The 2023 season was a disaster for Los Angeles Dodgers starter Gavin Stone.
Considered one of the top arms in their system, he pitched 100.2 innings in Triple-A with a 4.74 ERA, a mediocre mark for such a talented pitcher.
In the majors, he was even worse, with a 9.00 ERA in 31 innings.
He gave up 31 earned runs in 31 frames.
But young pitchers often require time and patience to make adjustments and put themselves in a position to succeed.
The Dodgers had patience, and are about to reap the benefits.
With a very solid spring training, Stone won a spot in the rotation to open the year, ahead of some really skilled hurlers.
“Gavin Stone said Dave Roberts officially informed him today he will break camp as the Dodgers’ fifth starter,” Dodgers insider Fabian Ardaya tweeted.
Gavin Stone said Dave Roberts officially informed him today he will break camp as the Dodgers’ fifth starter.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) March 18, 2024
In the 2024 edition of spring training, Stone posted a 0.93 ERA in 9.2 frames, with one walk and nine strikeouts.
Let’s also remember that despite being awful last year, he was brilliant in 2022 and posted a 1.60 ERA in 73.1 innings in Double-A and a microscopic 1.16 ERA in 23.1 innings in Triple-A that year.
When he is at his best, Stone has solid fastball velocity and command, but his best pitch is a very solid changeup that helps him miss bats.
He has the upside of a mid-rotation starter, and despite how bad he looked last year, he is in a good position to yield excellent results in 2024 health and form-wise.
The Dodgers have enviable depth, so he will need to pitch well to maintain a spot, though.
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