Dodgers Top Prospect Gavin Stone Has a Much Better 2nd Game of Triple-A Season
Dodgers RHP Gavin Stone garnered a ton of attention during spring training this year. The penultimate pick in the shorted 2020 draft has flown up the Dodgers prospect rankings, and it’s easy to see why.
Stone dominated the Cactus League, throwing 6.2 scoreless innings and striking out 14. That was good for a K/9 of 18.9.
A big reason for Stone’s success is his filthy changeup, a pitch he told dodgersnation.com is one he learned after joining LA.
However, the Dodgers wanted to let the 24-year-old continue getting experience before making his debut, which is why he started the season in Triple-A — much to the chagrin of many Dodger fans.
However, that proved to be the right call, as in his first start, he got rocked. He lasted just 2.2 innings, and allowed six earned runs, three home runs and struck out just three. That’s what the minor leagues are for, however, and in his second start of the season, he settled in nicely.
Stone went five innings in Wednesday’s start, allowing just three hits, one earned run, zero walks and striking out five. He also retired the final 12 batters he faced.
That’s more like it from Stone, who’s definitely going to make an impact on the major league team at some point this season. The Dodgers don’t need to rush him, as they have plenty of options in the rotation, even with Tony Gonsolin and Ryan Pepiot on the injured list.
Whenever Stone does come up, I expect him to be in the bullpen, and turn into one of the team’s best relievers. He won’t be forced to pitch long outings, and he’ll be able to maximize his stuff in short bursts.
However, for now, Stone will keep working in Triple-A, getting invaluable experience against close-to-big-league competition. Let’s hope for more starts like this one moving forward.
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