Nikolas Araiza
Once again, the Dodgers organization is playing chess while other organizations are playing checkers. The team has always had success when developing international prospects. In recent years, the Dodgers have developed international players such as Miguel Vargas, Julio Urías, and Andy Pages. It seems like the Dodgers have another great international prospect on their hand. Pitcher Jose Rodriguez is poised to be one of the next great Mexican-born players.
To kick off 2024, Rodriguez started where he left off in 2023. At the end of last year, the 22-year-old was called up to Low-A Rancho Cucamonga. He’d only pitch in one game, giving up two runs in two innings of relief. This year he has already thrown a career-high 29.2 innings surpassing his previous best of 24.2, in 2023. This year the organization has allowed him for the first time to start games, as well as pitch deep into them. Previously never pitching more than 2.2 innings in any outing, this year alone has seen Rodriguez surpass that mark in all seven outings, including two games in which he started.
With the team now trusting the right-hander to pitch longer into games, it appears that Jose Rodriguez is ready to take the next step in his development. It will only be a matter of time before he is considered amongst the best this farm system has to offer.
Background
Jose Rodriguez was born on July 18, 2001, in Oaxaca, Mexico. As a kid, baseball was the only sport that interested him. His father, who played professional baseball in Mexico, introduced him to the sport. Typically foreign players begin attending baseball academies when they are around 13-14, but for Rodriguez, it was a different story. While in high school, he believed his dreams of playing professional baseball were over. This was until a scout from the Dodgers came to see Rodriguez play. It was also the first time he thought he had a chance to play professionally. On June 13, 2019, the Dodgers officially signed Rodriguez to a minor-league contract.
Signing with the organization excited Rodriguez stating that being a Dodgers is “Really awesome since they told me I was signing with the Dodgers, I was excited. The Dodgers have a lot of history and I love this organization.”
Climbing The Ranks
Though Jose Rodriguez signed with the team in 2019, he’d debut two years later due to the pandemic in 2020. When his debut came, it was with the DSL Dodgers Bautista. During his first outing as a professional, Rodriguez tossed two innings of one-run baseball while striking out two. However, the initial transition into professional baseball was not easy. It was the first time he was away from his family which had been something that Rodriguez pointed out to be difficult at first. He said, “After we had the pandemic and in 2021 and 2022, I was over there [Dominican Republic] I struggled a lot mentally. It was really hard not being able to go out a lot and clear my mind.”
Even though it was hard at first, Rodriguez enjoyed his time in the Dominican Republic. He understood that it was “part of the process” and felt that this initial transition helped him grow as a person.
Uptick In Velocity
After inconsistency with velocity in 2021, Rodriguez was determined to fix this issue. After speaking with coaches at Camelback Ranch, they concluded that more hip rotation was the answer. With a windup that is reminiscent of Tim Lincecum, Rodriguez now pitches a fastball that tops out at 97 mph, rather than his previous max of 94 mph.
In the two seasons that followed the change, Rodriguez pitched to the tune of a 3.13 ERA in 43.2 innings with 66 strikeouts. This year he has taken things to a new level. This season in just 29.2 innings Rodriguez has struck out 51 batters, good enough for a 15.72 K/9. Even though he has a 4.85 ERA this year, most of that damage has come in two separate outings. If you take out his appearance on April 7 against the Storm as well as his start on May 9 against the Rawhide, Rodriguez has an ERA of 2.03.
What’s Working?
What’s worked in 2024 has been the emergence of an outpitch, more specifically his slider. Rodriguez has lowered the usage rate of his fastball to about 30% allowing his slider to become his primary pitch, throwing it roughly 50% of the time. He also throws a changeup, sinker, and curveball, typically using his fastball, slider, and changeup for most batters.
This change has caused a decrease in H/9, OPS, and SLG. It has also allowed Rodriguez to limit the amount of extra-base hits he has given up as well. Another area to be enthusiastic about is his versatility, something the Dodgers organization is always preaching. Rodriguez can do it all whether it is starting, relieving short and long, or earning the save. Rodriguez though prefers to start, stating, “I like it because of the feeling of responsibility of not allowing runs and the game is close. But as a reliever, I have to go with my best pitches at the moment. [each outing] felt almost the same.”
Areas of Concern
Even with the increase in strikeouts, lower hit rates, and lower quality of contact, there is still potential for him to grow as a player. Until this year Rodriguez had seen a decrease in BB/9 every year. In 2024, it went from 1.09 to 3.64 BB/9. Another area to consider is his high BABIP, essentially meaning that even though he is allowing fewer hits when batters put the ball in play, they are getting on at a high rate. Despite the concerning number of walks, if Rodriguez can begin to throw more consistent strikes, he will be among the game’s best strikeout artists.
Final Thoughts
When looking at the future for Rodriguez, he could fill the role currently occupied by Ryan Yarbrough. Yarbrough gives manager Dave Roberts flexibility out of the bullpen. This is whether they need a long-reliever on planned bullpen days, eating innings when needed, or pitching in close ball games, he does it all. For Rodriguez, this could be a favorable role for the right-hander, his numbers across the board are significantly better when he is a reliever. There is no limit to what Jose Rodriguez can achieve If he can limit the walks and fine-tune his command of his five-pitch mix. he has the all tools necessary to continue the long-lasting legacy of Mexican-born pitchers playing for the Dodgers.
