Los Angeles Dodgers pitching prospect Ryan Pepiot saw his 2022 signal lots of growth and development as he strives to potentially find a permanent place in their starting rotation next season.
The right-hander, who Los Angeles selected in the third round of the 2019 MLB draft, built off a strong finish from last year to earn a non-roster invite to 2022 Spring Training. Pepiot went on to begin the season with Triple-A Oklahoma City but was called up for his MLB debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 11.
Despite only three innings of work, the highly-touted prospect put his big-league prowess on display and kept Pittsburgh scoreless.
Across his entire 2022 campaign, Pepiot mainly found his role with the Dodgers as a spot starter or used in rare situations out of the bullpen. Spending the majority of his season with Oklahoma City, his totals in the Majors on the year ended as seven starts, a 3-0 record and 3.47 ERA across 36.1 innings pitched.
Pepiot allowed 14 earned runs and collected 42 strikeouts during his time with the Dodgers.
Notably, Pepiot was one of the best pitchers this season in all of Triple-A’s Western Division. For OKC, he posted a 2.56 ERA and 1.07 WHIP across 91.1 innings over 17 starts.
Pepiot allowed the fewest earned runs amongst all starters (minimum 90 innings) with 26, and ranked second only behind Houston Astros’ top pitching prospect Hunter Brown in best overall ERA.
Ryan Pepiot 2022 season highlight
Although only totaling 36.1 Major League innings in 2022, the standout moment for Pepiot this year was making his MLB debut.
In a game that the Dodgers would go on to win 3-1, Pittsburgh put runners on base in every inning against the rookie but failed to score each time.
Especially highlighted by a bases-loaded jam in the second inning and Bryan Reynolds at the plate, Pepiot escaped unscathed as he struck out the 2021 All-Star swinging.
Arguably another top highlight for Pepiot was tossing a career-high six innings against the Miami Marlins on August 21.
2023 outlook
Even made evident by Pepiot himself, his rookie campaign will be remembered as a year of continued growth and development.
While his Major League sample might be small, based on past Minor League stats, especially this past season, the future seems very bright for Pepiot.
Although his 2023 role is still to be determined, it would not be very surprising if he contends for one of the backend spots of the Dodgers’ starting rotation. As showcased at times, Pepiot could also find himself coming out of the bullpen as well.
Are you following Dodger Blue on Instagram? It’s the best way to see exclusive coverage from games and events, get your questions answered, and more!
