Even with some bumps along the way, Alex Vesia has established himself as a high-leverage option out of the Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen since joining the team via trade in February 2021.
From 2021-2022, Vesia pitched to a 2.19 ERA in 94.1 innings across 104 appearances. Then came a 2023 season that saw the left-hander struggle mightily as his ERA increased by more than two runs.
It was an anomaly not just because of the drastic increase in runs allowed, but also the fact that Vesia was still striking batters out at a high rate and had the lowest walk rate of his career. The problem was that opponents had seemingly figured him out, as evident by a career-worst .263 batting average against.
This season, Vesia is looking a lot more like the pitcher he was in 2021 and 2022. He did struggle in the early parts of the year, which Vesia explained stemmed from offseason workouts, per Jack Harris of the L.A. Times:
One problem, Vesia identified in hindsight, was his seven-days-per-week offseason training regimen. While it made his body plenty strong entering spring last year, his movements on the mound became too tight. He couldn’t separate his hips and shoulders in his windup. He couldn’t finish his delivery with a fluid release.
“My body just felt very, we call it ‘bricked out,’” Vesia said. “You could see it in my throw … When you’re restricted and you’re fighting through your mechanics, it’s really hard to be a good pitcher.”
The next step for Vesia was to self-scout and pinpoint how opposing batters were reading his pitches so well out of his hand and getting so many hits. Evan Phillips was invaluable resource during that process:
Instead of using his slider to set up elevated fastballs, Vesia’s approach became too predictable. Fastballs were missing over the heart of the zone. Sliders were missing wide for easy takes. Suddenly, even Vesia’s own teammates could identify the way opponents attacked him.
“They’re just gonna eliminate anything that doesn’t look like a fastball,” Phillips told him at one point last year.
Vesia further reflected on how he got to this point and demonstrated the mindset that is necessary to become a successful Major League player:
“I tell you what, man, baseball’s highs and lows … you’re always learning, you’re always adapting,” Vesia said. “But when your mechanics feel good and you’re not fighting your body, it’s a lot more free and easy of a throw.”
The Dodgers currently have the third-best bullpen ERA in all of baseball, which is a big leap from the middle of the pack position they had in the early part of the season.
Vesia has once again become one of the Dodgers’ best weapons out of the bullpen and his availability has been especially important for a team that’s been without multiple key relief pitchers.
Alex Vesia stats
Vesia is 1-2 a 1.42 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 32 strikeouts in 25.1 innings pitched across 23 relief appearances this season. He was especially dominant during a stretch of 15.1 innings where he did not allow an earned run, which helped the Dodgers set a new franchise record of allowing four runs or fewer in 22 consecutive games.
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!
