Dodgers: Julio Urías Could Be Among MLB’s Elite With His New Pitch
The Dodgers might have another ace in their starting rotation. On Sunday afternoon in Colorado, Julio Urías showed why the organization has been so high on the southpaw for so long. And at just 24-years-old, the sky is the limit for what he can do.
Urías came out and shut down the Rockies for 7 solid innings on Sunday. It was a blunder on the part of Jimmy Nelson in the 8th that allowed a run to be charged to Julio on what should have been a scoreless outing.
But in that outing, Julio showed off his incredible pitch mix that appears to feature a much better slider. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts thinks that pitch paired with his slurve and fastball make his potential limitless.
I think it could be as high as any top-end starter. I think a guy that can miss bats with a few different pitches. Can command the fastball. Gets left and right out, can navigate a lineup three times through which he has shown he can do that. Pitch in leverage and pitch out of leverage. So there’s no ceiling for him.
Striking out 6 and issuing 1 walk is a really good sign for Julio, especially at Coors Field. The southpaw also allowed just 3 total hits in the outing as the Dodgers went on to win 4-2. It was the furthest he has ever gone into a game in his entire career and only took him 79 pitches.
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The Dodgers are finally giving Julio the chance to have a consistent role. After bouncing between the starting rotation and bullpen since 2016, it looks like they’re ready to take the training wheels off.
It’s a long season and a lot can happen in 162 games. But it’s really difficult to not be excited about Julio after his outing on Sunday.
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If he has a year in 2021 like his first outing at CO, then Friedman better look at an extension next November. Pay your top talent (Seager, Bellinger, and Buehler, too) FOR their prime, not BECAUSE of their prime.
Absolutely no sense waiting to extend top talent until they are 27, 28 , or 29 years old. Those extensions take them into their late 30’s. BRUTAL! And, Seager may fit that scenario. He’s already 27, so a Lindor or Tatis-style 10-year extension means Seager is trying to play SS at 35, 36, and 37 years old. Highly questionable…highly risky. The better option is a 6-year deal with a higher AVV than those other guys….
I think he is paying them to fit in the overall salary cap/luxury tax picture. Lot of $$$ come off the books after this year so he’ll be able to pay those that produce and warrant it. Belli’s numbers have to improve over last year to be in the Seager/Buehler elite level.
Urias has grown up as a man.
Urias was lights out. He was hitting his spots with a variety of pitches, including a change up. He averaged about 11 pitches per inning, which is super efficient. No first inning trouble at all. He is exactly where he belongs, firmly in the starting rotation, but he could still move to the bullpen in the postseason, because he’s a game changer there as well, as he showed last year.
I agree! We’ll have to see where the team is at season end before the playoffs
Damn, Julio looked good yesterday! Very efficient.
Been waiting for this from Julio. Actually started at end of last season. Do we have another Fernando ?
haha – maybe. but then again, we’ll never have another ROOKIE like Freddie. Julio has been up for awhile
Execs and scouts around the league were saying three years ago that Urias is a lot more like Kershaw than Fernando. But, people want to put him in the Fernando ‘box’ because he’s a lefty from Mexico.
Been saying Dodgers didn’t need pitching cause they had 3 aces in Kershaw,Urias and Buhler and 2 in the making in May and Gonsolin and Urias and May proved it back to back.
Yup. But try telling that to Roberts….