Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia’s rollercoaster of a season ended on a high note last season after spending much of the first half between Los Angeles and Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Once he was called up after the All-Star break, Vesia posted a 2.54 ERA in 28.1 innings, with 30 strikeouts and five walks.
Looking ahead to this season, Vesia feels he can replicate the second half of 2023.
Last year, Major League Baseball implemented a 30-second timer between batters, a 15-second timer with the bases empty and a 20-second timer with runners on base.
Vesia struggled with his timing. In a story by Rowan Kavner of Fox Sports, the clock affected Vesia the most when it came to the Dodgers’ bullpen.
“Among the Los Angeles Dodgers’ returning pitchers, Alex Vesia was the slowest to the plate last year, averaging 24.5 seconds between pitch releases with the bases empty and 27.5 seconds with runners on base, according to Statcast data. In both cases, he was among the 10 slowest qualified pitchers in baseball.”
Rowan Kavner of Fox Sports
The Dodgers introduced a pitch clock in bullpen sessions beginning in Spring Training but it didn’t translate for Vesia once the season started. His rhythm was off.
“I do feel that he felt a little sped up, which kind of played into his rhythm between pitches,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s not making excuses; I’m basically telling you what I see.”
Dave Roberts via Fox Sports
Vesia will need to speed up his routine between pitches just a bit to accommodate this year’s new rules but if he says he’s comfortable, the Dodgers have to trust him until he proves otherwise.
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Have you subscribed to our YouTube Channel yet? Subscribe and hit that notification bell to stay up to date on all the latest Dodgers news, rumors, interviews, live streams, and more!