Los Angeles Dodgers: Jose De Leon Could Help Stabilize Battered Rotation
Injuries have turned the Los Angeles Dodgers rotation into a revolving door, which will provide an opportunity for one of the club’s top minor leaguers. 24-year-old Jose De Leon could make an impact for L.A. this month and beyond.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are hoping to have Clayton Kershaw back soon to solidify their rotation, and his return should be a massive relief to a pitching staff that has posted the fifth-worst ERA since the All-Star break (4.67). However, L.A. will also be getting some help on the mound from one of its top prospects. Right-hander Jose De Leon is set to make his major league debut on Sunday against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium.
A 24th-round pick by the Dodgers in 2013, De Leon is currently ranked as the #2 prospect in their system by MLB Pipeline, following Cody Bellinger. The 24-year-old has been on the national radar since the beginning of the season when he was ranked #23, #24 and #28 overall by Baseball America, MLB.com and Baseball Prospectus, respectively.
The youngster drove those expectations with stellar campaigns in 2014 and 2015 spent at the Rookie through Double-A levels. In 2014 he posted a 2.22 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 5.67 K/BB over 77 innings, earning him the Pioneer League Pitcher of the Year award. His workload increased to 114.1 frames the following year, but his numbers didn’t suffer much: 2.99 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 4.41 K/BB.
De Leon’s success has continued into this season at Triple-A Oklahoma City. Across 16 starts there he has managed a 2.61 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 5.55 K/BB in 86.1 innings. He missed most of April and June with some minor ankle and arm soreness issues, which has kept his innings total relatively limited to this point in the season. You would have to think he won’t face any hard-line restrictions going forward, which could be a bonus for the Dodgers if he performs well.
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In spite of his rather inauspicious draft position, De Leon has developed into a coveted piece in the Dodgers farm system. As described by CBSSports.com’s Mike Axisa, the righty worked with coaches to add velocity to his fastball and improve his changeup and conditioning in the minors, which made huge differences as he worked his way up the ladder.
According to MLB.com’s scouting report, De Leon’s fastball sits at 92-94 mph but can hit 96. Aside from his changeup, which has become a real weapon for him, he has also added an effective slider to his repertoire. His impressive stuff and command of his arsenal have made him a high-strikeout guy in the minor leagues, attaining K/9 rates of 13.9, 12.8 and 11.6 the last three seasons.
Take a look at him strike out the side on nine pitches in an outing on August 17 of this year:
You never know what to expect when calling up a prospect, but De Leon has definitely shown signs this year that he could be ready for the big time. With the barrage of injuries that L.A. has dealt with all season (De Leon will be their 15th different starter used in 2016), a strong contribution from their newest member would a nice September pick-me-up for them.
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With 28 games to go in the regular season, the Dodgers are attempting to hold off the San Francisco Giants in the NL West, over whom they currently hold a two-game advantage. The Boys in Blue would certainly prefer to enter the postseason as a division winner rather than a Wild Card, and they will hope De Leon is part of the recipe that helps them achieve that.