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The lack of quality starting pitching depth was a big question mark heading into the 2022 season for the Dodgers. That depth has been tested early on as both Andrew Heaney and Clayton Kershaw have found themselves on the IL for a lengthy period of time. While Kershaw has made his way back, Heaney has yet to return to the rotation. To make matters worse, the Dodgers recently lost star pitcher Walker Buehler until late August or early September.

When Buehler was healthy and on the mound, he was not the pitcher Dodgers fans have known for the past couple of seasons. Instead, this season has been uncharacteristic for him as he sports a 4.02 ERA across 65 innings pitched. One pitcher has risen to carry the load with the number of injuries and inconsistent outings coming from the rotation. No, it hasn’t been Julio Urías, and while Tyler Anderson has been solid, Tony Gonsolin has been the clear ace of the staff this year.

In fact, Cat Man has started off the season in a historic way. Not only does his ERA lead the entire National League, but it’s the third-lowest ERA by a Dodger through their first 12 starts since 1912. Only Don Drysdale (1.33 ERA in 1968) and Hyun Jin Ryu (1.35 ERA in 2019) were better. That’s quite a turnaround from last year for the 28-year-old. 

The 2021 season was not a bad season for Gonsolin as he posted a 4-1 record with a 3.23 ERA in 15 appearances. However, no one expected him to take such a leap forward and become the Dodgers' most valuable pitcher to this point.

He's well on his way to earning the first All-Star nod of his career and representing the Dodgers here at Dodger Stadium come July. He's surely done enough to do so, but can he maintain that kind of production to lock up a spot and possibly even the starting nod.