The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Bobby Miller is making his postseason debut as their Game 2 starter in the National League Division Series.
Miller’s rise into a prominent role in the Dodgers rotation was out of necessity when they called him up from Triple-A Oklahoma City in late May. He has since shown an ability to adapt at the Major League level with a 3.76 ERA, 3.51 FIP, 1.10 WHIP and a .225 batting average allowed.
The Dodgers have relied on Miller to provide power with a triple-digits fastball, and his anointment as the Game 2 starter reinforces their confidence in the 24-year-old. Among rookie starting pitchers with at least 100 innings, he posted the third-best ERA.
With Clayton Kershaw getting the nod in Game 1 on Saturday, the Dodgers have their rotation lined up for the NLDS with the extended time off, a perk of owning the second seed in the NL.
Pitching in the friendly confines of Dodger Stadium has been good to Miller, as he’s been stellar in the second half when taking the mound at home.
In five starts at Dodger Stadium since the All-Star break, Miller owns a 3.30 ERA, 3.42 FIP, 0.83 WHIP and held opponents to a .189 batting average.
There was a fair amount of speculation in the Dodgers possibly Miller as their stater for the first game of the NLDS.
The development on sequencing pitches and command, and lately, his changeup, have given the rookie the look of a starting pitcher with every tool to go deep into games.
In late August, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts discussed how the front office closely monitored Miller and his workload because of the opportunity to pitch deep into the postseason.
How Bobby Miller can succeed in MLB playoffs
Miller possesses an elite arsenal, led by his four-seam fastball, sinker, curveball, slider and changeup. But what has stood out most is his growing sense of when and how to pitch around the strike zone, which, in turn, limits walks.
Miller lowered his walk rate from 3.07 per nine innings, to 1.90 per nine in his 80.1 innings pitched during the second half. The free pass tends to make or break many pitchers in the postseason, and with Miller’s knack for missing barrels, letting his stuff play has been the best route.
His four-seam and sinker carrying very solid run value’s, but the feel on both the curveball (.199 expected batting average allowed) and changeup (.166 xBA) are where Miller will have a shot to showcase his pure development into a complete pitcher.
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