Dodgers rode homegrown pitching to a World Series title
The Los Angeles Dodgers made their way to the World Series title with an entirely homegrown lineup of starting pitchers.
One of the most incredible aspects of the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ run through the 2020 postseason was the makeup of their roster.
Sure, going out and getting Mookie Betts for big money from the Boston Red Sox will go down as one of the key moves that brought Los Angeles its first title since 1988. But there was more to it than just that.
The fact that pitching helped them get there is a huge compliment to the entire organization.
You want a stat: The Dodgers played 18 postseason games. Every one of them was started by a pitcher who has spent his entire professional career in the LA organization.
— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) October 28, 2020
That’s an incredible stat that shows the power of building from within while finding the right pieces to strengthen from the outside.
The Dodgers developed the pitchers that got them a championship
Obviously, Clayton Kershaw is the headliner of Los Angeles’ pitching staff. He was drafted by the team in 2006 and has remained with the team ever since.
The league MVP, eight-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young had accomplished all someone could in the regular season, but 2020 was his time to put his postseason demons to bed. He started five games and came away with a 4-1 record.
The wily veteran was matched by a young gun in Walker Buehler. The Dodgers picked him up in the first round of the 2015 draft and he has paid nearly immediate dividends. He was a 2019 All-Star and turned into one of the most effective pitchers in the postseason with a 1.80 ERA in five starts.
Three other pitchers started for the Dodgers in the 2020 postseason: Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin and Julio Urias.
May was a third-round pick for the Dodgers in the 2016 MLB Draft. He started three games, notched one win and was used as a reliever in four additional postseason appearances.
Gonsolin was also a 2016 draft pick by the organization, though he had the roughest time of the Dodger’s pitching staff with two losses in three starts.
As for Urias, the Dodgers signed the Mexican product back in 2013 when he was 17 years old. Now in his fifth year in the majors, he started two postseason games but delivered his greatest contribution as a reliever when he closed out Game 6 with 2.1 scoreless innings to clinch the title.
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