this past year with the Loons, I was very excited to get to speak to him, and it was a great pleasure to do so. Michael has a very, very bright future and Dodgers Daily will be rooting for him all along the way.
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Cole Duensing: Pumped for 2023
Every player that has ever laced up a pair of cleats eventually has to come to the conclusion that someday, at some point, their career has to come to an end. For Cole Duensing, a Right-Handed pitcher in the Dodgers organization, that day has almost come on a couple of different occasions, already.
Duensing is just 24 but has experienced just about every situation, circumstance, and curveball that the game of baseball can present. He’s had every chance, and probably every reason, to simply hang up his cleats and start his next chapter in life.
But that’s just not Cole Duensing. It’s just not how he works.
At every turn, at every crossroad, he has refused to quit and continued to believe in himself, and now, as he enters 2023, he has as much promise as ever.
KC
Duensing grew up in Kansas City and had a career you would expect for someone who is just a couple short steps away from the Major Leagues. He All-Stated twice while at Blue Valley Northwest High School got to pitch in his team’s biggest games, and became one of the best prospects in the Region. His talent popped, his measurables fit, and he proved to be a “gamer” time and time again.
Like the time he got to pitch at Kaufman Stadium, the home of the Royals, against his Arch Rival Blue Valley North and threw a complete game shutout. Or just every time he took the ball for his team’s biggest games, Duensing proved to have big talent and an extremely competitive nature.
Photo by Jack Oxley When asked about his experience at BVNW, and the game at Kaufman Stadium, here’s what he had to say.
“I got to pitch the first Conference game every week and the game at Kaufman Stadium happened to fall on my day to pitch. It was really cool! One of my best friends to this day hit a home run in that game and it was really cool because all of our friends came to the game. All of the North fans were on one side and all our fans were on the other and it was really cool because the rivalry is so big.”
With a Cole Duensing smile, he continued.
“That day I thought, since the game was at Kaufman, that everyone would get experience. But, we wanted to win with it being a rivalry game, so I got to throw the whole game and we won 8-0. 2 years later when my brother was a Senior he threw a complete game at Kaufman Stadium too, so we think that is really cool. It’s kind of our claim to fame looking back on it.”
Lots of Offers
Duensing had positioned himself as a big-time prospect and originally committed to play for Brad Hill at K-State. Hill had revived the Wildcat program and recently led the Little Applers to a Big 12 title in baseball in 2013. He also had the same core values of hard work as Coach Lange did at BVNW, so Manhattan was the place to be for the young KC native.
That is, until he got drafted.
Having thrown in such big games and having shown his big stuff, Duensing was well known by the local area scouts and eventually got drafted in the 6th Round of the 2016 Draft. The offer the Angels made was too good to turn down, so, although Duensing was looking forward to playing with several of his childhood friends at K-State, he decided to turn pro instead. Here’s what he had to say about that situation. “Coach Lange built his teams based on hard work and accountability and the K-State situation was really cool because Coach Hill believed in all those same things. I liked the fact that he worked his pitchers hard and believed in accountability because I think being a “gamer” is very underrated when you evaluate guys. I had 3 of my Summer ball teammates that were committed to K-State too, so I thought it was going to be an absolute blast to go to K-State.”
Duensing to the Angels
Although Duensing was excited to go to K-State, being drafted in the 6th Round was an offer that he just simply couldn’t turn down. So, he got his professional career started in 2016 and was with the Angels until 2021.That’s when his story took a left turn and a pretty sharp one.
Duensing was released by the Angels in August of 2021 and signed with the Kansas City Monarchs who are an independent organization in KC. The sting of being released by an affiliated organization is tough enough, but then he got released by the Monarchs of the Independent League as well.
As you can only imagine, the young KC native was left to wonder if he had a future in baseball.
But, as we know now, he did, he does, and so, instead of hanging ’em up, he kept lacing ’em up and got to work. It was a situation that made him realize that he needed to get better, but not one that removed his hope. Duensing had built some equity with the local area scouts because they remembered him from his days at BVNW. So, he got to throw B.P. to KC area professionals in front of several local area scouts, but despite throwing better than he probably ever had, no one seemed to want to make room for him. This was probably the closest he ever felt to giving in and moving on because he didn’t know what else to do. He had put in the work, and he had shown scouts how well he was throwing, but no one was offering.
With just weeks left until Spring Training, things looked bleak and left Duensing questioning his future in the game.
It would have been easy to see the most recent setbacks as the final straw, but, again, that’s just not Cole Duensing, that’s not who he is.
Duensing instead got creative and recorded one of his pitching workouts, then put the video on Twitter. He then also posted the Rapsodo data that had been recorded during his bullpen.
Latest bullpen Rapsodo data. pic.twitter.com/thI5QuVXBv
— Cole Duensing (@ColeDuensing_24) February 2, 2022Duensing’s tweet got noticed and got him an invite to workout for the Royals at their Spring Training complex in Arizona. Duensing grew up in KC, and when he threw great at that workout, he was sure that was it and that they would offer.
But, they didn’t
Again he was left to wonder if the end of the road had arrived, but that’s when he was offered the chance to work out in front of scouts again, but this time all the way down in Florida. Although this was super exciting news, the invite certainly came with no guarantees, and he had been living in a world full of people that had been turning him away recently. So, to fly to Florida, and spend even more money there, all with blind hope, was a pretty large leap of faith.
But, in typical Duensing fashion, and with his typical confidence, he made his way to Florida, and, wow, is he glad he did.
Duensing threw as well as he had ever thrown during his 2 P.M. workout and left knowing he was going to have options.
And he did.
Multiple organizations approached him showing interest, and after several conversations, he eventually settled on the Dodgers and signed a 2-year deal.
Here is his first-hand account of how it all happened.
Duensing’s First-Hand Account
“There were a lot of moving parts between my tweets and signing with the Dodgers. Basically, I knew I needed to get a lot better when I got released, so I went and played for the Monarchs, an Independent team for the last 3 weeks of the season. But I only got to pitch twice for them and then they released me. So I got released by the Angels, then 2 months later got released from the Indy ball team.”
With an exhausted smile, and one that showed how incredible what happens next actually was, Duensing continued.
“It was a shock and it gave me another reality check as if I needed another one and I knew that I clearly had holes that I had to fill. I really didn’t take any time off because I knew, to get signed again, I was going to have to go to a bunch of workouts.”
With some Cole Duensing humor, he added
“So, I wasn’t getting ready for Spring Training, I was getting ready for Thanksgiving. I had to be ready way before everyone else did. Once I got going, the ball started coming out of my hand really well, and I was asking teams to come to watch me throw, and I would throw live B.P. to professional baseball players in the area, and scouts came out, but no one ever offered.”
“I got to the point where I was contemplating stopping and getting a real job because I didn’t know what else to do. I threw for the Royals one day and they liked what they saw and invited me to Arizona, and when I threw I thought it was it. But it wasn’t, because they didn’t offer again.”
“I kinda thought that was the last straw because Spring Training was in 3 weeks. Then I got invited to Florida, and I wasn’t even sure if I should go, but I gathered up some money and flew down there. It felt like my last hoorah, and it was a miracle I even got there because I left in a hail storm, then the Dallas Airport got shut down, but, I finally made it. When I got there I slept on a buddy’s air mattress, got up early the next day, and went to the facility.”
“I ended up throwing the best live B.P. of my life and after that workout, I just knew that I was going to get to play baseball last year. I loved what Rob Hill had to say with the Dodgers and I couldn’t have written a better script for the last 18 months.”
There have been a lot of great stories of perseverance in the Minor Leagues over the years, but this one, the story of Cole Duensing, is about as good as it gets.
Feature Cut
Duensing features a 4-seam fastball that sits 91-94, a good changeup, and is in the process of continuing to refine his slider and cutter to distinguish the two. He has learned to throw his cutter for strikes and to use his slider to get swing and miss. This video shows his changeup, his slider, his 4-seam both up and down in the zone, and the confidence with which he carries himself.
Comparison
I enjoy comparisons because I think it can take large amounts of information and turn it into one very simple visual display.
So, here we go!
From a mechanical perspective, the guy I compare him to is Goose Gossage. As you’ll see in the picture below, their mechanics are almost identical, and honestly, Duensing also has a lot of confident mannerisms as well.
Wrapping Up
Cole signed a 2-year deal with the Dodgers and so he has the comfort of knowing that he has all next year to establish himself. One thing that he noted is that he is very excited about where his stuff is at and feels as if it has reached a point to where all he has to do to get outs is to just be himself.
In other words, he’s had so much pressure on him to perform in front of scouts just to find a job, it’s easy to feel like you have to overthrow to impress the Rapsodo machine. But, now he’s in a position where all he has to do is get outs, something he feels like he can do while staying within himself and not trying to do too much.
I hope you enjoyed reading about his story as much as I did getting to tell it, and I hope you are as excited to follow Duensing this next season as I am. It’s gonna be a big year for him and Dodgers Daily will be rooting for him all along the way.
In closing, I would like to give a big thanks to Cole for joining Dodgers Daily and giving me the chance to tell at least a part of his story. It was a pleasure getting to speak with this young man and I am thankful for his time and even more excited about his future.
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Taylor Young: You Want Him on YOUR Team
In the Modern day of analytics, baseball has changed in several ways, some for the better, many for the worst. Measurables dominate evaluations, and data drives the formation of lineups and in-game decisions made by managers.
But, not always.
Sometimes a baseball player comes along that makes you close your computer and open your eyes, and you’re getting ready to read all about one with 2022 Draft Pick Taylor Young.
Dirt-Bag
Young grew up in West Monroe, Louisiana, with the nickname “dirt-bag”, because as long as anyone can remember, he’s always been the grittiest player on his teams and came home with the dirtiest uniform. He’s only 5’9, which certainly isn’t big, and he doesn’t throw the ball 100 mph, but if you let those facts get in the way, you’re going to be missing out.
On a lot!
While Young may not plug into modern-day computers, the grit, and intelligence that he plays the game with overcomes all and can best be described with one simple comment.
You want him on YOUR team.
Young is simply the toughest, grittiest, and smartest player on the field, every time he takes the field, and that will never change, not at any level.
West Monroe
Young had the great fortune of playing on great High School teams at West Monroe High, and for a great High School coach, Wade Simoneaux. If that name sounds familiar, that’s because it should, because he was the Head Coach at Louisiana Tech for over a decade and was the WAC Coach of the Year in 2007. Simoneaux came to West Monroe in between Young’s Freshman and Sophomore years and inherited a roster full of talent. As an example of how much talent has been walking the halls of West Monroe, in 2017, Young’s Senior year, all 9 starters on the Rebels baseball team played D-1 either in baseball or football. That team won 38 games and made the State Finals, and in this past year, 2022, West Monroe won the State Title. Here’s what Young had to say about his experience as a Rebel.
“I had Coach Simoneaux for 3 years and it was great. You never know what to expect with a new coach coming in, but he made the transition easy on us. And I think we made it pretty easy on him too the older we got because we were pretty dang stacked. It was pretty incredible”
Despite being a great player on a great team, and having intangibles that stuck out, being 5’9 made it hard for Young to get seen, and he didn’t garner interest from schools in the SEC. But, keep reading and you’ll know that they are the ones who missed out. And on a lot.
Louisiana Tech
Young’s first college offer came from Northwestern State in Natchitoches, Louisiana, an offer he and his family weren’t sure would ever come. Young’s size made it easy for him to be overlooked, so when the Demons offered it was an exciting moment and one that his family celebrated.But it wasn’t the only offer that was headed his way.
Lane Burroughs, a coach that Young still considers to be like a 2nd father, had just been hired at Louisiana Tech, and was looking to fill the Bulldogs roster with his kind of players. Burroughs had been the Northwestern State Head coach, the school where Young got his first offer, but was not actually the coach that made that offer. It was the coaching staff that took over after Burroughs left that made the offer to Young.
In fact, Burroughs had never seen Young play when he brought him to the LA Tech campus and offered him a scholarship. He had only “heard” of the “type” of player that Young was, and that was good enough for him to offer “sight unseen” and, as they say, the rest is history.
Historic Career
During his 5 year career, Young became the all-time hits leader in the history of the Tech program and was the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year as a Junior. This past year, as a Senior, he was the C-USA Tournament MVP, First Team All-Conference, and an All-American. And if you ask those that followed him at Tech, they’ll tell you that “he’s just getting started.”
The Bulldogs baseball program saw a rebirth during his time in Ruston getting a new stadium, the Love Shack, and winning games and drawing interest the likes of which the program has never seen before. It was a great experience and one that Young looks back fondly on.
“When I went to Tech to visit, Coach Burroughs just hooked me. There was something about that place and he told me that I was his type of player and that he wanted me to come to Tech, so after that the rest is history.”
Young continued
“The fans at Louisiana Tech were incredible. They show up and show out and they’ve continued to do that since really my Junior year. We’ve sold out and maxed out the stands every year so everyone shows up to support the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. It’s the place to be as a mid-major school and I can’t express enough what Coach Burroughs, Coach Gaspard, and Coach Fouts have done.”
The Love Shack
One of the aspects that have led to the resurgence of Bulldog baseball has been Love field. In 2019 a tornado came through Ruston and blew down the old facility and the new “Love Field” was rebuilt into one of the best in the Country.
Love Field is best known as the “love shack” and that term became more than just a name to Young when he proposed to his girlfriend, now fiance, after this past season had ended. Young and his teammates were having one last get-together at the stadium and at the end of the night, he proposed standing at shortstop, a spot on earth that means so much to him.And everything went perfectly.
The rally train came by just as they were walking on the field as if it was a scene cut right out of a movie, and, of course, she said yes. It was an experience he will never forget.
“Our season ended at Texas so I told my girlfriend, now fiance, that I wanted to be at the Love Shack one more time and asked her if she would walk out to shortstop with me. Right as we crossed the foul line the rally train drove by, so we were looking at the scoreboard with the rally train in the background when it lit up asking if she would marry me. She busted out boohooing, so it was perfect.”
Feature Cut
Young left Louisiana Tech as the school’s all-time hits leader, hit .330 for his career, had an on-base percentage of .468, and set the record for runs scored in a season twice during his time as a Bulldog. He hit .287 in his 108 at-bats with Rancho Cucamonga this year after he was drafted, so he has proven to be a table setter that knows how to get on, get over, then get in.He also drove in 51 runs last year in College in 64 games, so he knows how to come up with the big hit as well.
One of the first things that stands out about Young is how short his swing is. The following videos are of his last college home run, then his first 2 as a professional. Notice that, even when he hits a home run, his swing is compact. There is no wasted movement in his swing and it is kept simple enough that not a lot can go wrong with it.
The Entire Field
Although Young has pop and can hit home runs, the long ball certainly isn’t what defines his offensive game. His ability to stay short, stay inside the ball, and use the entire field is a huge factor as to what makes him such a great hitter.
Young has a lot of talent and equal parts toughness grit and intelligence. His style of play made him a fan favorite at Tech, and it will have the same effect on Dodgers fans because he’s the kind of player that does so many things to help a team win. And Dodgers fans love winners.
Actually, as Coach Burroughs likes to say, everyone likes a winner, and that’s what this young man is.
If I could give Dodgers fans a word of advice, it would be to make it a point to watch this guy play, and when you do, just remember to put down your computer and use your eyes. You’ll fall in love with what you see, just like they did at Tech, at West Monroe, and everywhere else his skills have been put on display.
When you watch him you might think that he is old school, a throwback, or any other such term along that genre, and you wouldn’t be wrong. Heck, his coaches have been calling him a Dirt Bag for as long as he can remember. But, what he ultimately is, is a winner and one that is very good at the game of baseball.
In closing, I would like to thank Taylor for joining Dodgers Daily, it was a pleasure getting to talk with this young man and having the opportunity to tell at least a part of his story. I am in total agreement with Coach Burroughs in the fact that he is my kind of player.
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Antonio Knowles: The Pride of Key West
Photo Courtesy of Ocean Key Resort A couple of hours South of Miami sits the Southernmost point of the United States and one of the most beautiful locations in the world, Key West. Key West is well known for its pristine beach fronts, world-class sunsets, and entertainment venues that have no limit. But, what you might not know about Key West is its small-town, family-first values, and that baseball is a big part of its culture.
Antonio Knowles is a right-handed pitcher in the Dodgers organization that can tell you all about it, because he grew up there, and couldn’t be more proud of it.
Key West High School
Growing up in a place where most people can only hope to vacation Knowles grew up around Tropical temptations that most can only imagine. Amidst all of the pleasure that a Paradise like Key West can bring, however, he learned the value of hard work before all the rest and the value of getting your work done every day.
Photo courtesy of Miami-Dade HS Baseball Those lessons were taught over and over by his dad and then reinforced on the baseball diamond by his High School Coach, Ralph Henriquez.
Henriquez is a very successful baseball coach at Key West and is part of one of the most successful baseball families that have built the Conch program into a powerhouse.
Key West High School has won 11 State Titles in baseball, and home crowds are huge. The atmosphere at home games is so good that teams in Florida, most times, choose to take a road trip through the Florida Keys to play a road game at Key West instead of hosting the Conchs.
Here’s what Knowles had to say about growing up in such a great place.
“Growing up in Key West is definitely something I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world.”
With an Antonio Knowles grin, he added:
“There’s a saying down here by the locals that we live where you vacation, so it’s definitely a very nice place to grow up. If you’re ever in a down mood you can just head over to the beach and get out there with nature and enjoy that and that has always helped me keep a good mood and put me in a good mental spot.”
Here’s what he had to say about the Small town Community feel of his home island.
“The community is just so close with everybody. Once I got drafted there was so much support from back home from people who were always telling me they were proud. That’s one of the things I will never take for granted is having the constant support of the Community. It’s always been something that I’ve been very thankful for. “
Drafted For the First Time
Although Knowles was named the Monroe County Player of the Year and was also the 5A-16 District Pitcher of the Year as a Senior, he had no DI offers following his High School career, and committed to Broward, a 2-year Community College.
That is, until he got drafted.
Photo courtesy of gohatters.com Amazingly, despite not drawing interest from any Division I school, he did draw interest from the Texas Rangers who drafted him in the 27th Round of the 2018 Draft. After he got drafted, several Division I schools then joined in and offered and Stetson became the landing spot. Knowles says he chose Stetson because it felt the most like home.
“I remember telling my parents that Stetson felt the most like home because it had a small-town feel and baseball was very center focused in that town. It was also one of the best academic schools in the country, so for me, I knew if baseball didn’t work out I could fall back on academics. “
Photo courtesy of fswbucs.com Stetson is a great baseball school and was loaded with pitching talent when Knowles showed up on Campus, so, finding mound time was tough during his 1 year as a Hatter. Having already been drafted once and knowing he had a lot to offer, the young Key West Native went searching for more playing time and eventually left Stetson and transferred to Florida Southwestern Community College in Ft. Myers.
Southwestern is led by Ben Bizier who was the coach Knowles originally committed to out of High School when he was the Head Coach at Broward Community College. Knowles called up Bizier and asked if they had room on their roster and was welcomed with open arms.
Photo Courtesy of fswbucs.com It was a perfect setup on multiple levels, one obviously being the comfort he had with their coaching staff, but, another factor is that they play their home games at City of Palms Park, the Red Sox’s former Spring Training facility,
Also, Division I baseball players have to wait until they are either 21 or have been in their program for 3 years to get drafted. There are no such qualifications at the JUCO level, however, so, he was going to have first-class facilities and an instant path to being drafted for a second time.
And it worked.
After a successful season with the Bucs, Knowles was drafted again in the 13th Round of the 2021 draft by the Dodgers and was ready to get his professional career started.
After being drafted, he finished the 2021 season at High A Great Lakes which is where he spent all of this past season in 2022, which brings us to the present.
So, now that you know all about how Knowles got here, let’s talk about why he is here, what makes him so good, and why he has such great potential.
Feature Cut
Knowles has an elite pitch in his toolbag with his slider and has always relied on that pitch quite heavily. In the past, he has paired it with a sinker, but he is currently transitioning to throwing a 4-seam fastball instead alongside a cutter that he is developing as well.Make no mistake about it though, his slider will remain his dominant pitch, and for good reason, it is really good.Tunneling Effect
Knowles slider is good enough to stand by itself, but by adding a 4-seam, it is going to be made even more effective through the use of tunneling. In this next picture, the pitch on the left is a 4-seam fastball and the pitch on the right is a slider. Notice how they come out of the same tunnel, but the 4-Seam gives the rising effect while the slider takes a tumble. That’s a pair and a combination that has the potential to be devastating to hitters.
Now, here are those 2 pitches in live action.
Cutter
As you can see in the videos, Knowles’s slider has a lot of depth which makes it a great pitch. But, adding a cutter will give him a little tighter, more compact type of pitch that can break straight into lefties instead of looping over or under their barrel. It should also do a great job in working away from the barrel of right-handers as well which, in combination, should give him the ability to get some quicker “swing and hit” type outs by inducing weaker contact.
Final Thoughts
Knowles grew up with “small-town” values and places an emphasis on hard work and discipline. He has been raised with all of the intangible qualities that the Dodgers seek in their prospects and he already has a ++ pitch, his slider. So, if he develops his cutter, then masters the 4-Seam spin and uses it up in the zone, he has a big, big future ahead.
Knowles is going to try and add some weight in the off-season in an attempt to add velocity and reduce strain on his arm over the course of a long season, and I’m sure he will get that accomplished as well. So, when it all gets put together, it’s going to be exciting to watch when he takes the mound in Spring Training.
If you have followed Dodgers Daily much if, at all, you know how high I am on this young man and the potential for his future. He is very, very good, and, in my opinion, is going to be a 3-pitch strike thrower with cut, movement, and a dominant pitch to rely on. Add all those things together and there is a lot to be excited about.
In closing, I would like to give a big Thank You to Antonio for joining Dodgers Daily and giving me the chance to tell at least part of his story. It was an honor and a privilege to get to speak with this young man, and Dodgers Daily will be rooting for him all along the way.
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Jeff Belge: Nothing Can Get In His Way
As hot Summer days turn into seemingly Endless Summer nights, fans from every pocket of the country, every year, pile into quaint, many times historical ballparks to watch some of the best baseball in the world, the Minor Leagues. As Minor Leaguers take the diamond every night, they make the hardest game ever invented seem so easy that it can make them appear to be larger than life.
It makes it easy to forget that they are still human, just like you and me.
With each new level comes a new challenge against better competition and increasingly more difficult odds, so, to make it, Minor Leaguers have to learn to “keep going” and to be able to “overcome”.
Jeff Belge, a very talented left-handed relief pitcher in the Dodgers organization, learned these life lessons earlier than most.
Henninger High School
Belge grew up in Syracuse, New York a multi-sport star, and became a 5-year letter winner at Henninger High, was named All-CNY, First Team All-League, All-Stated his Senior year, and was also awarded the Joseph Mazella Award which recognizes Henninger High’s top male athlete. His prep career placed him as one of the top prospects in the New York area and also got him drafted by the Red Sox in the 32nd Round.
That’s the part of his story that you might expect from someone in his position, however. But, what you might not expect is what comes next, or, more accurately, what had already happened.
When Belge was just 9 years old, he was hit in the eye by a rock shattering the cornea in his right eye, an injury that required 2 surgeries to repair, and left the young Syracuse native unsure of his future. Sports had become a passion of his, and the idea of a life without it was not one he wanted to consider. In fact, it was a future he simply refused to consider.
After 2 successful surgeries to repair his right eye, Belge muscled up an inspiring amount of ambition and set forth his mission to keep doing one of the things he loved the most, sports.
And that’s exactly what he did.
That is, until one day, 7 years later, when his right eye was damaged again, and this time for good.
While rough-housing during a Summer baseball Tournament, Belge was accidentally poked in the same eye that had been surgically repaired several years earlier setting off a chain reaction that left him legally blind in his right eye. He was, once again, left with a lot of uncertainty.
But, if you’ve learned anything about this young man to this point, you have learned that he doesn’t let things get in his way.
And, again, he didn’t.
Despite the fairly massive setback, sports remained a large part of his life and the whole ordeal, as he says, taught him a valuable life lesson on how to handle adversity.
“Those things were obviously big setbacks in my life, but I think that they happened at such a young age it kind of helped me in a way in terms of overcoming adversity and that things always get better on the other side”
St. John’s
Belge turned down the draft and chose, instead, to play collegiately at St. John’s. Having forged a good relationship with Corey Muscara, the Red Storm pitching Coach at the time, Belge felt comfortable with the program and knew that he would develop.“I committed to St. Johns going into my Sophomore year of High School. I had a really good relationship with Corey Muscara, their pitching coach at the time, so that was a big part of my decision to go there instead of going to play pro ball.
More on St. John’s
“I knew that being able to play for him and Coach Blankmeyer would be huge because I knew that I would develop as both a player and as a person on and off the field, so that was the biggest part for me.”
After 3 very successful years with the Red Storm, Belge improved his MLB Draft stock by 14 rounds when he got drafted in the 18th round of the 2019 Draft by the Dodgers.
Getting drafted for the 2nd time was an experience that put a button on a great amount of success and one that he will never forget.
“Getting drafted again was a really cool moment, and, obviously, being by the Dodgers and knowing they have such a great player development program was great. They have a great staff and some of the greatest people I have ever worked with, so it has been awesome. “
Dodgers
Belge was drafted in the 18th Round of the 2019 draft and, after a couple of outings in the AZL, was promoted to Ogden who was the Rookie ball affiliate of the Dodgers at the time. He finished 2019 very strong posting ERAs of just 0.93 and 1.93 in his last 2 months of the season and carried a lot of momentum into 2020, his first full professional season before it got canceled. The cancelation of the 2020 season was frustrating for everyone, but especially for Belge considering the momentum he was carrying into the season.
“It was definitely a blow. We were at Spring Training for a couple of weeks when they sent us home. I was really looking forward to that year but I think I just took it as having a year to improve and get better at things that I needed to do both on and off the field. But, yeah, I think it was frustrating for everyone”
In his typical fashion, however, he took a setback and turned it into something positive, and entered 2021 ready to go. He spent all of 2021 with High A Great Lakes, then started 2022 at Great Lakes as well before being promoted to AA Tulsa at the end of this year.
Until his promotion to Tulsa in September, Belge had known just one manager, Austin Chubb, during his professional career. Chubb is widely known as a well-respected and well-liked “players manager” and had strong words to express his respect and admiration towards Belge.
“It has been an absolute blast watching Jeff develop since he became a Dodger. I’ve had the opportunity to manage him every season up to this point. We always knew the stuff was there, but the difference maker this year was his confidence and mindset. He was one of our leaders in the clubhouse and we love this dude.”
As you can tell by the quote, both Chubb and the organization are happy with his progress and are even more impressed with the type of person and teammate he has shown to be.
Great Stuff:
Belge is 6’5 so he is physically imposing on the mound and offers a fastball that can hit mid 90’s that has good ride at the top and good carry at the bottom. He relies heavily on his 4-seam and is able to give hitters “fits” with it because he can “cut” the pitch and also locate it to every part of the plate, especially up in the zone.
Slider
Belge also features a slider that he locates on both sides of the plate. His slider shape is something that he plans of refining during this off-season to give a tight spin and break to give it the best tunneling effect off of his fastball as possible. He also throws a less occasional curve ball as well.
Competitive Nature
Despite all of the great stuff that Belge has, his best attribute might be the competitive nature with which he takes the mound. Belge is a fierce competitor and, many times does his best work in the biggest moments. He is left-handed, has ++ stuff, a competitive nature, and elite intangibles, so it’s easy to see that he has a big future ahead.
In closing, I would like to thank Jeff for taking the time for an interview and giving me the chance to tell at least part of his story. Jeff’s story is unique and he is a very easy young man to root for, and I assure you that Dodgers Daily will be rooting for him all along the way.
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Season In Review Episode II: Starting Pitchers
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.
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Dodgers Season in Review Episode I: The Offense
The Dodgers set a single-season record with 111 wins in 2022 and won the NL West by 22 games over the 2nd-place San Diego Padres. Speaking of the Padres, the Dodgers went 14-5 against San Diego, then also went 14-5 against the Diamondbacks, 11-8 against the Rockies, and 15-4 against the Giants for a combined record of 33-14 against NL West competition.
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Offense
The Dodgers scored 847 runs which is the most in all of baseball and 40 runs more than the Yankees who had the 2nd most. They also had the most RBIs, but were just 4th in batting average, 5th in hits, and also 5th in home runs, so the formula isn’t all about getting hits, it’s about getting as many base runners on base in every which way possible. The Dodgers also had the two players who had the most amount of hits in 2022 with Freeman having the most and Trea Turner having the 2nd most. The offensive formula is lethal in the way the club works pitchers as evidenced by being 1st in all of the MLB in on-base percentage, largely a result of the 607 walks they drew in 2022. L.A. was also 2nd in the MLB in doubles, which led to them also being 2nd in the Major Leagues in Slugging % at .442, which, in turn, led to them being #1 in all of baseball in OPS at .775. This organization has put together an offensive system that is a well-oiled formula of walks, doubles, home runs, and deep pitch counts. You might be surprised to also know that L.A. was just 16th in the most amount of strikeouts, so the trade-off was minimal and it led to a historic regular season.
Watch Freeman hit a home run Freddie Freeman finished the season with the highest batting average on the club posting a .325 average which was 2nd best in all of baseball behind only Jeff McNeil of the Mets who hit 1 point higher at .326 and had 79 fewer at-bats than Freeman. Freeman also led the Dodgers in on-base % (.407), OPS (.918), and RBIs at 100, and his on-base % is the best in the National League and 2nd best in the MLB only behind Aaron Judge. His OPS is 2nd best in the NL behind Paul Goldschmidt and his 100 RBIs are 8th most in the NL. His .325 average marks the 3rd year in a row and 6th out of his last 7 where he has hit over .300 and 2022 was just the 3rd time in his career that he has eclipsed the 100 RBI mark. Freeman was also 2nd on the club in walks with 84 bases on balls which was 7th most of any player in the Major Leagues. The L.A. native is a great player who is at his peak, and playing on the best team in baseball, so when all of that has been put together it has come out as a special year.
Watch Betts in Action Mookie Betts led the team in runs scored scoring 117 times, slugging % at .533, and home runs with 35, which was the most of anyone in the organization at any level and 8th most of any player in the MLB. He was 2nd on the club in OPS at .873, 3rd in hits with 154, tied for 3rd in triples, and was 4th in RBIs (82), walks (55), stolen bases (12), and average (.269). Betts 35 home runs were the most in his career and his 82 RBIs were the 3rd most he has collected in one season only behind 2016 and 2017 where he had over 100 RBIs in each of those seasons..
Trea Turner led the Dodgers in stolen bases and had the most at-bats on the club as well with 652. He also finished with the 2nd most hits (194), triples (4), and, surprisingly, was also 2nd on the team in RBIs as well with 100. His 100 RBIs are easily the most in his career for one season. He also finished 3rd on the team in doubles with 39 and tied for 3rd most home runs on the year with 21 which is the 2nd most he has ever hit in one season. Turner was 2nd in the league in hits, was top 10 in stolen bases, and top 15 in average.
Watch Smith in Action Will Smith was 2nd on the team in home runs with 24, was 3rd in RBIs (87), Walks (56), finished tied for 3rd in triples with 3, and was 4th in on-base % (.343), slugging % (.343) and OPS (.808). His OPS and slug %, were 2nd best amongst all catchers in the MLB, and he had the most RBIs of any catcher and the 3rd best batting average. There is a great case to make that he is the best catcher in baseball and is entering his prime as evidenced by the fact that he set career highs in 2022 in hits, doubles, total bases, triples, and RBIs. To further show how how great of a year he had, if you remove 2020, which was only a 60-game season, he also set a career-high in batting average, drew the 2nd most walks, and hit the 2nd most home runs of any season in his career since becoming a big leaguer.
Watch Justin Turner in Action After starting very slow, Justin Turner finished 2022 hot hitting .400 in July, .314 in August, and .342 in September. Turner was hitting just .236 at the end of June but finished the season with a .278 batting average which is the exact same average he had last year, and was 3rd best on the team. Turner was also 2nd on the team in on-base % at .350, and also set a career-high in doubles with 36. Just to show how great of an offensive player he has been, this year marked the first time in 9 seasons where he hasn’t posted an OPS over .800.
Watch Lux in Action Gavin Lux got blazing hot in June posting a .341 average, then also in July when he hit .320. He finished the season hitting .276, which was easily his best single-season batting average and he also set a career-high in hits (116), doubles, and triples (7), which led the team. Lux had career highs in on-base % (.346), slugging % (.399), and OPS (.745) and hit the 2nd most home runs (7) and had the 2nd most RBIs (42) in one season for his career.
Watch Muncy in Action Max Muncy is another Dodger that started slow, in his case surely as a lingering effect of his elbow injury, but recovered hitting .261 in August and .259 in September. If Muncy can get hot, we all know the damage he can do, and, as shown, he has rebounded, so the post-season will be a fresh start to 2022. Muncy has never been a guy that hit for an eye-popping average at the MLB level, but has always driven in runs and slugged in the middle of the Dodgers lineup as evidenced by his 100 RBIs in his last 2 full seasons prior to this year, both with less than 500 at-bats. The Keller Texas native has also recorded an OPS over .800 in his last 3 full seasons and is hoping to produce something close to his MLB career OPS of .828 in the playoffs this year en route to the Dodgers 2nd World Championship in the last 3 seasons.
Watch Bellinger in Action Cody Bellinger raised his average 7 points in the 5 games he played in October hitting .438 in his 16 at-bats this month including a home run and 5 RBIs. Bellinger hit below .200 in 3 different months this season and hit exactly .200 in July, so he is looking to turn the tides on 2022 and leave a lasting memory with a great playoff run, the only memory Dodgers fans would have if he were to continue the way he has been hitting in his last 6 games. Regardless of his offense, we know how great of a center fielder he is and how valuable that becomes in tight playoff games, especially considering that he has a great offense around him.
Watch Taylor in Action Chris Taylor fought a left foot fracture that put him on a roller coaster ride in 2022 after deciding to remain a Dodger in the off-season. Taylor hit .221 with an OPS of .677, but recorded hits in 4 of his last 5 games and finished the season 6 for his last 21 with a double and 3 RBIs. Taylor did not record enough at-bats to be considered a qualified player, and did not play the last 5 games in October due to a neck issue, but is feeling better and is expected to be on the post-season roster. Dodgers fans surely will never forget his walk-off last year in the wild-card round against the Cardinals, so he has equity in terms of coming up clutch in big moments.
Watch Barnes hit his 1st home run of 2022 Austin Barnes is another Dodger that didn’t post an overwhelming batting average at .212, but he finished hot hitting .321 in August and .316 in September. Barnes is one of the most well-liked and respected members on the team, does a great job handling the staff, and, has shown the ability to play well in the post-season which is a large reason why the Dodgers signed him to a 2-year deal. Barnes is in his 8th year with the Dodgers and has been a model of the culture that has been created in the organization that has played such a big part in the Dodgers success.
Joey Gallo is a hitter that could hit a 1/4 of a mile worth of home runs, but also strike out 3 or 4 times in a game. Gallo hit 38 home runs last year and has hit over 40 2 other times in his career, so, as we all know, his power is big. But, he also struck out 163 times in 350 at-bats this year, so he has been a lot of all or nothing. Gallo hit 7 home runs since joining the Dodgers at the beginning of August.
Watch Thompson in action Trayce Thompson is a fan favorite in his 2nd time around with the Dodgers, and for a great reason, he has performed well. Thompson hit .268 with the Dodgers this year and recorded an OPS of .901 to pair with his excellent defense. He also had a great month of August which followed a very good July, then after a lull in September, finished in October strong hitting .556 in his 9 at-bats this month. Thompson is a great defensive player that has shown more than an adequate offensive game this year.
Watch Alberto in Action Hanser Alberto keeps the clubhouse and dugout loose and is a very well-liked teammate. He hit .244 on the year with an OPS of .623 and has shown to be a very good offensive player in the recent past hitting .270 in 2021, .283 in 2020, and .305 in 2019. That track record, combined with the type of teammate he is gives him a good chance to land on a post-season roster as a possible right-handed stick off the bench.
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Kevin Pillar: Beating the Odds
The Dodgers are well known for taking veterans who are looking for a 2nd wind and turning them into the best versions of themselves for the period they are at in their career, and sometimes the best versions they have ever been. Chris Taylor, Max Muncy, Andrew Heaney, Tyler Anderson, and basically the entire bullpen are great examples of that in action, and those are just a few amongst many more. Kevin Pillar is a Major League veteran who signed as a free agent last winter and is looking to make a home in LA, his hometown, and with the Dodgers, his hometown team.
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Beating the Odds
Photo by Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Pillar is 33 years old and coming off of a fractured shoulder injury that derailed an otherwise promising homecoming in 2022. Just as he was about to settle in and make his mark, it was taken from him, but he is back and available, and is super motivated to make an impact. Beating the odds is something that has become routine in his career, and when he puts his mind to something it gets done, so don’t be surprised when he comes back better than ever.
Prep Career
Photo courtesy of gotoros.com Pillar graduated from Chaminade Prep having a grand total of 0 Division 1 scholarship offers after his High School career despite being a very talented player and one who is fiercely competitive and full of intangibles. When his former High School coach took the Pitching coach job at Cal State Dominguez, he was offered the chance to further his playing career at the LA based DII school, and with it being close to home and having familiar faces inside the program, the talented outfielder decided to be a Toro.
Photo courtesy of gotoros.com Pillar was able to concentrate on baseball only for the first time in his career and had immediate success in the CSUDH program. He was named to the All-CCAA 2nd team as both a Freshman and as a Sophomore, then set a D-II record by hitting in 54 straight games. He was also named a Rawlings/ABCA National Gold Glove Award Winner as a Junior, was an Honorable mention All-American, was 1st Team All-West Region, and was 1st team All-Conference in all 3 years in College.
He had a remarkable career and proved how good he was, but, despite all of that success, still was not drafted after his Jr. year, and returned to Cal State Dominguez for his 4th year in 2011. As a Senior, Pillar hit .368 and recorded an OPS of 1.256, and when he finally got drafted in the 32nd round in 2011, after his Senior year, it was a total relief. But, still, although he did get drafted, it was in the 32nd Round, which is very late, so, once again, Pillar set out to beat the odds and prove all the teams wrong that passed on him 31, some 32 times.Getting drafted is very exciting, but in all honesty, I thought it was a year late. I was coming off of a pretty historic Junior season with a 54-game hit streak, and I made all-conference and All-American and all that stuff, and I felt like I was worthy of being drafted and it became very apparent to me that it was going to be tougher playing DII baseball. So, going into my Senior year I still had expectations that I would get to play at the next level, so when I was drafted it was more of a relief than it was exciting. I knew it was the door opening and it was an opportunity and that’s the way I saw it. I knew if the door opened I would be able to make the best of it and I went out there with a chip on my shoulder and wanted to prove all the teams wrong for passing on me until the 32nd round.
Professional Career
Photo Credit: KeithAllisonPhoto.com After being drafted, Pillar set his sights on Rookie ball in West Virginia to start his professional career in 2011, and by June of 2013 had made it all the way to AAA Buffalo, and by August of that same year made his MLB debut with Toronto. The fleet-footed LA native spent 8 good years in the Bluejays system before being traded to the Giants in April of 2019 where he spent the rest of that year.
G Fiume / Getty Images Sport / Getty In the off-season between 2019 and 2020 Pillar signed with Boston as a free agent, but, despite having a great year, was traded to the Rockies in August and finished 2020 hitting .308. In the following off-season, in 2021, he signed with the Mets where, unfortunately, if unfortunately is a strong enough word, his 2021 season got derailed with a facial injury after taking a fastball to the
face and going through surgical repair. But, again, in typical Pillar fashion, he was motivated to beat the odds and make a return to baseball, and, after the 2021 season, he got the chance to do that with his hometown team, the Dodgers
Photo by Chris Bernacchi After realizing that an MLB job wasn’t in his cards to start 2022, Pillar signed a Minor League contract with the Dodgers and got off to a great start with AAA OKC hitting .292 in April with an OPS of .994, then hitting .339 in May with an OPS of 1.085. He got promoted in May, but, after just 3 games, fractured his shoulder and was diagnosed with a season-ending injury. At least, until it wasn’t! Pillar, once again, beat the odds and made it back on the field for the last handful of games with AAA OKC, and is available for the playoffs if needed with LA.
I felt like I was on track to be the best version of myself before the injury and I was doing everything I felt like I needed to be doing in AAA and I was excited to get an opportunity with my hometown team. In all honesty, it took me a couple of days to settle into playing in the big leagues, but putting the Dodgers uniform on was exciting for me, and I felt like I was about to settle in and get comfortable and be someone that could contribute. Unfortunately, the injury happened, and going from a season-ending injury to getting a chance to come back to Oklahoma City and play a handful of games to finish the year and put myself in the conversation of being available if something happens during the playoff run was something that motivated me through rehab. I always felt like I had the chance to beat the initial timetable and get back on the field, and I’m pretty excited I got to play some games at the end of the year.
Pillar is back and ready to go if needed, and has shown throughout his career that he is very good, so the Dodgers are in good hands if they need his service at any time for the rest of the year. Also, having talked to him, I can tell you that, even beyond this year, he is very motivated to make an impact in this organization, and if his past history is an indicator, nothing will stand in his way.
In closing, I would like to say thank you to Kevin for joining Dodgers Daily. He is a true pro and one that all young men and women of all walks of life and professions should strive to emulate because his career has encompassed much more than just talent and results on the field. His process of how he has prepared, how he has rehabbed, and how he works is elite, and one that fits right in with the Dodgers culture.
Become a subscriber to our YouTube page and follow us on Twitter @dodger_poke or Facebook or Instagram @dodgerpoke or tiktok @dodger_poke and become a subscriber to the Dodgers Daily podcast on the podcast streaming service of your choice. Just put your email in the box below and you will get notified every time a new article is released.
