Dodgers: Ryan Pepiot On Adjusting to Life as a Professional Baseball Player
The Dodgers farm system is stacked with quality pitching prospects. Righty-handed pitcher Ryan Pepiot, along with Bobby Miller, headlines what could be the next generation of Dodgers big league pitchers.
Pepiot appeared on the Dodgers Nation Blue Heaven podcast to talk some shop. The Dodgers 2019 third round pick explained what the jump from college to pros was like for him.
“I think the biggest difference is in college is I was used to throwing every seven days. Once a week. Then once I get into pro ball, I knew it was it was every five days. Working out that routine, and getting it down from seven days, throwing two bullpens in college sometimes in between starts now it’s just ‘here’s your routine’.”
Pepiot appreciated how the Dodgers slowly integrated him into the life of a professional pitcher. Especially since the righty had already made ten starts (78.0 IP) that year at Butler University. Pepiot noted how the Dodgers didn’t want him to get “burnt out” towards the end of summer.
To that end, the former Butler Bulldog was placed on a strict pitch count. The ever-competitive Pepiot didn’t enjoy the short leash, but knew it was necessary.
“I was on [a] 30-pitch count. Sometimes one innings, sometimes three…next thing you know, after one inning the coach shakes your hand. I’m like ‘that sucks’ and you have to wait five days to throw again. That was the only thing that stunk about it, but it was nice to get brought up and just get used to the routine.”
Pepiot made ten starts between the Arizona Rookie League and Single-A that season, but logged just 23.1 innings. Due to COVID, Pepiot spent the bulk of his 2020 at the Dodgers alternate site. He started his 2021 season with the Double-A Tulsa Drillers, but made his final ten appearances with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers.
Considering the Dodgers’ currently thin rotation and Pepiot’s potential, it’s not a stretch that me may get his first start at Dodger Stadium this coming season.
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