The Los Angeles Dodgers enter the early part of June with elite production from their rotation thus far, fueled by a group of newcomers making an impact.
Gavin Stone has been a bright spot for the current group, cementing himself among the best rookie arms in Major League Baseball to this point. The 25-year-old owns a 6-2 record with a 2.90 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and a .237 batting average allowed.
His 62 innings pitched ranks fifth among rookie starting pitchers, and his ERA is fourth among starters with at least 30 innings pitched.
Stone turned in another strong outing against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday, and discussed what made him successful during his five shutout innings.
“Command of the fastball and leaned heavily on the slider,” Stone said. “That was a big pitch. (Austin) Barnesy called a great game.”
Stone was limited to 75 pitches against the Rockies because he was on a normal rest schedule, noting that he was ready for whatever Dodgers manager Dave Roberts required of him.
“Honestly, I didn’t know,” Stone said. “As many innings as I can get, I’ll get. They don’t really give me any of that info. They just give me the ball and I know they’ll take me out eventually.”
Already double his workload from last season, Stone’s durability and consistency have been impressive. The ability to use all his pitches have also been a key factor in his breakout.
“Honestly, just trying to win a ballgame for the club. It’s been really fun,” Stone said. “Like I said, we’ve got great game plans. Mark (Prior) and Connor (McGuiness) do a great job, and Barnesy and Will (Smith) are top two catchers in the league in calling games. It’s been fun. I look forward to keep doing it.”
From last season to now, Stone has made big strides with his pitch mix and plan of attack against opposing lineups. Qualities he’s shown are much-improved from his taste of Major League Baseball in 2023, now that he’s become a key contributor in the rotation.
“I see the confidence level in executing pitches,” Austin Barnes said. “He’s not afraid to get beat in the zone right now. He trusts his stuff and he’s got a good mix right now. His sinker is really good, his slider has come a long way and he’s still got that really good wipeout changeup. He’s in a really good spot.”
“So much maturity from last year the way he’s throwing the ball with such confidence, going deep into games and resetting the bullpen,” Barnes added. “His pitch count was kind of down but he probably could’ve gone a little deeper. Just making really quality pitches and carries himself well around here. Can’t say enough good things about him.”
With how he’s projecting, Stone’s ability to miss the big part of the barrel, coupled with his deep arsenal, makes him a viable option when building a starting rotation in the postseason.
He’s allowed three or more runs just three times this season, going at least six innings in seven of his 11 starts.
Dave Roberts on Gavin Stone this season
Roberts discussed Stone and what he brought to the table against the Rockies, naming important factors that allowed him to be cerebral in his five innings of work.
“Execution and efficiency,” Roberts said. “We talked earlier about his poise and mound presence, he’s really matured and composed. He was in control all day long.”
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