Dodgers Sign Hard-Throwing Right-Handed Pitcher
One team could never have too many pitchers right? After losing Tyler Anderson and knowing that Buehler won't be returning until late this season, the Dodgers acted fast on getting some extra pitching help.
But their solution wasn't to sign any big-name guys like deGrom or Verlander who landed on the free agency market this year. Instead, they dealt out a few minor-league contracts to guys, including a small-town prospect from Ohio named Jacob Pilarski.
Tread Athletics was the first to break the news about Pilarski joining the Dodgers for the upcoming season.
101.4 MPH. That sure seems promising. But throwing heat doesn't mean anything if he can't hit a target.
Pilarski who is 6'2 and 225 pounds, has spent the past two seasons in an independent league, called Frontier League while playing for the Lake Erie Crushers in Avo, Ohio for the 2021 year and for the Washington Wild Things in 2022.
With the Lake Erie Crushers, Jacob had a 3-4 record with a 5.32 ERA, 66 strikeouts, and 1.65 WHIP, allowing only five home runs and 72 hits in 66 innings pitched and 15 games (14 games started).
He was a reliever in his Age 24 season with the WildThings with a 4.30 ERA, 1.63 WHIP in 23 games, and 29.1 innings pitched.
Pilarski has seen appearances as both a starting pitcher but also a reliever.
In college, Pilarski attended Virginia Wesleyan, starting in a handful of games, and came in as relief at some points. His best season in college came in 2018 when he went 11-0 with a 2.15 ERA, and he played in 16 games but started in 12 games.
The Dodgers see something in this guy plus he's only 24 years old so he's still got plenty of time to learn and grow as a pitcher to prepare for the major league level.
It's clear the Dodgers are going with depth this year and focusing more on the sustained success of the franchise so maybe this Pilarski guy is a good investment for the future.
