Despite their strategic efforts, the Dodgers might still require additional pitching reinforcements.
The Dodgers signed a few pitchers during the off-season, including Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, and Tanner Scott, but they might not have enough pitching to get them through the championship season. Ben Lindbergh mentioned on the Effectively Wild podcast that the Dodgers have a collection of one-inning pitchers, which isn't ideal for longevity.
To get through a 162-game season, you need 1,458 innings. Let's analyze their current pitching roster.
The Starters:
- Blake Snell: 104 innings in 2024; projected for 160 in 2025
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto: 90 in 2024; projected for 163 in 2025
- Tyler Glasnow: 134 in 2024; projected for 140 in 2025
- Tony Gonsolin: 103 in 2023; projected for 103 in 2025
- Roki Sasaki: N/A; projected for 139 in 2025
- Clayton Kershaw: 131 in 2023; projected for 85 in 2025
- Gavin Stone: 140 in 2024; projected for 171 in 2025
- Dustin May: 48 in 2023; projected for 74 in 2025
Adding up the projected innings for the starting rotation is 1,035 innings. It's quite a ways off from the needed 1,458 innings.
The Relievers:
- Tanner Scott: 72 innings pitched; 1.0 inning per appearance
- Kirby Yates: 61.2; 1.0 inning per
- Blake Treinen: 46.2; 0.9
- Micheal Kopech: 67.2; 1.0
- Evan Phillips: 54.2; 0.9
- Anthony Banda: 49.2; 1.0
- Alex Vesia:* 66.1; 1.0
- Brusdar Graterol^: 67.1; 1.0
Together, these relievers contribute a total of 486 innings (considering Brusdar Graterol's projected innings at a one-inning average).
If Los Angeles could roster all these names and if they perform according to their past and projected performance, the combined total would be 1,521 innings. However, with 1,458 innings required, they still have a shortage of approximately 63 innings for a 162-game season.
In conclusion, despite their impressive pitching roster, the Dodgers might struggle to find enough innings to get them through the entire 162-game season. As manager Dave Roberts faces his toughest challenge yet, it remains to be seen if he can cobble together enough quality starts and relief appearances to keep the team in contention for the postseason.
- Blake Snell, who joined the Dodgers during the off-season, is projected to pitch 160 innings in 2025, an increase from his 104 innings in 2024.
- Tyler Glasnow, another addition to the Dodgers' pitching staff, had 134 innings in 2024 and is projected to pitch 140 innings in 2025.
- Roki Sasaki, a promising pitcher, is yet to have innings recorded in 2024 but is projected to pitch 139 innings in 2025.
- Dave Roberts, the Dodgers' manager, will likely face his toughest challenge yet in ensuring his team has enough quality starts and relief appearances to get through the 162-game season.
- Although the Dodgers have signed Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, and Tanner Scott, they still need around 63 additional innings to cover the required 1,458 innings for a full season.
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who pitched 90 innings in 2024, is projected to increase his innings to 163 in 2025, potentially contributing to the team's pitching needs.
- Ben Lindbergh mentioned on the Effectively Wild podcast that the Dodgers' collection of one-inning pitchers isn't ideal for longevity, signifying the need for a balanced pitching approach.
