There are two things that can have devastating results on young pitching prospects:

1. Bringing them up too soon before they have fully developed both physically and mentally for the rigors of major league play;
2. Not bringing them up soon enough and literally wasting their bullets in the minor leagues, especially at a time when pitch counts are constantly under the microscope.

On Saturday, June 22, 2019, 21-year-old right-hander Dustin May, the Dodgers third round draft pick in 2016 out of Northwest High School in his hometown of Justin, TX and the Dodgers fourth-ranked overall prospect (ahead of Will Smith and Caleb Ferguson) and who is currently assigned to the Dodgers Double-A affiliate Tulsa Drillers, proved that he needs to be promoted to the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers or (brace yourselves) to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Oh sure, it is well understood – or at least the common thought – that skipping a level is considered taboo in this day and age. But consider this: Dodgers left-hander and future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw, who was drafted out of Highland Park High School in (wait for it…) University Park, TX, made his major league debut on May 25, 2008 as a 20-year-old, without having made even one pitch at the Triple-A level.

Getting back to Dustin May and that June 22, 2019 thing.

On Saturday, in his 15th start of the 2019 season for the Drillers, May went 7.0 innings, allowed no runs and only two hits, while walking none and striking out 14 Amarillo Sod Poodles (Padres) batters. This isn’t just good, this is Walker Buehler good. Buehler, as you undoubtedly know by now, struck out 16 Colorado Rockies batters the night before at Dodger Stadium.

Here again, it is well understood that jumping from Double-A to the majors is both extremely rare and unquestionably risky, but it has been done before.

…with very good results.

Play Ball!

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