Dodgers News: Dave Roberts Believes Dustin May is Better Than Ever
Dustin May was great in his 2023 debut. The Dodger right-hander kept Diamondback hitters off balance all night while completing 7 innings for the first time in his career.
It adds evidence to the fact that Dustin has come a long way since injuring his elbow in 2021 and an even longer way since making his debut in 2019.
“I’ll tell you, I think he’s better than he was before,” Dave Roberts said after May's start. “And I say that because, you know, going through that rehab process, there’s a maturity that has to happen. And I think that that’s one component. The delivery is as consistent as I’ve ever seen it. And so for me, I think the net he’s a better major league pitcher than he was, you know, call it 18, 19 months ago.”
May was pretty good in '21 before his elbow gave out (2.74 ERA over 5 starts). He was pretty solid in '20, but inefficient (2.57 ERA over 12 games but with 16 walks and 9 home runs allowed). In his first start this season, it looked like Dustin was more interested in ground ball outs over strikeouts. It took just 84 pitches to get through 7 innings, a triumph for a guy that had completed 6 innings just six times in his career.
If this is the new look May, Dodgers fans are in for a treat. He's a sleeper pick to make the All-Star team for the first time in his career and he could very well be up there with Julio Urias as the co-workhorse by the time all is said and done.
