Although the Los Angeles Dodgers worked to address their bullpen last offseason by signing Joe Kelly, who was fresh off a dominant World Series run with the Boston Red Sox, the group of relief pitchers was largely a point of inconsistency throughout the 2019 campaign.
Certainly mindful of the volatile nature of a bullpen, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman acknowledged it was plausible Tony Gonsolin or Dustin May would play a significant role come the postseason.
That likelihood became more of a possibility when the Dodgers’ lone trade at the July 31 deadline was to acquire lefty specialist Adam Kolarek. While both of the organization’s top pitching prospects auditioned as starters and relievers, only May was included on the postseason roster.
Both pitchers nevertheless made a lasting impression on Clayton Kershaw, as seen on SportsNet LA
“I’ve been very impressed with both of them. I like both of their temperaments, both of their attitudes on the mound. Not intimidated one bit, came right in, knew they belonged and have pitched really well. Obviously the stuff is there for both of them. Dustin is only 21 years old but the stuff is upper-echelon, elite stuff. Fun to watch him work. Tony is great, too. Tony can really pitch. You can see the competitiveness in him as well.”
Gonsolin was first to make his MLB debut, besting May by one week. His first game was a bit bumpy but Gonsolin went on to impress in subsequent appearances, going 4-2 with one save, a 2.93 ERA, 3.86 FIP and 1.03 WHIP in 11 games (six starts).
May encountered struggles in the early stages of his change in role to pitch out of the bullpen, but overall was 2-3 with a 3.63 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 34.2 innings across 14 games (four starts). He then allowed just one run over 3.1 innings in two appearances during the National League Division Series.
Where Gonsolin and May both struggled was efficiency and pitching deep into starts. Each of the right-handers tended to become fatigued during the fourth inning and their effectiveness would decline at that juncture.
Both of the young hurlers figure to play some role for the Dodgers next season, but the specifics of which hinge on free agency and potential trades. Rich Hill and Hyun-Jin Ryu are free agents, and there’s speculation the Dodgers will pursue signing Gerrit Cole.
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