Disclaimer: One week of Spring Training baseball is an incredibly small sample size upon which to make any worthwhile player assessments, but that’s part of the fun of watching Arizona Cactus League and Florida Grapefruit League games. Dodger fans are no different; we watch games and make value judgments whether this player or that player has The Right Stuff to be a Dodger in 2021.

So, after watching a week’s worth of Dodgers Cactus League games, here are a few observations from one fan:

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Starters

This new guy, Trevor Bauer, is pretty good. If he continues to pitch as he has thus far, the team may be forced to find a spot for him in the starting rotation.

In previous Spring Trainings, the Dodgers have taken it slow with Walker Buehler, but not this spring. Buehler came to camp ready to go, and the Dodgers put him on the bump in their second Cactus League game — no days off for this Buehler.

The veteran Clayton Kershaw was leading by example as he was throwing nasty sliders in his first Spring Training game.

Prior to the start of Spring Training, left-handed pitchers David Price and Julio Urias were penciled in as the Dodgers fourth and fifth starters. The Dodgers are being cautious with the Spring throwing program for the 35-year-old Price, with no announced date for his first Cactus League appearance. Urias’s starting opportunity was marked by first-inning command issues, similar to those he has battled throughout his Dodgers career. His lack of command could be attributed to the blustery weather conditions the day he pitched.

Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, and NRI Jimmy Nelson pitched well in their first games, perhaps sending a not-so-subtle reminder to Urias, Price, and the Dodgers that they, too, are ready to compete for spots in the starting rotation. They don’t care if other names are penciled in; they know where to find erasers.

Bullpen

The Dodgers have a plethora of right-handers competing for spots in the bullpen, and several looked sharp in the first week, including long-time closer Kenley Jansen. Blake Treinen looked like he could close a regular-season game today, hitting his spots with triple-digit fastballs. Corey Knebel appears to be 100% healthy, which is good news for the Dodgers and bad news for their opponents. Dennis Santana‘s pitches have been filthy (meaning really good) in his first action and looks ready to shed the title of ‘prospect’ and become a permanent member of the relief corps. Add the names Gonsolin, May, and/or Nelson to the reliever core if they fail to crack the starting rotation, and we will likely see Brusdar Graterol pitch in the next week.

Several of the team’s right-handed pitching prospects have impressed during the first week of Cactus League games. While they are not expected to pitch for the Dodgers in 2021, they have served notice that they could be ready for Major League duty sooner than later: Josiah Gray, Michael Grove, Andre Jackson, Bobby Miller, Ryan Pepiot, Nick Robertson, and Landon Knack. If not this year, then we will be discussing these young men for 2022 roster spots; remember their names.

Southpaws in the bullpen will be an ongoing question through Spring Training. Will the team carry two or three left-handers on the roster? Will the Dodgers decide that Urias is more valuable as a late-inning reliever than a number five starter? What is certain at this point, Victor Gonzalez has solidified his status as a late-inning setup pitcher, and potential closer.

A reliever competition is percolating amongst lefties Scott Alexander, Garrett Cleavinger (acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies), Alex Vesia (acquired from the Miami Marlins), and veteran NRI’s Enny Romero and James Pazos for bullpen spots. As a veteran with a guaranteed $1 million contract, Alexander likely has the inside track for a roster spot, but Messrs Cleavinger, Vesia, Romero, and Pazos have pitched well enough that Alexander’s spot may not be that secure.

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Next week will provide more insight to these pitchers and hopefully those who have not yet pitched (Graterol, Joe Kelly, Brandon Morrow, Price, Mitchell White, Gus Varland, and Kendall Williams).

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