Spring notes: Dodgers arms moving forward
By joshjacksonmilb
By Josh Jackson / MiLB.com
Brito enjoys seeing Urias’ growth
GLENDALE, Arizona — Mike Brito, the legendary Dodgers scout who helped the organization find and sign talent from Fernando Valenzuela to Yasiel Puig to Julio Urias, has enjoyed watching Urias’ growth.
Ahead of Friday’s 8–4 Cactus League loss to the Angels, in which Urias struck out the side in one inning before running into trouble in the next, Brito said the 19-year-old southpaw has added mass since last spring.
“From last year to this year, he grew up and he’s stronger,” the scout said. “He’s going to grow up a bit more because his father is 6-foot-3, so I think he’s going to be stronger every year. He’s not going to do nothing but improve. He’s got a great feel to him, I can tell you that.”
Urias has yet to throw more than 100 innings in any Minor League season, but Brito feels that in terms of ability, the fireballer could handle the big leagues now.
“In my opinion, he’s ready already, but I think we’re going to be slow with him. We don’t want to rush him,” he said. “For me, he’s got a good, good chance to become a good pitcher [in the Majors]. He got a good arm. He knows how to pitch. He’s got good presence on the mound. I think he’s got a great feel to him.”
De Leon finding learning opportunities in big league camp
GLENDALE, Arizona — When Jose De Leon entered the Dodgers’ 8–3 win over the A’s on Thursday, he put a perfect Cactus League ERA on the line and lost it. Easy come, easy go. The 23-year-old right-hander had made just one prior appearance, holding the D-backs to two hits and striking out four over two scoreless innings on Saturday to get a win.
Against the A’s, however, he surrendered two runs on four hits with a strikeout over two frames and didn’t factor in the decision.
“I felt a little off; my fastball command wasn’t there. One of those days where nothing is wrong with you, but you don’t feel right,” he said. “You don’t have your fastball command, everything is uphill because you throw your off-speed, and they’re not swinging at it just because you’re not commanding your fastball.
“It was an eye-opening because my first outing was great, so yesterday opened my eyes a little bit that you have to command the fastball and get the ball down in the big leagues.”
On a day when he couldn’t trust his fastball, though, De Leon knows the results weren’t so bad.
“It could have been worse,” he said. “I just learned a lot. I don’t necessarily like when this happens, but it has to happen so you learn and you get more experience.”
The Puerto Rico-born hurler spent the bulk of last season in the Double-A Texas League, where he posted a 3.64 ERA and 105 strikeouts over 76 2/3 innings. While he wants to stand out in Major League camp, he’s not concerning himself with the Dodgers’ big league pitching depth or the possibilities that the 2016 season holds.
“I’m not trying to do too much. I’m just trying to be myself, and if they like what they see … “ he said. “I can just control what I can control. I’m coming in each and every day just to work hard and better myself. What happens on the rotation is not my job. I’m just trying to enjoy the moment and learn as much as I can.”
Lee sees success with the cutter
GLENDALE, Arizona — After struggling in the Pacific Coast League in 2014, Zach Lee went 11–6 with a 2.70 ERA in 19 Triple-A starts last season. Several factors contributed to the turnaround, but being comfortable with his cut fastball was a huge help.
“Early in my career, I kind of had a cutter and a slider and I was trying to throw both at the same time, whereas now I’ve really simplified it and got it all down to a cutter,” the 24-year-old righty said. “I try to really let the pitch do what it does, where sometimes it may be more of a true slider and sometimes it may be more of a cutter.
“Rather than trying to manipulate and do too much with the ball, it’s really kind of focusing on one pitch and letting that one pitch blossom before I move on to another one.”
Making that decision wasn’t simple — a pitching prospect typically enhances his value by adding a pitch rather than getting rid of one.
“I felt like for me, having two pitches that were very inconsistent wasn’t going to benefit me as much as having one that was going to be as consistent as it could be. It was a little bit of addition by subtraction,” he said.
“It was hard at first –- you had certain scenarios where you’re thinking maybe I could throw this and do that. Ultimately, you just had to trust it and kind of let it blossom. By midseason or even a little before midseason I felt really comfortable where I could do what I wanted with that pitch.”
