Dodgers 'Under-The-Radar' Pitcher Playing Key Role in NL West Title Chase

Jun 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Jack Dreyer (86) throws a pitch during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been defined by their superstars for the last few seasons, and rightfully so.

Some of the biggest names in LA banded together to help the Dodgers win the 2024 World Series championship, but MLB.com's Brian Murphy dubbed southpaw Jack Dreyer as an under-the-radar player stepping up in a major way.

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The Dodgers have unfortunately been plagued with countless injuries to their pitching roster this season. To try and address this problem, Kirby Yates and Tanner Scott were acquired this past offseason — but both are currently shelved on the IL with a few other bullpen staples.

Dreyer doesn't get the same attention as the other All-Stars and demonstrated veterans on the team, but his 2.93 ERA across 47 outings should certainly be worthy of more hype.

His ERA+ of 143 ranks him 43 percent higher than league average, and his barrel percentage of just 3.8 percent is among the lowest in baseball, putting him in the 96th percentile across MLB.

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Dreyer has just three pitches that he uses to constantly puzzle batters, but none average a higher average velocity than 93 mph.

His slider, used 45.2 percent of the time, sits at around 88.1 mph on average and has an opposing batting average of just .202 against it. His swing-and-miss rate of 30.1 percent against that offering is the best in his arsenal.

The second-most used pitch, Dreyer's four seam fastball, is hurled 43.9 percent of the time. Opposing batters are hitting just .190 against it with a whiff-rate of 19.7 percent.

The final pitch in Dreyer's arsenal is the lesser-used curveball, thrown just 10.8 percent of the time. He lowers the velocity to just a 78.8 mph average and induces a swing-and-miss rate 25.9 percent of the time, but opposing batters are far less confused by it with a .385 batting average on that offering.

The 26-year-old from Salt Lake City, UT seems to have found his niche during his rookie season, and the hope is that his production will continue through the final stretch. Dreyer's ERA has dipped below 2.30 since July 1 as he will look to keep shining when called upon.

For more Dodgers news, head over to Dodgers on SI.