Brock Stewart #2 or #4?

Any way you slice it, Brock Stewart is a very good pitcher.  Currently, his stuff is worth of being a #4 or #5 “workhorse” type of pitcher. However, he could be a lot more than that and this is why I did not want to see him in the rotation this year. Brock has an excellent fastball, a nice slider (not great), and a below average change-up.  He really needs a “very good curve.”  If he can develop that, he could become a #2 starter.

You would think Rick Honeycutt, Clayton Kershaw and Rich Hill could teach him how to throw a curve.  If Brock can develop a solid curve, he’s a #3 starter, but is he can come up with “public enemy number one” he’s a #2 starter. It looks like he will be in the rotation until Kershaw or McCarthy gets back, but he is a very big asset in the pen.  Hopefully, he can master that curve and become a “Top-of-the-Rotation Guy.”  Maybe it doesn’t have to be the curve – a great changeup is one of the best (if not THE best) pitches in baseball.

Brock is so raw and has lots of room for improvement because he has only been pitching a few years.  There’s not many miles on that arm either.  I’d be happy to see a rotation of Kershaw, Wood, Stewart, Hill and Buehler next year.  Then in 2019, Urias is back and Santana, Alvarez, White, May and others are getting close.  Some will fall and some will climb, but it’s starting already.  It’s really fun to watch.

Dodger Rants and Raves

• Tracy Ringolsby reminds us that being a regular season juggernaut assure you of … NOT MUCH!  It’s something the Dodgers should keep posted in the clubhouse.  It’s how you end that counts.
• New list of Dodgers Top 30 Prospects and Walker is #1. Kay Bear Ruiz has passed Will Smith and is the Dodgers Catcher of the Future!  Smith and Ruiz will form a great tandem –  2020… or sooner.
• I am still not sold on Gavin Lux.
• Here’s a new name to watch:  James Marinan – he projects as a mid-rotation starter and is in the Arizona League right now.
• Speaking of Buehler – he didn;t take the day off.  In his second AAA start, he went 5 innings, allowed 1 hit and 1 run while walking 2 and striking out 9!
• Rios went 3-3 at AAA after a slow start.  He’s up to .294 and has 4 HR at AAA.  He is a very interesting prospect.
• This Dodger team is special.  Comebacks, lockdowns and just the way they play baseball is very fun to watch.  I do not think you will see and extended losing streak from this bunch – they just pick each other up.
• Chris Taylor – .320/.929 OPS!  Not bad for a bonepile pickup!
• I don’t think we need another starter, unless we can steal one.
• Team Stats:  Dodgers are #2 in OP%, #3 in Slugging, #3 in OPS, #4 in HR, #5 in Runs, #1 in ERA and WHIP, #1 in Starter ERA, #2 in Reliever ERA – Not too shabby!
• So far, the team has won 100% of their games without Clayton.

I read Seth Godin’s Blog every day.  Today was especially poignant:

He deserves it, but do you?