When 35-year-old future Hall of Fame Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw made his major league debut back on May 25, 2008 as a then just turned 20-year-old, it didn’t take long for baseball analysts and experts (and fans) to realize that they (we) were witnessing the next Sandy Koufax. And though the business of baseball has changed significantly since that historic day, there is an exceptionally good chance that baseball analysts and experts (and fans) could be witnessing the next next Don Drysdale – or ‘Big-D,’ as he was affectionally called – in just turned 24-year-old Dodgers right-hander Bobby Miller, who made his major league debut on May 23, 2023.

A bit presumptuous, you say? Unquestionably. But check this out: In the four games that the (very) hard-throwing young right-hander has started, and in his combined 23.0 innings pitched, the 6′-5’/220lb Elk Grove Village, IL native and Dodgers first round draft pick in 2020 out of the University of Louisville in Kentucky has allowed a grand total of two earned runs and only 12 hits, while walking seven and striking out (wait for it…) 23. This equates to a ridiculous 0.78 ERA and an insane WHIP of 0.83.

Granted, 23.0 innings pitched does not a Hall of Famer make. But it’s difficult not to say “Hmmm…” (or something to that effect) with what we have witnessed in the (very) early stages of young Miller’s career.

In his fourth start of the 2023 season against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday afternoon, Miller pitched six shutout innings, during which he allowed only three hits and three walks while striking out seven, doing so on 104 pitches (61 strikes) enroute to his third win with no losses. In doing so, he became only the ninth pitcher since 1901 to allow two runs or fewer over his first four career starts with a combined minimum 20 innings pitched, joining Fernando Valenzuela (one run: April 9 to April 22, 1981), and Kenta Maeda (two runs: April 6 to April 23, 2016) as the only other Dodgers pitchers to do so.

But Miller’s fourth start of the season (and of his career) wasn’t without it’s drama. In the bottom of the second inning, he was faced with a one-out/first and third dilemma. He struck out Phillies center fielder Brandon Marsh for the second out of the inning, but walked Phillies first baseman Kody Clemens to load the bases. But on a 3-2 count and on his eighth pitch to Phillies third baseman Edmundo Sosa (a 100.1 MPH sinker), Miller got Sosa to ground out to Dodgers second baseman Mookie Betts to escape a seemingly inescapable situation.

“Just focus on getting the batter, not worrying about the guys on base, executing my stuff and everything will be okay,” Miller answered when asked about his Houdini act during that precarious second inning.

“With Bobby, I think it was really good to see, it’s been good to see how he’s just managed emotions, made pitches when he needed to, and had an easy first today,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said postgame. “And then you can see his pitch count got up after that second inning, after that two innings he was at 50 pitches. So for him to go out there and be efficient through six innings was a big lift.”

Miller most certainly had ‘a little help from (his) friends,’ as the Dodgers pounded the (now) 33-35 NL Central third place Phillies 9-0 on nine hits, including a third-inning solo home run to right-center field by Dodgers left fielder David Peralta in the top of the fourth inning, and a three-run shot to left field by ‘Just Dingers’ Dodgers designated hitter J.D. Martinez in the top of the seventh.

“He’s the guy,” Peralta said postgame. “Every time he steps on the mound, he’s fire and he’s doing his job. I’m glad he’s on our side, I don’t want to face him. He’s got nasty stuff.”

Although it is ridiculously premature to even include Bobby Miller’s name in the same breath with the great Don Drysdale, you’ve got to start somewhere, right? And judging by his first four MLB appearances (including three starts) resulting in three wins, ‘Big-B’ is definitely yet another Dodgers pitcher that you might want to keep a watchful eye on.

Play Ball!

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