Inside The Dodgers

Dodgers Manager Compares Gavin Stone to Franchise Legend

Maren Angus-Coombs

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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Rookie Gavin Stone has transformed over the past year to become one of the Los Angeles Dodgers' more dominant starting pitchers. After struggling to crack the Dodgers' roster as a rookie in 2023, Stone has flown under the radar ever since, sleuthing his way into Major League Baseball's top 10 for earned-run average.

Manager Dave Roberts racked his brain to find another pitcher to compare him to and set the bar pretty high while speaking to reporters, including Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times.

“I’m not saying he’s Orel Hershiser,” Roberts cautioned, before evoking the nickname of a club legend to describe its new breakout star. “But he’s a bulldog … It’s a little Orel Hershiser-esque.”

Stone improved to 6-2 with a 2.90 ERA after his latest start. Hershiser was asked about the comparison and was humbled by the comparison.

“I understand why Dave is saying he looks a little bit like me,” Hershiser said.

Like Hershiser, Stone doesn't strike hitters out unless he needs to. Hershiser never struck out more than 190 batters in a single season. Stone's strikeout rate of 18.6 percent is well below the league average. However, the 25-year-old has allowed one run or fewer in six of his last seven starts. His ERA in that span is 1.64.

Hershiser would throw balls over the plate with movement to get miss-hits. Stone has tweaked his arsenal to do the same, adding a cutter and a sinker instead of relying on a four-seam fastball.

“He’s sort of like a mini-bulldog out there,” Roberts said, noting how — like Hershiser — Stone only seemed to seek strikeouts when runners were on base, or a jam needed to be dealt with.

“He competes really well. He’s a smart player,” Roberts added. “He just understands how to kind of play the game within the game.”

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Maren Angus-Coombs

MAREN ANGUS-COOMBS

Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State and has been a sports writer since 2008. Despite growing up in the South, her sports obsession has always been in Los Angeles. She is currently a staff writer at the LA Sports Report Network.

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