Alex Who? First Eight Innings

Early in the 2021 season, that question was asked by more than a few Dodger fans. The Dodgers were in search of a left-handed reliever and there were several well-known options available, at least in trade.  So what did Andrew Friedman do? He did as he often seems to do. He acquired a player with whom we were not all that familiar or we simply wondered why.

On February 12, 2021, the Miami Marlins traded LHP Alex Vesia and RHP Kyle Hurt to the Dodgers for Dylan Floro. Floro had been a reliable reliever for the Dodgers who was still only 30 years old. I indicated that Miami had made the trade as I had come across this quote in a LA Times article.

“If the Dodgers’ bullpen implodes in October, Kim Ng could be to blame. She practically stole one of their best relievers from them.”

The quote was from last May so perhaps was a bit premature but suggested that Andrew Friedman had been snookered by former Dodger front office person Kim Ng. The article suggested it was typical Ng having been a student in the Dodgers front office.

It is also probably a bit early to come to a conclusion as to whom the snookered label should apply. That is, Friedman or Ng and perhaps each side got exactly what they wanted so there was no snookering.

For Dodger fans, we now know Alex Who is 25-year-old Alex Vesia. I love it when guys come out of the woodwork so to speak and decided to do a background check on Vesia. That is his history as a professional baseball player.

First Inning: Childhood and High School

Vesia was born in Alpine, California which is about 140 miles a bit southeast of Los Angels but only about 28 miles from San Diego.

He played Little League baseball, rode his bicycle, and stayed busy in the family’s large backyard as he enjoyed being outside, growing up in Alpine, the East County town of some 15,000 residents tucked into the Cuyamaca Mountains.

“When I wasn’t playing baseball,” he said, “I was usually out at the desert, riding a dirt bike or camping with my family.”

Vesia attended Steele Canyon High School in Spring Valley, California, where he played baseball. In 2014, his senior year, he earned All-East County honors.

He didn’t play high school ball in his freshman year but as a sophomore, he had been bitten by the baseball bug.

“My sophomore year I really wanted to make varsity. I felt like I had a good tryout but they put me on JV,” Vesia said. “It wasn’t what I wanted, but I told myself I’d work hard and by the end of the year, I’d be on varsity.”

His hard work and dedication paid off serving as a lynchpin for his professional career as he got to start on the varsity squad on the last day of the season.

Second Inning: University

Liking the feeling he had from pitching before a small crowd in high school, Vesia knew what he wanted to do for the next number of years.  He wanted to help his parents out with paying for college and getting a degree. But most of all he knew he wanted to play baseball.

Following high school, he went on to play baseball and pursue his degree at California State University, East Bay. He chuckles as he explains why he chose to attend CSUEB.

“It was an easy decision for me to choose East Bay, they were the only school to offer me a scholarship,” said Vesia with a grin. “The Head Coach at the time Bob Ralston and Pitching Coach Paul Moore gave me a call and said they wanted me to visit the campus. I had no idea about the Bay Area before heading into that eight-hour drive to Hayward. But I immediately fell in love with the campus and it became one of the best decisions of my life so far. I would not change it for anything.”

The southpaw enjoyed his best season at East Bay as a senior, posting an 8-2 record in 78.2 innings. He struck out 82 and walked  28. He ranked No. 2 in the CCAA in wins, earned run average, strikeouts, and opponent batting average. His 1.95 ERA was the lowest by a Pioneer pitcher in the CCAA era (among qualified starters), and he rattled off a streak of 45 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run during March and April of 2018. Vesia was twice named CCAA Pitcher of the Week during that stretch.

He would go on to cement his place as one of the best hurlers in the history of Pioneer baseball. During the 2018 season, he became Cal State East Bay’s all-time leader in career wins (24), strikeouts (249), and innings pitched (313.2). He also boasts the 10th-best career ERA in program history at 3.01. Vesia is a two-time All-Region selection, three-time All-CCAA selection, and CSUEB’s Male Athlete of the Year for 2017-18.

Third Inning: 2018 First-Year Player Draft

As the 2018 draft approached Vesia naturally was concerned if, in what round and with whom he might be selected. His head coach at Cal State East Bay, Mike Cummins, offered him some sage advice.

“Before the draft, Mike Cummins sat me down in his office and he was like, “You’re not gonna make your money out of the draft, but you’re gonna make your money in the big leagues,” Vesia said. “I told every scout, give me the opportunity and I’m gonna run with it,” he recalled.

He did get an opportunity when the Miami Marlins selected him in the 17th round of that 2018 First-Year Player Draft becoming the 507th overall selection.

“It was such an amazing feeling to hear my named get called,” expressed Vesia. “Truthfully, it wasn’t an easy process and it was a long three days waiting to see where I would go. But one thing I knew was that I was ready to challenge myself on the next level.”

Fourth Inning: Start of Professional Career 2018

Vesia began his professional career with the rookie-level Gulf Coast Marlins before moving on to Class-A ball after 8.2 innings.  With the GCL Marlins in his four appearances, he posted a 0.00 ERA and a 0.808 WHIP along with seven strikeouts and three walks.

On July 20, 2018, the Miami Marlins promoted Vesia to the short-season-A Batavia Muckdogs in the New York-Penn League. Four days later, he struck out four in a scoreless three-inning appearance, a 7-1 win for the Staten Island Yankees. In his final appearance of the season, on September 2nd, he struck out six in three scoreless innings in a 5-4 win over the Auburn Doubledays.

While with the Muckdogs, Vesia struck out 31 and walked four while posting a 1.82 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP.  Between the two levels, he walked only seven batters, a 1.89 BB/9 rate along with a 10.93 K/9 strikeout rate.

Fifth Inning: Three and Up 2019

During the 2019 season Vesia moving quickly through three levels on MiLB ball moving smoothly through Class-A Clinton in the Midwest League, on to High-A Florida of the Florida State League, and finishing the season with Jacksonville in the AA Southern League. Through 66.2 innings in 2019.

He posted a collective 1.76 ERA and a 0.945 WHIP along with 100 strikeouts and 19 walks.

With the Double-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp of the Southern League, he topped off his season – while impressing scouts – with a 2-0 record, a 0.00 ERA after not allowing any runs scored through nine games of action to go along with 25 strikeouts and one save.

Vesia’s 2019 season didn’t end in Jacksonville. He was chosen by the Marlins to participate in the Arizona Fall League as a member of the Salt River Rafters. All he did was earn Rising Star Recognition over nine appearances and 10.1 innings pitched by allowing no earned runs while striking out 16 and walking two. After the grind of the 2019 MiLB season, Vesia relished the chance to compete in the Arizona Fall League with many of baseball’s budding stars.

“In the Arizona Fall League, I got a chance to pitch against some of the top talented prospects from around the world. It really gave me a chance to see what I was made of. It was a necessary test for me to face future big leaguers and I feel it prepared me for my next phase in life.”

“Going to the Fall League seeing top prospects — I was like, “Bring it.” I just told myself to make the most of the opportunity. Then getting the call to big league camp I told myself the same,” Vesia said. “I can’t complain any day of the week. I love what I do.”

Fun Fact: Alex Vesia during the 2019 season strung together 35.2 innings of scoreless ball. That includes nine straight scoreless innings at Jupiter, 16.1  at Double-A Jacksonville and 10.1 in the Arizona Fall League. Going back into 2018 make that 41 consecutive innings of scoreless ball.

Sixth Inning: The Bump in the Road 2020

Last year was  a year for many of us  to forget, especially minor league players who were denied a developmental year. Alex Vesia was one of those who struggled with the  Covid-19 shut down.

“I was shocked to hear the news at first,” expressed Vesia. “There were so many what if’s going through me mind. Where do I go? How can I train in these conditions? I spoke with some of the guys on the team about their plans to help me with my decision. I’ll admit it was a little frustrating at first because I was really beginning to build great chemistry with the guys in the clubhouse and our new pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre. Then I immediately realized that this entire situation was bigger than baseball and it’s important for me to be around my family during this current state of affairs.”

He worked out his own training routine in his parents garage trying to continue to develop and be ready for the 2021 season and was invited as a non-roster player to the Marlins spring training facility.

In between he did make his professional MLB debut with the Marlins in 2021 never having pitched at the AAA level and only 16.1 innings at the AA level in 2019.

Things did not go well with the Marlins and may well be the blessing the Dodgers needed to acquire Vesia. Over five appearances – one  in July, two in August and two in September – he gave up nine earned runs over 4.1 innings pitched with seven walks and five strikeouts. That’s an 18.69 ERA.

Seventh Inning: The Trade

Was it Vesia’s 18.69 ERA in 4.1 innings pitched that made him expendable by the Marlins? Was it his minor league numbers that made him coveted by the Dodgers?  That is, throwing 100 innings while striking out 138 and walking just 26, for a 1.62 ERA. Maybe it was  a 41 inning scoreless streak.

Maybe it is as Dodger Digest points out. Vesia’s stuff seems unimpressive at first glance, he throws a 92 mph fastball 73% of the time, mixing in a slider and change. Of course, what stands out in his numbers is that he gets a ton of whiffs despite that profile, which is due to his vertical movement on the pitch. The type of arm the Dodgers are coveting is not much of a secret, and Vesia fits the bill.

Pitching coach Mark prior has said Vesia’s fastball is unique and comes out free and easy.

“It’s been jumping out on guys,” Prior said on Sunday. “It is very eye-opening.”

According to Brooks Baseball, Vesia uses a four-seam, a slider and a changeup, although he threw his fastball 72.8 percent of the time last year with the Marlins. Last September, his four-seam peaked just shy of 93 MPH, but it is known much more for its movement, specifically the whopping 10-inch drop.

Maybe it was this.

“There isn’t anything I feel like I can’t do. My mom always told me I’m a man on a mission. I truly believe that,” Vesia said holding back a tear. “I get a little emotional about it because this is what I want to do: I want to play on the biggest stage with the guys behind me and we’re competing. Its the coolest feeling in the world and it’s great to see hard work pay off.”

Eighth Inning: Option Central

During the current campaign Vesia has been optioned to the OKC Dodgers four times and recalled. Did the Dodgers know something that could be fixed or smoothed out for Vesia  at the AAA level? I’m thinking yes.  His big issue with the parent Dodgers in 2021 seemed to be lack of control. In May he issued 11 walks compared to 13 strikeouts over 9.2 innings pitched.

His season stat line now reads somewhat differently. Over 30 innings pitched he has a 2.40 ERA along with a 0.83 WHIP and an opponents batting average of .094. He has struck out 39 and walked 16 (11 last May). Just to highlight things a bit, over his last 18.1 innings pitched he has allowed one earned run.  (This was written before the home run he gave up against the Rockies on Friday.)

What has happened with Alex Vesia? He thinks that going to OKC helped him clear his head.

He began to put it together with Oklahoma City in June, striking out 15 consecutive batters over five appearances from June 20 through  July 6. Since rejoining the Dodgers in early July, he has faced 48 batters and struck out 17, giving up just five hits (no home runs) and, most importantly, walking only three.

“I feel really confident. I know I’ve put in the hard work,” Vesia said. “Going down to Triple-A, I got to clear my head. Coming back up, I was able to just bring what I was doing in Triple-A and it carried over to the big leagues now.”

¹Nothing stood out. I just think clearing my head and building on good inning after good inning after good inning helps. … Just building confidence one good inning at a time.”

There will be games when the sailing for Vesia isn’t totally smooth, as with all players, but it seems he is equipped to move from those after having navigated some rough waters along the way.

Dodgers Prospect Watch: A Closer Look at Alex Vesia

Ninth and Extra Innings: Your turn to write. What is the next step for Alex Vesia?