Ryan Brasier joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in early June after being released by the Boston Red Sox. He quickly became one of the club’s most trusted right-handed relievers, finding new life in his presence in late-game situations.
The Dodgers and getting the best out of a player have become synonymous with one another. The same goes for Brasier and the 0.70 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, .136 batting average allowed in 38.2 innings pitched following the change in organizations.
Brasier’s success is a huge feather in the cap for the Dodgers’ player development system, who have facilitated similar turnarounds of relief arms in recent years. The veteran arm stands to receive a solid payday this offseason with his refined arsenal thanks to some tinkering, per Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com:
Rob Hill, the team’s director of minor league pitching, and pitching analytics coordinator Brent Minta suggested Brasier start throwing a cut fastball to go with his 96-mph four-seamer and 85-mph slider to give him another weapon against left-handed hitters.
From his first game action with the Dodgers on June 21, Brasier limited left-handed hitters to a .123/.167/.211 slash with just one home run in 17 innings pitched. He tallied a 9.5 strikeouts per nine, with a 0.59 WHIP.
Brasier’s new weapon against lefties in the cut-fastball, provided him with a consistent option in an otherwise disadvantageous matchup.
After a 2022 season in which Brasier ranked 27th in barrel percentage, his work within the Dodgers system elevated that to the 95th percentile, making him one of baseball’s best. The Dodgers remain one of the teams interested in adding him to their bullpen for the 2024 season.
Other relievers who saw similar turnarounds such as Ryan Brasier
The Dodgers have been no stranger to success stories with Chris Martin, Corey Knebel, Brandon Morrow, Yency Almonte, Evan Phillips, and Jake McGee all seeing similar flips in their effectiveness after joining the Dodgers.
Banking on arms returning from injuries is also something Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman is very aggressive on. But getting a high-upside pitcher in-house to tinker with what could be fixed, or in Brasier’s case, added on, is the goal in maximizing their skill set.
Noah Syndergaard is one who was unable to be figured out, sticking with his diminished stuff, which at this point in his career isn’t that of a starter.
More must-reads: