Julio Urias Will Play a Huge Role in the Playoffs

Moving Julio Urias to the bullpen is a brilliant move by the Dodger front office. It is an innovative solution to a complex problem that has plagued teams in the past. Most notably, the Washington Nationals shut down Stephen Strasburg in 2012 due to an innings limit after winning 98 games. That Nationals team lost to an 88-win St. Louis Cardinal team in the NLDS. The Dodgers will almost certainly be facing Washington in the NLDS. Look for Urias to get big outs against Bryce Harper and Daniel Murphy. 

Urias’s role in the bullpen can be versatile. He will not always need to be the long relief man putting up multiple zeros on the scoreboard. That will be one of his roles. However, he can also be utilized to face one batter in a jam. Urias is the perfect reliever to counter a runner on-base situation because he has already developed the best pickoff move in baseball.

Thank you, Vin. Here’s another one against a very fast Jose Pereza on base:

If it ever came down to one late inning at-bat against the likes of Harper or Murphy, Julio Urias is the only reliever I want on the mound besides Kenley Jansen. 

Harper is 0-4 with 3 strikeouts against Urias this season. Murphy is 0-4 with one strikeout against Urias this season.

A successful Urias during this year’s postseason from the Dodger bullpen would mark an amazing achievement in what has already been an amazing season for the Mexican prodigy. Urias still has potential to be a postseason hero.