Dodgers’ 2021 First Round Pick Maddux Bruns Earns High Praise at Camp

One of the best parts of Spring Training is getting looks at guys who have a bright future. For Dodgers fans, it’s been an opportunity to watch guys that they will see in the show very soon. Think of guys like Gavin Lux, Cody Bellinger, Walker Buehler, and many more who have stolen the show at Camelback Ranch in the past. 

But this year, there’s another name showing up for experts: Maddux Bruns. The 2021 first-round pick out of UMS Prep High School in Alabama is impressing early, and giving Dodgers fans a reason to be excited about his future with the club. 

Bruns was lighting up the radar gun with a fastball that topped out around 96 mph in a Low-A game this week. The Athletic’s Keith Law pointed out that he was controlling the plate much better than during his senior year in high school, and flashing a plus curveball that he can throw for strikes. 

“Bruns has always had a good delivery and his trouble throwing strikes was a mystery, with scouts questioning his feel to pitch, his toughness and his makeup. It’s only spring training, of course, but this is elite, elite stuff for a left-hander at any age, let alone a 19-year-old.”

At his best, scouts think that Bruns has a real shot at being a frontline starter during his big league career. That bodes well for the Dodgers, who are always looking for the next arm to come up through the system. If he can reach the big leagues by his 2025 eta, they should have a powerhouse rotation full of young arms and headlined by Walker Buehler. 

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