Gavin Stone could end up being Dodgers' most valuable player when all is said and done

Before the season started, the Dodgers' rotation was expected to be one of the best in baseball. It was headlined by Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, both worth $26.67 million alone this season, and supplemented by 2023 standout Bobby Miller, veteran James Paxton, and promising rookie Emmet Sheehan. Not only that, but the Dodgers had reinforcements on the way — Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler were both expected to return during the summer.

Fast forward to August, and only one of those five expected Opening Day starters is currently in the rotation. Glasnow and Yamamoto are on the IL, Paxton was DFA'ed and traded, and Sheehan never even threw a pitch in spring training before he had to undergo Tommy John. Miller is the last man standing, but not really, because he was demoted for a month and some change.

The Dodgers have recovered to some degree; Kershaw and Buehler did return (not without complications for the latter), LA acquired Jack Flaherty at the deadline, and River Ryan held things down nicely for four starts before he also got hurt.

However, the centerpiece of all of the Dodgers' rotation struggles this season has been Gavin Stone, who's faithfully made 24 starts this season and hasn't gone onto the IL even once.

Gavin Stone has turned into the unlikely savior of the Dodgers' season

Let's not forget, Stone also threw a complete game shutout on June 26, while the rest of the Dodgers rotation has frequently struggled to get to six innings. It brought his ERA on the year down to 2.73 and on the month to 1.97. He struggled through his four starts in July, pitching 18 2/3 innings for a 6.27 ERA, and the struggles carried over a bit into August, but he's stabilized over his last three.

On both Aug. 19 and 25, he pitched seven innings and only gave up five hits and one run, a homer. During the former start, he also struck out 10 batters, a career-high by far. During the latter, he struck out seven, so he seems to have solved his strikeout problem.

While two Dodgers rookies have had to undergo Tommy John and the veterans have crumbled around him, Stone has remained steady and hasn't missed a single start. While that might seem like the bare minimum, it's a lot more than the rest of the Dodgers' starters have been able to do. Although he shook a little in July, his season ERA is currently 3.33 and he leads all Dodgers pitchers in innings, more than solidifying his place in the rotation for the foreseeable future.