Dodgers: Ryan Pepiot Learned His Way Around the Big Leagues from an Impressive List of Teammates
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The Dodgers had a few young guys play some pretty decent roles last season — but none were bigger than the role Ryan Pepiot played. Pepiot was the go-to spot starter when the Dodgers needed an extra arm, and he excelled in that role.
Overall, Pepiot made nine appearances (seven starts), going 3-0 with a 3.47 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP. He struck out 42 batters and walked 27 in 36.1 innings pitched. While that experience was great, the better experience may have come in the relationships he built, and what he was able to learn.
Pepiot spoke to Doug McKain of Dodgers Nation about the guys who really stepped up to teach him about the ins and outs of the game last season.
"Walker [Buehler] took me under his wing pretty good when he was around. And then Tony [Gonsolin] as well. And Evan Phillips. Every time I was up, I’d go to breakfast with Tony and Evan and [Alex] Vesia, and [Andrew] Heaney would come, too. So it was a good little group, and everybody was super welcoming, but those guys went the extra mile."
While those five players made an impact with one-on-one time, Pepiot was also able to learn a lot from watching nine-time All-Star and three-time NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw.
"Watching him do his thing on start days is something special. His routine, he’s got it down to like the second of where he’s got to be, what he’s doing at what certain time. So just being able to, like, be there and be in the back row and sit there and watch that all unfold, I’ll take that away with me. And then. just, he gave me a lot of advice, especially my first couple outings. He was just like, 'Hey, just go out there and be yourself. Don’t try to do too much.'"
Pepiot is expected to play a similar role this season, and should get a good amount of spot starts with all the injury prone players in the Dodgers' rotation. Make sure to watch the full interview between Pepiot and McKain, as there's a lot of good stuff that'll get you excited for Pepiot's future in Los Angeles.
