Dodgers News: Why Did Dave Roberts Choose Ryan Pepiot As the Fifth Starter?

Very high praise for the 25-year-old.

The time has almost come for fans to start filing into Dodger Stadium and watch their Boys in Blue kick off their 2023 season. They will be watching a team that looks a little different on paper compared to past years but the talent and potential is nonetheless still there.

Almost every single day this week, we have received some huge news regarding how LA's roster will look to start this year and many of us were intrigued to see what the rotation for the pitching mound look like. We found out that Julio Urias would be given the honor of opening day starter and that Dustin May, Clayton Kershaw, and Noah Sydergaard would be up next in the following games.

However, Dave Roberts finalized that fifth spot on Friday when he announced that Michael Grove would be optioned to the minor leagues, making it clear that Ryan Pepiot was his final choice.

The Dodgers 26-man roster fills out as I predicted.

Very happy for Ryan Pepiot and Andre Jackson.

The bullpen has a few question marks, but it'll be solid when Daniel Hudson and Alex Reyes return.

Also, Gavin Stone will definitely make a huge impact at some point this season. https://t.co/Obm6bU2V7C

— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) March 24, 2023

"It was a tough one. They both made tremendous strides and both earned that opportunity,” said Roberts. “I guess to put it more simply we just felt that Ryan outperformed Michael this spring. I don’t always want to look at it as a competition and over-evaluate spring. We just felt it was the right decision at this point in time but we expect Michael to pitch considerable innings for us this year as well."

(Via The Orange County Register

Even though Pepiot didn't appear in as many games as Grove, he outperformed him in the ones that he did suit up in. He had a better ERA with 3.29 compared 5.04 and also recorded more strikeouts.

The future is still very bright for Grove and he will have a chip on his shoulder heading into the minor leagues this season. However, Roberts was very appreciative of the mentality that Pepiot brought into Camelback Ranch this year and he hopes it rubs off on the rest of the team in 2023.

"He’s made huge strides,” said Roberts. “With the mechanics, I think the delivery is a lot more consistent so the throws are much more consistent. There just seems to be more clarity. Things have slowed down for him. With all that, we just feel his stuff plays at the major-league level."

Prospects at the pitching mound don't work out for Los Angeles every season but they have proven to have one of the best farming systems in the MLB. Fans, just like Roberts, are super excited to see what Pepiot will bring.