Dodgers: Top Three Pitchers to Keep an Eye on This Weekend

In this list of three players, I wanted to pick a combination of pitchers who will definitely have an impact on the major league team in 2019 and pitchers that have the potential to have an impact. Tony Gonsolin is the perfect mix of both.

A ninth-round selection in  2016, Tony Gonsolin was a college closer with a fastball that could sneak up to about 93 miles per hour. The Dodgers saw something in him as a starter and, after drafting him, the club moved Gonsolin back to the rotation and he has not disappointed.

Gonsolin’s fastball sits in the upper 90’s now averaging about 96 on the heater but it has been clocked as hard as 101 miles per hour.

His extreme velocity for a starter paired with some of the best breaking pitches in the Dodgers farm system has made Gonsolin the best strikeout player on the farm with the exception of relief pitcher Marshall Kasowski. In 2018, Gonsolin tied Clayton Kershaw for the lead in organizational strikeouts at 155.

The punchout totals and the overwhelming dominance last year landed Gonsolin the Dodgers’ minor league pitcher of the year award for 2018.

Gonsolin’s future is incredibly bright whether or not he makes his debut in 2019. The reason he gets a spot on my list is his velocity could vault him into the major league bullpen at some point in the season where he could serve as an innings eater or a late-inning arm.

Gonsolin will probably have a shot at starting the season in Triple-A depending on how well he pitches this spring. His opportunity to prove himself will be on Sunday at Camelback Ranch against the Angels.