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…
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.
Ninth and Extra Innings: Your turn to write. What is the next step for Alex Vesia?
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Discussion (138)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Vesia is sort of this year’s version of VGon–the new-lefty-on-the-block who is flashing excellence and opening some eyes. The real test could come in the playoffs. I hope VGon gets well and competes. A lot of talented, productive relievers won’t make the roster. Reports on Gonsolin and Kershaw are promising…. When will we see Duffy?
Here’s hoping that a platoon will help Belli solve his problems. Thank goodness AJ and Taylor have picked up the slack–and now Mookie is back.
Nice of the Giants to finally lose a game. I was getting a bit nervous when the Braves were coming back. So much talent on the Dodgers–but so inconsistent. It just feels like the Giants, without nearly as much talent, have a competitive edge that has been lacking in Dodgers.
Preview of Atlanta Series. Smyly starts tonights game. Only 1 Dodger has a homer against him, Trea Turner. Bellinger, Betts, and JT along with Trea are the only Dodgers with hits off of him. Against Urias, only Freeman has a HR. Soler, Adrianza, Freeman and Albies are the only Braves with hits off of Urias. Against Morton, Bellinger, Betts, Taylor, and Pujols have hits off of him, no Dodger HR’s. Against Buehler, Freeman has a HR, but no Brave is hitting over .200 off of Butane. Against Freid, both Turners and Bellinger have homered off of him. Betts, Bellinger, Pollock, Muncy, Pujols and both Turners have hit him well. Against Scherzer, the Braves have 8 HR’s, Freeman with 3 and d’Arnaud 2. But again, only Freeman at .227 is over .200 against Max.
The Dunning-Krueger Effect has corroborated with a new study-the Joe Biden Effect.
I have no idea what the Dunning-Krueger effect is, and what is more important, I do not care. What I do care about is winning. Not losing. And losing games like this is embarrassing. Of course, on any given day one major league team can beat another even if the other team is vastly superior to their team. And it happened twice in this series. But the fact of the matter is that it has less to do with Roberts line up choices and everything to do with the fact that the offense has been flat all month, even when they went on that winning streak. The pen is overworked because they only have 3 starting pitchers who can give them any kind of length. Betts has not had a real chance to be a difference maker yet. The guys who were being the stars and driving in the runs and being consistent all of a sudden are all in a slump at the same time. Only Smith and Pollock have been consistent run producers lately. If I have a bitch with today’s lineup it would be sitting Smith. Barnes has shown little to no offense lately except for his HR in San Diego last week. And the guys who continually call Roberts a POS are way off base. You do not win games at a 60 percent clip in the majors being a POS. He is a lot smarter than you or I. And he has information none of us have. He does not hit, pitch or throw. He does not field, nor does he run the bases. What he does it put players in the game, and then it is up to them to perform. So when they lose, put the blame where it belongs. On the players. They are the ones who succeed or fail. Oh and by the way, you are not walking Cron in the first inning with 2 runners on and 1 out. You pitch to him. White threw him a cookie and he ate it.
I’ve been on Bellinger but that was incredible catch today and I love him going to left field today. Small steps!
Maybe this will be the year we sneak up on the gnats and get revenge for 1962.
Today is what’s scary about a one game playoff. When the nothing shows up with an all or nothing offense. Hopefully we’re healthy enough in October where McKinney isn’t starting.
If not for the Dunning Kruger Effect, this blog would not exist. And Mark would miss out on the entertainment!
We’re still good. Everyone chill out.
The organization should be embarrassed by what took place this weekend. The Dodgers have 8 guys who have been All Stars and Will Smith. Nine if you count Albert. Yet McKinney starts two games. I would why people thinks there’s a lack of urgency. Still the rest of the offense needs to step up. Pitching to Cron was incredibly stupid and yes Ray Charles could see that.
Our player development guys are so good that we are now developing players for other teams.
Old friend Yoshi Tsutsugo hit a 3-run walk off homer for the Bucs against the Cards today.
He has hit 5 homers in the 13 games he has played for them and is hitting over .300.
Sometimes a team’s roster just won’t allow them to keep a player they would like to keep. This might have been the case with Yoshi because he really was starting to hit at OKC when we released him.
We fixed him for Pittsburgh. They owe us.
The same dumbasses who wanted Urias to pitch would call Dave Roberts a Dumbass if Urias faded in the playoffs. “Doc overused him.”
Just so we are clear: I have ZERO respect for some of you fools, but I will let you spew your foolishness for all to see!
I respect your right to be a fool.
BY the way, the Dodgers only have 3 starters, but that’s no excuse – Dave Roberts should be executed. It’s all his fault!
You people kill me!
In case you missed it earlier, I have decided to let people see what the Dunning-Kruger Effect looks like.
In case you don’t know (well you probably do, because many of you know everything else). The Dunning-Kruger effect is a type of cognitive bias in which people believe that they are smarter and more capable than they really are. Essentially, low ability people do not possess the skills needed to recognize their own incompetence. The combination of poor self-awareness and low cognitive ability leads them to overestimate their own capabilities.
The term lends a scientific name and explanation to a problem that many people immediately recognize—that fools are blind to their own foolishness. As Charles Darwin wrote in his book The Descent of Man, “Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge.”
See, I don’t have access to all the information that Dave Roberts has. I don’t know who is tired, fatigued, slightly injured, or is being rested to prevent injury, but you obviously do.
I do not have all the analytical information that you and Dave Roberts do.
I do not know who may go on the IL next but you all knew that Joe Kelly had a mass on his shoulder and that Mookie Betts has a bone spur in his hit before anyone else.
You all know that Dave Roberts loves to give games away so that he can get fired and not collect a paycheck.
You all know that the Dodgers are lazy, unmotivated and feckless.
Yeah, Right!
The Dunning Kruger Effect means that low performers are unable to recognize the skill and competence levels of other people, which is part of the reason why they consistently view themselves as better, more capable, and more knowledgeable than others, like Dave Roberts for example.
In many cases, incompetence does not leave people disoriented, perplexed, or cautious. Instead, the incompetent are often blessed with an inappropriate confidence, buoyed by something that feels to them like knowledge.
So, what we are seeing here in the Dunning Kruger Effect right here, right about now. Have at it, because I know most of you will never recognize it. Why try.
Ignorance must be bliss and you are happy!
The constant bullpen games are beginning to take a toll. 3 games with a weak sister they have dominated, the Rockies, and two losses directly pinned on sub par pitching and zero offense. Rockies pitchers, none of whom has an ERA below 4, stifle the Dodger offense, which over the month of August, has sucked big time. Muncy. Taylor, Turner, JT that is, Bellinger, all slumping. Muncy has lost close to 20 points on his average. Turner was up over .290, and now is under .280. We all know about Bellinger’s struggles, and Taylor, despite homering last night, has struck out 33 times in his last 85 at bats. Smith and Pollock have been their best hitters along with Trea Turner. But as a group, they are not hitting on all cylinders. Muncy has struck out 22 times in the last 4 weeks. He has started 4 games this week and is hitting .059 with 5 K’s in 17 at bats. Bellinger has struck out 28 times in 82 at bats over the last 4 weeks. Strike outs a empty at bats. Turner is hitting .188 over the last 4 weeks and has 13 K’s, When your best players all slump at the same time, it is going to seriously impact your ability to score runs. When your bullpen is called on every 4th and 5th day to supply bulk innings, efficiency of said bullpen is going to be impacted and that happened today. They added offense at the deadline with T. Turner. They added starting pitching with Scherzer. But the Duffy trade has brought them nothing yet. The starting pitching beyond Urias, Buehler and Scherzer is non existent right now. Price, whether injured or not, has not gone 5 innings yet. Gonsolin, if he comes back soon, has not been stretched out. Same with Kershaw. Duffy will not be available until mid September at best and then most likely only in relief. I think AF should have secured at least one more healthy arm for a serious run at the Giants. The good news is that other than Webb, and Wood, the Giants starting pitching is hurting too. Cueto has been ok, but not great and can be beat. But Desclafani, who came off of the IL today, is most probably going back on with the same problem, and Gausman has become human and vulnerable lately. We face the Braves with our best pitchers. Giants have Cueto, Wood and Gausman going against Milwaukee, and the Brewers have their two best, Burnes and Woodruff before a BP game on Wednesday. Urias, Buehler and Scherzer for us against Atlanta, and Smyly, Morton and Fried facing LA. But, unless the offense comes out of this malaise, they are going to be very tight games. I did not mention Mookie because he has only played 2 games off of the IL> The thing is, Mookie gets hot, he can carry the team by himself. The way it stacks up, Urias would pitch Saturday in SF and Buehler, Sunday, On Wednesday the rosters can expand to 28 players.
So I won’t say I told you so that the lineup sucked today and that our POS mgr is the reason we are looking up to the gnats. Oh it makes sense to not start JT and yet he gets into the game anyway and you let him pitch…what a joke! Why are you using Jansen in a game that was lost in the first inning???? Why are you pitching to Cron with a .170 hitter on deck? Why didn’t Urias start today on regular rest so we would have (Urias…Buehler…Scherzer) to face the gnats next weekend on regular rest? I know some will say it didn’t matter because our HOMER HAPPY swinging team didn’t score but I just want some answers to why we are not putting our best lineups on the field each day??
Frustrated more than ever with Doc’s decisions because a team with all this talent should be not be looking up to the giants.
Dodgerdog days. Can’t say great pitching shutout our offense. Can point at all points for the reason of this loss except at Jansen and Bellinger, at least that’s refreshing. How do you like me now?
Looks like we got a new opener in J.T.
Give credit to the “enemy”….. my three stars go to…..drum roll please….
1. Colorado Rockies team- came into LA with only pride to play for and they punched us in the face hard for 2 of the 3 games. I hope they can do the same to the Giants when they play them again.
2. ANTONIO SENZATELA.- What a masterful pitching performance for a guy 2-9 with an ERA between 4-5. To come into the Lion’s Den and completely dominate us is truly amazing and worthy of a high five and a Pat on the back.
I like to root for the underdog so I truly am happy for this young kid. I’m sure his family is proud too.
3. CJ Cron- I’m sure he knew how important it would be if he could give Antonio and early lead to help him relax a bit. And he did, in a big way…a 3 run shot in the first inning.
Sorry, I couldn’t find a Dodger player to crack this top 3, but hats off to CODY BELLINGER for making a great catch and for getting a single (1 of the 2 hits).
Let me know if you appreciated this game summary….
TM
The BP games are starting to take a toll on the staff. They have to get CK back (but I don’t that to happen) or insert someone as a starter and roll with it.
Is it Jackson or is it White or is it someone else? A three man starting rotation is not going to cut it.
Game over. Another game given away by Roberts and the Dodgers. Sloppy play, no urgency, no passion, no nothing.
Good night everybody. I do not expect the Dodgers to win the division this year. Lets hope that either WB or MS has one of their best days in that one game wild card playoff game.
Obviously the rest doctor seems to be content with that route.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Awful approach by the Dodgers today to say the least and I agree with the other posts that seem to agree. This game is one to circle on your calendars when we look back to see how the NL West & Playoffs play out.
I thought when Friedman got Trea Turner he made the starting lineup Doc/idiot proof. I guess not.
Cody‘s defense is elite, agree with all three of your bad’s Bear
Running out of innings but I’m trying to stay optimistic, what else can I do I have no control over anything.
Wish they tried to play more small ball, but I guess that would be overly optimistic
Huh…
Billinger is our MVP….jajaja!!!