Bobby Miller opened the 2023 season as a top prospect who was expected to make his MLB debut late in the year, but the right-handed ended up becoming an important piece in the Los Angeles Dodgers rotation much sooner than anticipated.
It wasn’t in the original plans for Miller to have a large role in the Dodgers starting rotation this past season, but injuries and unforeseen circumstances thrust him into an accelerated position.
Having to use Miller, Ryan Pepiot, Michael Grove, Emmett Sheehan and Gavin Stone pushed the organization into unsteady territory with pitching, and it was Miller who emerged as the best of the bunch.
Miller ended up logging 22 starts in his rookie year, posting a 3.76 ERA, 3.51 FIP, and a 1.10 WHIP over 124.1 innings pitched. The 24-year-old made just four starts with Triple-A Oklahoma City before receiving the call-up in late May.
In an appearance on SportsNetLA, Miller discussed the impact of pitching a majority of the 2023 season with the Dodgers and his takeaways from a strong first campaign:
“I feel like I grew a lot this year. I’m pretty happy about the year overall, obviously not the ending of it. But for a rookie year, I felt like it was pretty good. I had a good start. There were a lot of ups and downs, but I learned a lot from it.”
Miller made history over his first four starts, logging a 0.78 ERA and using Major League stuff to power his way through big league lineups while cementing his spot in the rotation.
Miller finished his rookie year with an 11-4 record, demonstrating a continued maturation over the course of the season and living up to his hype as one of baseball’s budding star rookies.
The Dodgers are hopeful Miller will take another step forward in 2024, and based on his talent and early results, the sky seems to be the limit for the right-hander.
Where does Bobby Miller fit into Dodgers 2024 rotation?
No longer a prospect, Miller is established at the Major League level and has some playoff experience with one postseason start, although the results were mostly poor.
Without a clear ace on the staff entering the MLB Winter Meetings, the Dodgers can slot Miller into the number two slot in the rotation. He possesses the demeanor, growth, pitch arsenal, and ability to push through adversity that manager Dave Roberts can feel confident in.
He looks primed to have an even better season in 2024.
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