When he is healthy and at his best, there might not be five pitchers in baseball with better raw stuff than Los Angeles Dodgers starter Dustin May.
Armed with a triple-digit fastball with a lot of run and an incredible slider, May will conquer the league once he is healthy for an entire year and makes 30 starts.
That year could very well be 2023.
In 2020, he hadn’t unlocked his full strikeout potential, even though he had a 2.57 ERA.
That promise was starting to be fulfilled in 2021: in 23 innings, he had a 2.74 ERA and an impressive 35 strikeouts.
He then blew out his elbow in May and needed Tommy John surgery.
After a lengthy rehab, he returned in time to pitch 30 frames last year.
His 4.50 ERA left a lot to be desired, but the most concerning stat were his 14 walks.
His stuff returned after the surgery, but his command wasn’t all the way back.
It’s normal, considering the long layoff.
Spring training has come, and May looks determined to pick up things were he left them in 2021.
His stuff is looking fantastic.
Dustin May is NASTY 🤢
(via @d_maydabeast)pic.twitter.com/5z4qBNgPYQ
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) February 20, 2023
You can see the zip on his fastball and how quickly it reaches the catcher’s mitt, and the break on his slider.
The most important storyline to follow here in the early stages of the season is how good his command looks.
If he can consistently throw strikes, just like he was in his short 2021 participation, he has Cy Young potential.
If his walk rate will be higher than 10%, he could be a good third or fourth starter.
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Dodgers Manager Comments On Noah Syndergaard’s Progress
