Gavin Stone made his MLB debut last season after ranking as one of the top Los Angeles Dodgers prospects, but he endured a rough stretch of starts to open his career.
Stone’s debut for the Dodgers was highly anticipated, but after posting a 14.40 ERA, 5.66 FIP with 23 hits allowed over his initial three starts, he was sent back to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
It wasn’t until late August that Stone rejoined the big league roster. In his time with OKC, he worked on a number of issues, eventually earning Pacific Coast Pitcher of the Week honors for August 28-September 3.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman praised Stone for dealing with the bumps of a tough rookie season, per Cary Osborne of Dodger Insider:
“Watching him do that on the fly and seeing how much more he was able to add from the feedback he got from his Major League experience was awesome to see,” Friedman said.
Stone went 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA and 1.90 WHIP in eight games (four starts) over multiple stints with the Dodgers.
The 25-year-old emphasized that he learned a lot from being around Major League pitchers, namely, Clayton Kershaw. He’ll have more of an opportunity to learn from a first ballot Hall of Famer as he signed back with the Dodgers for at least the 2024 season.
Stone now seems to be the favorite to land the Dodgers fifth starter spot to open the 2024 season after an impressive Spring Training. At the very least, he will travel with the team to South Korea, where they open their season.
Among the issues he addressed following his struggles included addressing some mechanical issues that stemmed from an injury, tipping pitches, and adding on weight to help him keep his velocity up.
Baseball America ranks Gavin Stone among top Dodgers prospects
Alongside three other Dodgers prospects, Stone was named to Baseball America’s top 100 list ahead of the 2024 season.
Dalton Rushing (No. 50), Stone (No. 82), Andy Pages (No. 96) and Nick Frasso (No. 97).
Unfortunately for Stone, he was not named to Baseball Prospectus’ top 101 list, but a solid start in the minors this season could swing some mid-season rankings.
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