Dodgers: Expert's Assessment of Bobby Miller Should Get You Hyped
Over the last few years, the Dodgers have been exceptional at developing pitching talent. Whether that be helping veteran hurlers unlock hidden potential (Tyler Anderson, Evan Phillips types) or bringing out the best in prospects they have signed or drafted (Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, Julio Urias, and so on).
We saw some of the next wave last season with pitchers like Ryan Pepiot and Michael Grove playing key roles on the pitching staff. And, this coming season is setting up to be the unofficial year of the rookie pitcher in LA.
The youth movement is coming and one name fans are really hyped about is right-handed flamethrower, Bobby Miller. We got a taste of Miller time last spring when he struck out Shohei Ohtani looking with 100-mile-per-hour heat. And this coming season, the 23-year-old is primed to finally make his big league debut at some point before the All-Star break.
Miller was a focus of Jeffrey Paternostro, Brandon Williams, and the guys over at Baseball Prospectus. In a recent feature on the Dodgers' farm system (recommended reading for Dodger fans), Paternostro did a deep dive into Miller's pitch mix which features a change-up, slider, curveball, and of course that big fastball. One thing he notes, fans may have to temper their expectations with that fastball.
Miller’s fastball might legitimately be his fourth-best pitch, sitting in the upper-90s with decent ride, and he’ll occasionally show you a power sinker wrinkle as well. The command and strike-throwing with the pitch still aren’t quite sharp enough though and that can lead to a few too many walks or just general inefficiency.
Now, you can take that negatively -- hey maybe his fastball isn't going to be as good as we hoped -- or you can look on the bright side... this dude might have some really good offspeed stuff.
Here's a bit on Paternostro's analysis of Miller's offspeed offerings.
Both of Miller’s breaking balls are easy plus. Miller’s changeup isn’t as visually impressive, but the 10-15 mph gap off the fastball leads to plenty of whiffs despite less than impressive depth or fade.
Miller seems to be getting better when facing better competition (4.45 ERA at Double-A early in 2022 < 3.38 ERA at Triple-A over his final four starts). So, ultimately the future rookie of the year candidate could benefit from facing the highest level of competition while working under the watchful eyes of pitching coach Mark Prior and the group of pitching gurus at the big league level.
2023 is certainly going to be the year of Bobby Miller one way or another for the Dodgers.
