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Note: This article was initially credited to the wrong author. Jack Pryor is now properly credited as the author. – Editor-In-Chief
Entering the 2023 regular season, not many predicted the rookie class would contain four highly-touted Dodgers prospects would appear in the Dodgers rotation. Bobby Miller, Ryan Pepiot, Gavin Stone, and Emmet Sheehan showed that they are MLB-ready under the bright lights of Los Angeles.
Bobby Miller
The name, Bobby Miller, is one we’ve been hearing about for the last few years and, he finally arrived. Miller began his much-anticipated Major League debut with five innings of one-run ball in a Dodgers’ 8-1 victory over the powerhouse Atlanta Braves. In 2023, Miller made 22 starts, posting a 3.76 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and a 3.51 FIP over 124 1/3 innings.
Miller emphasized what scouting reports have been saying about him since he was a first-round draft pick out of Louisville. He has lit up the radar gun, flashing his four-seam fastball consistently at 100+ mph with late life that never leaves the zone. However, it’s been his secondary stuff to steal the show. The slider, changeup, and curveball have all accumulated swings and misses, showing just how much of a complete pitcher Miller has become.
Miller Pitch Mix
With a high arm slot and an intimating presence, Miller will throw the kitchen sink at you, effectively setting up his secondary pitches to send you back to the dugout shaking your head. One thing that I don’t think has been talked about enough is the development of his changeup that stays in the bottom of the zone, producing high velocity and vertical movement. Miller’s changeup proved to be a weapon against lefties and righties in 2023, displaying sink and split action, increasing the number of whiffs.
Personally, I watched Miller develop in many ways this season, but the thing that impressed me most was his ability to sequence his pitches and not rely on velocity to escape trouble. His preparation and willingness to learn really tailored his arsenal and his sequencing to be specific for each opponent he faced. As much as Miller would love to let it rip all the time, he studied scouting reports and executed a plan, becoming the future ace of this staff. No matter the results, Miller has given this organization, fan base, and more importantly himself the confidence to play in October.
Gavin Stone
I think all Dodger fans believed Gavin Stone would be a big contributor in 2023. The struggles left him out of conversations for a starting rotation spot but with the Dodgers more than likely having a few open slots next year, it’s impossible that he won’t receive more opportunities.
Stone appeared in 8 major league games, posting a 9.00 ERA, 1.90 WHIP, and a 6.64 FIP over 31.0 IP. The numbers may not look pretty, but we saw impressive flashes of what the future holds. Stone has shown his dominance in Triple-A, and it seems he just needs a bit more fine-tuning before he takes off. Drafted with the 159th pick in the 2020 draft, he displayed a solid three-pitch arsenal, with his signature changeup stealing the show. Gavin Stone has one of the most diabolical changeups that I have seen, tunneling it off his fastball, it possesses sinking movement that will run away from you. Stone once struggled with his bread-and-butter pitch, not being able to master the velocity and movement but with trial and error, he found his splitter-esque changeup that induces ground balls and possesses swing-and-miss movement at the big league level.
Stone In 2023
Watching Stone in 2023 I noticed many things that excite me for the future. As much as the changeup was talked about, it’s the way he threw his slider for strikes, working his way back into counts that impressed me the most. The slider is not going to generate nearly as many whiffs as his changeup, but the short bite almost cutter-slider-esque pitch has become a valuable asset to his repertoire. Stone wasn’t getting the results at the big league level in 2023 that he is used to getting in the minors, but I’m still very excited by him and believe the experience facing big league hitters will only benefit him entering the 2024 season.
Ryan Pepiot
Ryan Pepiot is a talented pitcher that Dodger fans have become familiar with over the last 2 years. In his age 26 season, he appeared in 8 games, posting a 2.14 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, and 4.76 FIP over 42.0 IP. Flashing a solid pitch mix, Pepiot has shown some of the best raw stuff in the Dodgers farm system.
When you think of Pepiot it’s the deceptive changeup that you first think of, but the mound presence and confidence that he’s gained pitching with the Dodgers has made him a more poised pitcher ready for the big moment. The only thing that has ever held him back is not commanding the strike zone, but in 23′ the trust skyrocketed, and he worked deeper into games flashing elite stuff. I think his first career outing at Coors Field is what instilled confidence in every Dodger fan. Pepiot seemed at home cruising his way to a quality start, racking up 9 strikeouts and 19 swinging strikes on 95 pitches. The refinement of his slider and increase in fastball velocity has turned him into a potential front-of-the-line starter who can provide depth for this rotation in October.
2023 showed us that Pepiot has really good stuff, and he’s learning how to use it properly and effectively. When we see him struggle, it’s due to him being almost too cute with his pitch mix and changeup which leads him to fall behind and walk guys. In baseball, maturity is an adjustment and Pepiot has done just that. I believe Pepiot has shown the Dodgers that he can be relied on in October and can be one of the key pieces for the future rotation.
Emmet Sheehan
Emmet Sheehan was a name not many have heard of entering the 2023 season, but they know it now. The most impressive thing to note about Sheehan is the jump he made from Double-A to the big-league level, instantaneously making a difference. Sheehan appeared in 13 games, posting a 4.92 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and a 4.85 FIP in 60.1 IP.
Sheehan has crazy strikeout stuff and even though he’s shown flashes of inefficiency, his ability to pinpoint corners with natural movement at the big-league level shows he can be a machine that possesses electric stuff generating whiffs with more progression. A fastball that possesses strong shape and command, is a pitch that will carry him. Once Sheehan improves his secondary pitches, he could potentially be a number two or three starter in this rotation.
Observations on Sheehan
One thing I personally noticed about Sheehan this year was his ability to find himself ahead of counts, but even though he would consistently find himself in 0-2, 1-2 counts, he somewhat struggled to put hitters away or induce weak contact. Just like any young pitcher, he would throw uncompetitive pitches resulting in hard contact, but this is a kid that got pulled from Double-A and has shown many flashes of what he is projected to be.
Once Sheehan pinpoints his control, he will be elite. Staying in the majors is the best way for him to learn and pair that with postseason experience, he could easily earn his way into a starting rotation spot in 2024. I would love to see Sheehan throw his changeup more, but have really liked his fastball command, while the slider has been even better. At the end of the day, Sheehan is another young pitcher in a talented Dodgers system stepping up for the big club when they need it most. This is a trustworthy arm in the postseason you have to utilize, and the Dodgers will do just that.
Take a look at Dodgers 2080 thoughts on the post-season:
Final Rookie Thoughts
The rookies of 2023 stole the show, and they are the ones that are going to be needed the most for the Dodgers to make a deep playoff run. The Dodgers are going to need solid pitching performances from these rookies, but their progression is exciting enough. The Dodgers front office and player development department have proven to strike again. It’s a huge ask to solely rely on these rookies to carry the Dodgers to a World Series win in 2023, but the sample sizes that we’ve seen should make us all feel confident for them to take the big stage in October and in the future.
Take a look at our Catchers ’23 Review/’24 Preview.
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