The Dodgers have a rich history when it comes to pitching, especially left-handed pitching.
Tommy John, most famously known for the surgery that was named after him, played six seasons with the Dodgers, posting a 87-42 record with a 2.97 ERA. He recorded 649 strikeouts and 37 complete games, with 11 of the shutout variety. He ranks 25th in Dodgers history for wins, ninth for ERA, and 34th for strikeouts.
A 20-year-old Fernando Valenzuela captivated Los Angeles and the country in 1981 with “Fernandomania.” For the younger folk, think “Linsanity,” but for a full season. “El Toro,” as he was called, posted a 13-7 record with a 2.48 ERA. He won the Rookie of the Year, Cy Young, a trip to the All-Star Game, and helped bring a World Series Championship to LA in that magical season. It’s debatable as to who had a better year, Fernando in 1981 or Orel in 1988.
He was far from a one-hit wonder though. Over his 11-year career, Valenzuela went 141-116 with a 3.31 ERA. Among Dodgers lore, he ranks ninth in innings pitched with 2,348, fifth in strikeouts with 1,759, sixth in shutouts with 29 and eighth with 141.
Clayton Kershaw is the current Dodgers ace that just happens to be a lefty as well. He is a three-time Cy Young Award winner and is coming off a season where he earned the 2014 NL MVP. He sports the lowest career ERA (2.48) among starters in the live-ball era with a minimum of 1,000 innings pitched. He is also the first pitcher in history to lead MLB in ERA for four consecutive seasons (2011-2014).
Kershaw is only 26 years old. He already ranks seventh among Dodgers pitchers in strikeouts and 22nd in wins. Health permitting, he could go down as the most prolific pitcher in Dodgers history and, quite possible, Major League Baseball. Until Kershaw notches a few more seasons under his belt, everyone must pay homage to the Original, Sandy Koufax.
“The Left Arm of God,” as he was commonly called, played 12 years with the Dodgers. He attended six consecutive All-Star games from 1961-1966, was named the NL MVP in 1963 and was the first three-time Cy Young winner (1963, 1965, and 1966). In each of his Cy Young seasons, he led the NL in wins, strikeouts and ERA. He was the youngest player ever to be enshrined in Cooperstown.
Koufax ranks fifth among Dodgers pitchers in wins with 165, fourth in ERA (2.76), tenth in innings pitched with 2,324 and third in strikeouts with 2,396. He probably would’ve ranked first in each category if his career was not cut short due to an arthritic condition in his throwing arm.
This brings us to uber-prospect Julio Urias. Before you rip my head off for transitioning from quite possibly the G.O.A.T. to a kid that is still in minor league ball, there is some method to the madness. Koufax was hired on January 23, 2013 by the Dodgers to be a Special Advisor to team Chairman Mark Walter. He works with pitchers during Spring Training and consults during the season.
When Koufax arrived at Camelback Ranch for the beginning of 2015 Spring Training, he had high praise for the young hurler. “He’s impressive. He’s very impressive. That’s the first time I’ve seen him. It’s a long way from the driving range to the golf course, and it’s a long way from side sessions in spring to the big leagues. He has all the requisities, so we’ll see what happens. Physically he’s really impressive.”
Urias is 18 years old. He is 5’11” 160 lbs. He throws from the left side and possesses an impressive repertoire of pitches-4-seam and 2-seam fastball, curveball, slider, and changeup. His fastball has been clocked at 96 mph this spring. The Dodgers top hitting prospect, Joc Pederson, said this about Urias: “He’s special…He’s 18 and he’s throwing 96. It’s not normal.”
The changeup and the curveball are plus pitches for Urias. The changeup is in the 80-83 mph range and the curveball in the 75-79 mph range. The delivery is smooth with a little deception. Before coming to home plate, he turns his body slightly and delivers with a high three-quarters arm slot. Alex Guerrero commented that “He’s nasty, nasty nasty. It was hard to pick up Urias’ heater.”
The most impressive thing that Urias possesses, though, is his mental makeup and poise. He was pitching professionally in the Mexican league as a teenager. Maturity on the mound is a constant phrase that is encountered when researching Urias. As Dustin Nosler of Dodgers Digest described, “He never frets and seems to be out of control even when he struggles. That is something that cannot be taught.”
When I think of Urias, I think of Pedro Martinez. Pedro was small in stature when the Dodgers first got a hold of him, around 135 pounds. He possessed a low-90s fastball with a devastating change-up and slider. It was the mental makeup, poise, and competitive fire that differentiated Pedro from everyone else. Whether Urias can reach the heights of Pedro or any of the other Dodger greats from yesteryear remains to be seen, but hopefully we get to see the development and not have to endure the likes of a Pedro Martinez for Delino DeShields trade.
For fantasy purposes, Urias isn’t going to make the Opening Day roster and there isn’t any indication that he will be called up mid-season. It’s possible he could join the big league club sometime in September. In standard redraft leagues, don’t even think about drafting him. In dynasty leagues, he’s one of the top gets if your league is starting up this year.
With that said, definitely keep an eye on him. You never know how things play out. Just a few years ago, Yasiel Puig wasn’t expected to make an impact and then proceeded to take the league by storm. The Dodgers have invested in many arms in the offseason that have a history of injury concerns so you never know.
If Urias turns out to be another great lefty for the Dodgers, imagine Kershaw in his prime with a young Urias backing him up. I guess then I will know how Indianapolis Colts fans or Green Bay Packers fan felt with the Peyton Manning-to-Andrew Luck and Brett Favre-to-Aaron Rodgers transitions. The only difference would be that Kershaw and Urias could potentially play at the same time.
Stan Son is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Stan, check out his archive and follow him @Stan_Son.