Ryan Falla
Jared Karros greatly established his stock as a rising pitcher within the Dodgers system after a fantastic debut season in 2023 that saw the young star log 83.2 innings of work across Low-A and High-A with 86 strikeouts through the two levels. Karros had not pitched in a live game since 2021 (with UCLA) before this past season speaks volumes to his natural ability as a pitcher and game-bred mentality. His time with the Low-A Quakes saw him manage at least ten outings of four strikeouts or more (19 total appearances) with four of those outings being 6+ strikeout affairs. His mid-90s heater plays well with a vertical break that routinely denies strong contact, and his ability to sequence the pitch throughout the zone allows Karros the luxury of pitching in favorable positions consistently.
Because 2023 was his first year back in baseball since 2021 speaks highly to the nature of his development as he managed such notable strikeout-rich outings right out of the gate. Karros regularly achieved these high strikeout affairs while averaging about 50 to 60 pitches a game. A full season built off the momentum of a successful 2023 should see Karros eclipse his previous strikeout ability in 2024.
“I did not pitch in my junior season at UCLA but throughout the summer after getting drafted I spent time in Arizona and worked on getting myself back to where I was. Throughout the off season I continued building on that to get me ready for the season. That helped lead me to the success I had.”
Among all pitchers with at least 70 IP in the Low-A Cal League there were few as good as Karros regarding strike zone efficiency. He ranked as the 9th best pitcher in K/9 rankings with a 9.55 K/9 rate while ranking 8th in BB/9 with a 2.80 BB/9 rate. Overall Karros was striking out 25.7% of the batters he faced while walking hitters just 7.5% of the time. His xFIP of 4.08 would be good for 8th in the league, again showing just how capably Karros can manage hitters with the pure qualities of his strike zone control. You can pinpoint the aggregator of his successes through his ability to befuddle bats as noted by his 14.5% Swinging Strike rate, good for 3rd best in the Cal League.
Prior to this season Karros had pitched in just 27 innings with UCLA in 2021, leaving one to wonder just how dominant Karros can be in 2024 with a full season of work now propelling his momentum. There is no denying how much real estate in the strike zone Karros claims as his own, and a furthered ability to integrate his off-speed pitches will easily push Karros to the next level as a truly undeniable elite prospect.
“I started off pretty hot [in 2023], but then around early August I had a couple of rough starts in a row. I changed some things in my delivery from there and ended up having a lot of success at the end of my time with Rancho. I just built upon that and continued on as I went to High-A [Great Lake Loons]. The delivery change helped me feel in rhythm and brought a lot of success with it.”
#Dodgers pitching prospect Jared Karros was impressive in his High-A debut today:
5.0 IP
4 H
1 ER
1 BB
6 K
73 P / 48 SThe only run he allowed came on a solo homer pic.twitter.com/Sceb8wQz4n
— Bruce Kuntz (@Bnicklaus7) August 31, 2023
Karros continued his dominant streak immediately after getting the late-season call to High-A as noted by his 6K 5IP debut which resulted in a win on 73 pitches. His next outing with High-A saw him follow up his debut win with a 4-inning save in which he allowed just one hit. You couldn’t have written a more fitting seasons end for Karros as his last start of the year came in a post-season elimination game that saw the rising star sling his way through a six-strikeout, five-scoreless inning affair as the High A Loons secured a series victory. This peek into Karros’ ability is simply a preview in what he has to the offer the Dodgers organization, and the world of baseball in general, as he rides into the dawn of his career.
“That was awesome. It felt like a college regional vibe a little bit. Win or go home. That was a really fun experience.
Jared Karros was excellent in the playoffs for Great Lakes tonight:
5.0 IP
2 H
0 R
1 BB
6 K
77 P / 51 SKarros has been extremely impressive since being promoted to High-A pic.twitter.com/oVSHLRoM7m
— Bruce Kuntz (@Bnicklaus7) September 16, 2023
There is a strong path forward for Karros as a big league starting pitcher, and with a refined secondary there is a real chance the rising star will catapult himself into serious prospect standings very soon. He already possesses the critical qualities most sought after in a young pitching prospect, that being an ability to work the entirety of the zone with confidence and dominance. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Karros establish himself with quick success in Double-A this year, and from there it’s only a stones throw away to the Majors. He’s spent the current offseason preparing for his breakout year by working out at Dodgers stadium with various big league personnel, including Major League standout Walker Buehler, as he learns to further refine his approach to the game both behind the scenes and on the mound.
“This off season has been great, I’ve been fortunate to work out at Dodger Stadium. Being there and having all the resources while I continue developing my pitches has been awesome. The overall theme has been consistency with my off speed. Walker Bueller has been at the stadium and he’s given me a few tips, different ways to think about approach. Different things you can do with your body to make pitches work differently. I’m really looking at where my curveball is right now, metric wise and feel wise. I’m excited for that coming into spring training.”
Karros’ ability to deliver high-leverage performances in the deepest of situations bodes well for his track as a future big leaguer in one of the most overly scrutinized environments in the Major Leagues, and all of sports in general, as a Los Angeles Dodger. His big league ceiling is reminiscent of former big leaguer Jered Weaver with his ability to command the strikeout by placing his fastball all over the zone, though Karros would admit he’s more of an Adam Wainwright type of guy. Either way, Dodger fans have a lot to look forward to with the impending rise of Jared Karros as carves his way through hitter after hitter en route to establishing a big league legacy of his own as a premier pitcher in Major League Baseball.
