3 Los Angeles Dodgers playing their way off the postseason roster

Dodgers playing their way off the postseason roster: 2. Gavin Stone

At the beginning of the 2023 season, Gavin Stone was ranked the 56th-best prospect in all of baseball. Many expected him to have a huge year, but he has done nothing but struggle.

Since debuting, he has been one of the worst starting pitchers in all of MLB, currently holding an ERA+ of 47, meaning the average pitcher is 53 percent better than him. He has started four games but recently has moved up and down through the minors and the Dodgers' bullpen. In his seven total games in MLB, he has pitched 26.2 innings but currently holds an ERA of 9.45.

Many expected Gavin Stone to dominate as one of the best strikeout pitchers. Since debuting, though, his strikeout rate is half of what it was in Triple-A, meaning he hasn't been able to adjust to MLB hitters. His strikeout rate is at 5.7 per nine innings pitched, but the number of hits he has given up is almost three times higher with a rate of 14.5 per nine innings. In his 26 innings, he has also given up six home runs.

Despite his struggles, he currently holds a record of 1-0. The main cause of his struggles is his 4-seam fastball, which he has thrown 31.2 percent of the time. However, batters have hit .533 off it with a slugging percentage of .933. His fastball has been getting hit so well because he only throws it at an average speed of 94 MPH.