The Dodgers starting rotation is now officially broken. With Ryu still weeks away and McCarthy done perhaps until the All-Star break in 2016, the Dodgers are only a brittle Brett Anderson away from a rotation of Kershaw, Greinke and TBA. God can only help us if Greinke’s elbow issue flares up. But the future is bright on the pitching front, if not immediately here.

You know you are a true Mexican patriot and a baseball junkie when you are huddled around your iPad watching a grainy, pixelated MiLB.TV broadcast from somewhere in Arkansas on a Monday night. My wife keeps telling me they have 10-step programs to cure my affliction but in the end the patient has to want to be cured first. For those patiently awaiting the next true Mexican superstar after a long drought, it is a small price to pay. Even though my boy and I had a single blurry behind-home-plate angle to Julio Urias’ start for AA affiliate Tulsa Drillers against the North-Division-leading Arkansas Travelers, we were treated last night to a fabulous pitching gem and a glimpse of what is yet to come.

In 6 innings of work, Julio Urias gave up a solitary flare single that was immediately rectified when he picked off the runner on first. In the end, he struck out 10 against the division leading rivals with no walks and no runs with a mere 70 pitches in 6 innings of work. His performance was not just good but dominant as he sliced through the Travelers lineup with great economy, striking out a flurry of hitters before being relieved after the 6th inning.

Drillers’ Urias faces minimum through six, No. 2 Dodgers prospect allows one hit, ties career high with 10 K’s. (Photo credit – Rich Crimi)

After the game, Drillers Manager Razor Shines stated very bluntly to Kelsie Heneghan of MiLB.com, “This guy can pitch and he’s 18 years old. Should be finishing his senior year in high school and he’s making Double-A look real easy,” Shines continued, “They had no chance to hit him. He would’ve gotten out Major League clubs tonight, he was that good.”

While most have focused on the incredible ability of Corey Seager at AA, few have considered the possibility of an 18-year-old filling a temporary hole on the Dodger’s current mess of a starting rotation. Yes, I know he is only 18, the Dodgers have him on a pitch count, and he is cocooned in bubble wrap, but Ohhhh if you had seen what he did last night . . . He looked as close to being a major league pitcher as anyone can in the minor leagues. Urias moved the plane of the batter’s eye constantly making the Travelers look like Little Leaguers trying to connect with their first curve ball. As the game moved forward his dominance accelerated striking out a flurry of Arkansas batters on very few pitches.

As a former pitcher and student of the game, what I appreciate most about Urias is how he pitches in comparison to today’s standard pitching prospect focused on velocity. Most young pitchers today go to the minors to work on fastball control as they develop secondary pitches. Most rely on pure speed with one additional pitch – a cutter, a slider, or something else with velocity. Urias already has fastball control and has much more in his arsenal with a wider range of speed that would translate right now to the major league level. This kid doesn’t “throw” but “pitches” which most prospects take years to learn.

His pitching philosophy is already light-years ahead of his contemporaries at the minor league level. Last night his combination of pitches and locations had batters falling drastically behind on a 93-94 mph fastball – a velocity that is quite common today. That ability to fool with an “average” fastball velocity bodes extremely well for his ability to pitch at the major league level. As he matures physically, he will add even more velocity to the fastball which will make his off-speed pitches even more effective.

Andrew Friedman has already stated that the Dodgers are going to fill the rotation holes from within and the most likely candidates are Scott Baker who is already with the team and the entirety of the starting rotation in AAA, but on the other hand it would be a great opportunity to give Urias a quick cup of coffee, a spot start, and trip back to AA. The risk involved in calling him up — he gets hit and loses confidence. If he were an emotionally immature 18-year-old, the Dodgers front office would have no business considering Urias but he has such freakish composure, poise, and seasoning beyond his years I don’t think it is a huge risk. On the upside, it would be a great opportunity to fill a gaping hole in the current rotation as well giving Julio Urias an opportunity to see what the future looks like in Dodger Stadium when we will all be chanting “Viva Mexico!”