This time last year, Gavin Stone was a top-5 talent among a deep trove of Dodgers prospects.
Quickly, Stone's potential was tested in a sink-or-swim situation. The Dodgers' starting rotation was decimated by injuries early in the season. On May 3, Stone was summoned to the Big Show a bit sooner than expected. He struggled perhaps more than most were expecting. In eight major league games, Stone registered a 9.00 ERA across 31 innings. He allowed 46 hits — including eight home runs.
It wasn't the best welcome to the big leagues. A year later, however, the Dodgers are far from giving up on Stone.
MLB.com analysts Sam Dykstra, Jonathan Mayo, and Jim Callis predicted one prospect for each MLB club who could make the Opening Day roster. Their pick for the Dodgers? Stone.
This is what they had to say about the 25-year-old right-hander:
"After leading the Minors with a 1.48 ERA in 2022, Stone regressed while struggling through the first half of last season, though he did make his big league debut and spent four stints in Los Angeles. Armed with a plus-plus changeup with devastating tumble and a mid-90s fastball, the 2020 fifth-rounder from Central Arkansas is poised to make a bigger contribution this year."
While the excitement around the team is immense, there's also some worry which specifically pertains to the starting rotation.
If the Dodgers do use a six-man rotation, it'll require even more depth.
Walker Buehler is still making his way back from a lengthy absence. Clayton Kershaw conservatively won't be ready to pitch until July at the earliest. James Paxton and Tyler Glasnow have often been injured throughout their careers.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto hasn't thrown a single pitch at this level. Bobby Miller and Emmet Sheehan are both inexperienced. You don't have to squint to see a path for Stone and others (Michael Grove and Landon Knack will start the season in the Triple-A rotation) eat up some innings at some point this season.
Based on the experience he accrued last year, coupled with the talent level of this ballclub, we'd guess Stone's next stint with the Dodgers will go more smoothly.
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