Los Angeles Dodgers left handed pitcher Julio Urias was outstanding this postseason closing out the NLCS and World Series. This postseason showed Urias certainly has the potential to be a star.
Julio Urias was amazing this postseason for the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 23 innings, he posted a 4-0 record, 1.17 ERA, and an 11.35 K/9. He joins Madison Bumgarner as the only other pitcher to record four wins and a save in one postseason.
Urias’ dominance is something we all knew he was capable of and could be what finally jumps him to a star pitcher.
Julio Urias is only 24 years old yet he has been around since 2016, and this breakout has just been waiting to happen. Julio Urias definitely has the pure stuff to be one of the better pitchers in the MLB.
His relies mainly on 4 pitches:
- Fastball (55.9%)
- Curve (24.8%)
- Changeup (13.3%)
- Slider (5.6%)
All the pitches are very effective as well. The spin on his fastball ranks in the 89th percentile in the MLB and the curve spin is in the 88th percentile.
Those two pitches are that good, yet the changeup generates the most swings and misses with a stellar 31.1 whiff %.
Urias also does a great job of limiting hard contact as in 2019 he was in the top percent of the MLB with opposing hitters having an average exit velocity of 84.1 mph and a hard hit % of 24.9. Those numbers increased slightly in the shortened 2020 season, but were still among the best in the majors.
Julio Urias has everything needed to be a star pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He’s got nasty stuff, can get strikeouts, and also generates lots of weak contact. He checks every box and that’s not even mentioning he’s proved his worth in big time moments.
Urias had an all time postseason run in 2020, but it doesn’t guarantee he’ll make that jump to being elite as soon as next season. It certainly is something to watch for though as Urias is bound to do so at some point in his career.
Whether Julio Urias could be an All-Star as soon as 2021 and maybe even a front line starter in the next couple of years remains to be seen, but it is certainly something to watch for in 2021 and on.