The Los Angeles Dodgers won a franchise-best 111 games during the regular season and had their sights on another World Series championship, but suffered an early postseason exit at the hands of the San Diego Padres in the National League Division Series.
It marked a disappointing ending to what otherwise was a historic year. Alex Vesia took the last three weeks to reflect on all the team accomplished and thanks Dodgers fans for their support.
Previously, Trea Turner, Justin Turner, Brusdar Graterol and Yency Almonte also turned to social media to offer fans their end-of-season thoughts and express gratitude.
Vesia built on a breakout season with an even better 2022 campaign, going 5-0 with a 2.15 ERA, 2.12 FIP, 1.12 WHIP and 13.1 strikeouts per nine in 54.1 innings pitched (63 games).
The left-hander is among the Dodgers under team control for the 2023 season with less than three years of service time. Vesia will be eligible for salary arbitration next year and isn’t scheduled to become a free agent until the end of the 2026 season.
Alex Vesia carries extra motivation with Dodgers
Vesia was selected by the Miami Marlins in the 17th round of the 2020 MLB Draft and struggled with them that year before he was sent to the Dodgers in a trade the following offseason.
The Cal State East Bay alum has been an integral part of the Dodgers bullpen ever since. “Chip is on my shoulder all the time,” Vesia said earlier this year.
“I feel like I carry that in my heart pretty much every day. My college coach told me, ‘You’re not going to make your money in the Draft.’,” Vesia recalled. “He is like, ‘You’re going to make it in the big leagues.’ That’s always been pretty heavy on my heart.”
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
