Jack Dreyer has been one of many high performers on a Los Angeles Dodgers pitching employees that features no scarcity of better-known hurlers. Amid relative obscurity, the 26-year-old rookie left-hander has logged a a 2.98 ERA and a 2.95 FIP over 46 appearances comprising 57-and-a-third innings. Furthermore, solely Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been price extra WAR (3.5) than has the 2021 non-drafted free agent out of the College of Iowa (1.3).
Our lead prospect analyst was early to the bandwagon. When our 2025 Dodgers High Prospects checklist was revealed in late April, Eric Longenhagen described Dreyer as “extremely misleading,” including that his whippy arm motion delivers a fastball that has “20 inches of due north vertical break because it explodes towards the plate.”
The southpaw’s signature pitch wasn’t seen as plus throughout his injury-marred Iowa Hawkeyes days.
“In school, I used to be all the time instructed that I’ve common spin fee, so I can’t actually throw my fastball on the high of the zone,” recalled Dreyer, who missed a lot of the 2019 season with a shoulder harm, then all of 2021 after present process Tommy John surgical procedure. “I used to be instructed that I had a really common fastball. I type of believed that, however then I bought to the Dodgers and so they had been like, ‘No, truly, your stuff is basically, actually good. You possibly can stay on the high of the zone due to how your pitch strikes.’ So, that’s type of how I’ve tailored my pitching, utilizing heaters on the high, which opens up my different pitches.”
Dreyer’s secondaries comprise a curveball that he’s thrown at a ten.8% clip this season, and a “unhealthy slider” that he’s thrown way more continuously at 45.2%. Extra on the latter in a second.
A 3-time Tutorial All Massive Ten choice who majored in finance (and is masterful with a Rubik’s Dice) Dreyer didn’t merely shrug when knowledgeable that his 92.6-mph four-seamer is something however common. Ever curious, he requested why.
“They mentioned that I’ve a very environment friendly throw, which helps the induced vertical break,” defined the southpaw, whose father, Steve Dreyer, pitched for the Texas Rangers in 1993 and 1994. “They instructed me that to hitters the ball seems to be prefer it’s someplace it’s not. Slowly, I began to belief that increasingly more as I noticed that it was working. Whereas I clearly don’t have overpowering velocity, it’s type of develop into my bread and butter.”
After which there may be the pitch that he throws 88.1 mph. In contrast to his heater, it isn’t exploding towards the plate. Neither is it dipping, diving or sweeping.
“My slider is often round zero-zero,” Dreyer instructed me. “I’s a reasonably pure gyro; there’s not a ton of motion. On the decrease ranges, I might all the time use my slider as a ‘unhealthy pitch’ that might pressure unhealthy contact. Since attending to the massive leagues, I’ve been ready to make use of it as extra of a swing-and-miss pitch. It’s been thrilling to see that it’s enjoying at this degree.”
A nasty pitch that induces swing-and-miss at baseball’s highest degree?
“Sure,” mentioned Dreyer. “Quote unquote unhealthy. Pitchers all the time chase motion, so a pitch that doesn’t have very a lot motion is one thing folks would possibly take into account to be unhealthy, despite the fact that the outcomes say in any other case. Understanding the batters — all the information now we have — and how one can use it off my fastball, permits it to play up.”
The deception that Longenhagen cited in his April report additionally helps the under-the-radar hurler’s stuff play up.
“That’s one other factor,” Dreyer acknowledged. “We have now guys like Emmet Sheehan, and even Jack Little, who’ve super-low-slot journey. I don’t assume I’m fairly as far on the spectrum as they’re, however there are undoubtedly issues that make [pitches play better]. Possibly there may be some deception. I haven’t appeared into it a lot, although. I simply hold going with no matter goes to work.”
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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS
Pat Rockett went 4 for 7 in opposition to Mark Lemongello.
John Glenn went 2 for 4 in opposition to Chris Brief.
Greg Olson went 7 for 16 in opposition to Jack Armstrong.
Jack Shepard went 11 for 25 in opposition to Harvey Haddix.
Dick McAuliffe went 15 for 27 in opposition to Jose Santiago.
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What has been the worst pitch you’ve thrown this season? I requested that query to Houston Astros right-hander Hunter Brown final weekend at Fenway Park.
“The worst pitch I’ve thrown this 12 months was within the first inning to José Ramírez, in opposition to Cleveland, 4 or 5 outings in the past,” replied Brown, who has a 2.51 ERA and a 2.89 FIP over 136-and-a-third principally stellar innings. “I had him as a man that I wasn’t going to throw any changeups within the zone to in his first at-bat. I simply needed to see the place he was at on my changeup. I bought right into a leverage depend — I believe it was 1-2 or 2-2 — and tried to thrown a changeup three balls off the plate. I yanked it proper down the center, and he hit a homer.
“As quickly as I let it go, the exclamation level above my head went off like within the Wii baseball sport,” the All-Star added. It was, ‘Oh boy, that’s not good.’ He hit it a good distance.”
Per Statcast, Ramírez’s July 8 residence run was hit 378 ft with a 101.2 exit velocity and a 34-degree launch angle. In the meantime, one other pitcher I requested the worst-pitch query to described a dinger that put Ramírez’s to disgrace.
“It will be a 2-0 fastball I threw to Aaron Choose [on June 10],” mentioned Kansas Metropolis Royals rookie left-hander Noah Cameron, who has a 2.52 ERA and a 3.67 FIP over 93 innings. “It was a really large mistake. He hit it very far. It was the primary inning, there was a runner on base, I bought behind 2-0, and I threw a fastball center in, proper in his honey gap. He hit it one thing like 470 ft. That was a enjoyable one to observe.”
Statcast had Choose’s blast at 469 ft with a 117.9 exit velocity and a 31-degree launch angle. It’s longest residence run the Yankees famous person has hit this season.
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A quiz:
Robin Yount is the Milwaukee Brewers franchise chief in quite a few offensive classes, together with doubles and complete bases. Which Brewer ranks second to Yount in these two classes?
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NEWS NOTES
Alex Wooden, who threw the ultimate pitch of his 12-year MLB profession final season, introduced his retirement on Friday. The 34-year-old southpaw went 77-68 with a 3.78 ERA whereas pitching for 5 groups.
Felix Torres, an infielder who payed in 365 video games for the Los Angeles Angels throughout the 1962-1964 seasons, died on Friday at age 93 (per Baseball Participant Passings). A local of Ponce, Puerto Rico, Torres logged 302 hits, together with 27 residence runs. His first lengthy ball got here in opposition to Corridor of Famer Early Wynn.
Registration is now open for the SABR/WBC Girls In Baseball Convention, which shall be held nearly on Zoom from September 11-13. Extra data, together with the schedule, will be discovered right here.
The Girls’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL) is holding tryouts in Washington DC at Nationals Park and the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy from August 22-25. Extra data will be discovered right here.
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The reply to the quiz is Ryan Braun. Paul Molitor ranks third in each classes, whereas Cecil Cooper and Geoff Jenkins are fourth and fifth respectively.
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Jeff Montgomery gave up a game-tying, two-run homer to Don Mattingly at Yankee Stadium on Could 20, 1990. Then the nearer for the Kansas Metropolis Royals, Montgomery not solely delivered an errant pitch, he virtually landed his catcher in scorching water by throwing it.
“We had the pitchers’ assembly earlier than the sport and talked concerning the hitters,” recalled the now-Royals broadcast analyst. “One among issues they talked about was how Mattingly was such a great breaking ball hitter.
“Within the ninth inning, Mattingly involves the plate,’ continued Montgomery. “Mike Macfarlane was catching, and he places down fastball. I shake him. He places down fastball once more, and I shake him once more. He places down fastball a 3rd time, and I shake him yet another time. So, he places down curveball. I throw the curveball. Mattingly hits it into the bleachers.
‘We’re within the clubhouse after the sport — my locker is correct there by Macfarlane’s locker — and our pitching coach, whose identify was Frank Funk, comes over. He’s letting Macfarlane have it. ‘Did you could have your ears plugged once we had been within the pitchers’ assembly? What had been we speaking about?’ Macfarlane is simply sitting there, taking it like a great teammate. He tells Frank that he’s sorry, and that it received’t occur once more. Frank tells him that if it does occur once more, he’s going again to [Triple-A] Omaha.
“I stood up and mentioned to Frank, ‘Have been you not watching the sport? I shook him thrice to get to the breaking ball. He put down fastball three completely different instances. It was on me.’”
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FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Grant Hartwig was credited together with his first NPB win on Tuesday because the Hanshin Tigers topped the Chunichi Dragons 6-2. The 27-year-old right-hander — featured right here at FanGraphs in 2023 just a few months earlier than he made his MLB debut — signed with the Japanese membership final month after being launched by the New York Mets.
Raidel Martinez recorded his NPB-best thirty third save of the season yesterday because the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants beat the Yokohama DeNA BayStars 4-3. The 28-year-old right-hander has 199 saves for his profession.
Woo Joo Jeong has a 34.2% strikeout fee (third-highest within the KBO) to go along with a 3.86 ERA and a 4.25 FIP over 35 innings for the Hanwha Eagles. The 18-year-old right-hander was chosen second-overall in final September’s KBO draft.
Daniel Mengden is 8-5 with a 4.00 ERA over 90 innings for the Mexican League’s Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos. The 32-year-old right-hander pitched for the Oakland Athletics from 2016-2020 and for the Kansas Metropolis Royals in 2022.
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The Kansas Metropolis Royals have been fairly in step with their batting order this season, notably on the high. Jonathan India has batted leadoff in all however three of the video games he’s began, whereas Bobby Witt Jr. has batted second in all of his. In response to supervisor Matt Quatraro, that’s by design. With newly-acquired Mike Yastrzemski penciled into the leadoff spot, and India within the seven-hole for a latest sport at Fenway Park, I requested Quatraro for his ideas on consistency versus matchup-based batting orders.
“This 12 months, our lineup has been fairly set,” replied Quatraro. “The highest 5 have been fairly set. We’ve tweaked it a few instances. We did it in June as soon as once we moved Salvy [Salvador Perez] and Maikel [Garcia] to four-five. However general, it depends upon how your workforce is constructed. In case you have guys who’re enjoying on daily basis you method it slightly extra such as you’re mounted. Should you’re having guys who’re platooning, you is usually a little extra matchup-based.”
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A random obscure former participant snapshot:
Dan Rohn hit run-scoring triples in every of his first two big-league video games — these on back-to-back days in September 1983 — and he then hit a pinch-hit residence run in his first plate look the next season. That was just about it for profession highlights. All instructed, the Alpena, Michigan native, and erstwhile Central Michigan College Chippewa, logged 18 hits in 71 at-bats whereas enjoying for the Chicago Cubs in 1983-1984, and briefly for the Cleveland Indians in 1986. Rohn later managed within the minors for a number of seasons, together with eight within the Seattle system.
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FARM NOTES
Henry Godbout went 2-for-3 and likewise drew three walks whereas making his skilled debut with the Excessive-A Greenville Drive on Wednesday. The 21-year-old second baseman was drafted seventy fifth general by the Boston Crimson Sox out of the College of Virginia.
Sal Stewart is slashing .306/.373/.495 with 14 residence runs and a 146 wRC+ over 408 plate appearances between Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville. Drafted thirty second general in 2022 out of Miami’s Westminster Christian College, the 211-year-old third baseman/second baseman is No. 6 on our up to date Cincinnati Reds High Prospects checklist.
Dakota Jordan is slashing .312/.380/.501 with 14 residence runs and a 138 wRC+ over 411 plate appearances for the Low-A San Jose Giants. Drafted 116th general final 12 months out of Mississippi State College, the 22-year-old outfielder is No.12 on our up to date San Francisco Giants High Prospects checklist.
David Shields has a 2.18 ERA, a 2.69 FIP, and a 29.9% strikeout fee over 57-and-two-thirds innings with the Low-A Columbia Fireflies (he’s additionally thrown 4 innings within the Arizona Complicated League). Drafted forty first general final 12 months out of Pittsburgh’s Mount Lebanon Excessive College, the 18-year-old left-hander is No. 16 on our up to date Kansas Metropolis Royals High Prospects checklist.
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Kyle Karros was featured right here at FanGraphs earlier this week, with the hot-hitting Colorado Rockies prospect speaking about his method, in addition to his relationship together with his father, former big-league slugger Eric Karros.
I just lately requested Rockies hitting coach Nic Wilson for a snapshot of the 23-year-old third baseman, whom Colorado chosen within the fifth spherical of the 2023 draft out of UCLA.
“I believe he’s outperformed what lots of people considered him popping out of the draft,” mentioned Wilson, who was the group’s minor league hitting coordinator previous to becoming a member of the most important league employees in Could. “The factor that jumps off the chart about Kyle is that he’s a big-time defender at third base. The glove is actual. Vary. Massive arm. It’s all there. Offensively, I might say that one in every of his superpowers is method. Personally, I might fee it as one in every of our higher, if not greatest, approaches within the org. The at-bats are aggressive. He’s additionally a man who understands the sport at a excessive degree, but continues to be hungry to be taught. He’s a scholar of the sport.”
Karros obtained his first big-league call-up on Friday after slashing .301/.398/.476 with six residence runs and a 143 wRC+ over 315 plate appearances between Double-A Hartford and Triple-A Albuquerque. Over his first two video games with the Rockies, Karros is 2-for-6 with a double and a pair of walks.
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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE
MiLB.com’s Jim Callis, Sam Dykstra, and Jonathan Mayo teamed up to offer us one prospect from every of the 30 organizations whose inventory has risen this season.
At NW Baseball Historical past, Amanda Lane Cumming wrote about how the Seattle Mariners went for it on the 1995 commerce deadline.
MLB.com’s David Adler talked to Japan’s first Main Leaguer about enjoying with and in opposition to MLB legends in 1964 and 1965.
The Athletic’s Tyler Kepner wrote about Jen Pawol turning into the primary feminine umpire in MLB historical past (subscription required).
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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS
Washington Nationals pitchers allowed 80 hits over 4 video games earlier this week. Per the Washington Publish’s Spencer Nusbaum, no workforce had given up as many hits over a four-game span since 1932.
Philadelphia Phillies southpaw Jesús Luzardo has a 41.5% strikeout fee and a 4.2% stroll fee versus left-handed batters. He has a 23.2% strikeout fee and a 9.2% stroll fee versus right-handed batters.
Clayton Kershaw is 11-0 with a 2.15 ERA in 19 profession begins in opposition to the New York Mets. He’s 4-7 with a 2.73 ERA in 17 begins in opposition to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Los Angeles Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts was drafted out of UCLA by the Detroit Tigers in 1994. The Tigers traded the Twenty eighth-round decide to the Cleveland Indians in 1998.
Albert Belle averaged 40 residence runs and 125 RBIs from 1992-1999. The slugger drove in 100 or extra runs in all eight seasons.
Gaylord Perry went 24-16 for the Cleveland Indians in 1972, getting a choice in all 40 of his begins. The Corridor of Fame right-hander additionally made one aid look, working a scoreless sixteenth inning and incomes a save.
Juan Marichal recorded his fiftieth shutout on immediately’s date in 1971, whereas Don Sutton recorded his fiftieth shutout on immediately’s date in 1979. Marichal completed his profession with 52, Sutton with 58.
On immediately’s date in 1940, Joe DiMaggio hit one in every of New York’s 5 residence runs because the Yankees hammered the Philadelphia Athletics 13-0. Rookie right-hander Tiny Bonham, who two years later would go 21-5 with a 2.27 ERA, went the space for his first profession win.
Gamers born on immediately’s date embrace Clint Hartung, who’s most remembered as a ballyhooed prospect who by no means lived as much as his billing. Suiting up for the New York Giants from 1947-1952, the native of Hondo, Texas went 29-29 with a 5.02 ERA on the mound, and hit 14 residence runs with an 80 wRC+ on the plate. His at-bats didn’t all come as a pitcher. Hartung performed in 45 video games an outfielder and one other as a primary baseman. Two of his homers had been off of Warren Spahn.
Additionally born on immediately’s date was Truck Eagan, an infielder who performed briefly for the Nationwide League’s Pittsburgh Pirates, and within the American League for Cleveland (no nickname at the moment) in 1901. The San Francisco native additionally spent a number of years within the minors, principally within the Pacific Coast League. His stops included stints with the 1899 San Jose Brewers, 1902 Sacramento Gilt Edges, and 1906 Fresno Raisin Eaters.