The Dodgers are poised to promote one of their top prospects for his major league debut, as Russell Dorsey of Stadium and Bally Sports reports that the club is selecting the contract of right-hander Bobby Miller. The club will need to clear room for Miller on both the 40-man and active rosters ahead of Tuesday night’s game against the Braves, when Miller is poised to make his major league debut.
The 24-year-old Miller was the 29th overall pick in the 2020 draft, selected by the Dodgers in the first round out of the University of Louisville. In his first season of minor league action in 2021, Miller immediately impressed with a 2.40 ERA in 56 1/3 innings split between High-A and Double-A that included a dazzling 47 inning performance at the High-A level. During his time in High-A, Miller posted a microscopic 1.91 ERA with a 29.8% strikeout rate and a walk rate of just 5.9%.
That performance saw Miller become a consensus top 100 prospect headed into the 2022 season, where Miller saw mixed results in 112 1/3 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A. In 91 innings at the Double-A level last season, Miller posted a fantastic 30.5% strikeout rate and a solid 8.1% walk rate, though he struggled in terms of top-line results with a 4.45 ERA during that time. Upon his promotion to Triple-A, Miller largely improved as his strikeout rate ticked up to 32.9% and his walk rate fell to 7.1%, resulting in a 3.38 ERA in 21 1/3 innings. That being said, Miller allowed a whopping four home runs in that short time frame as a whopping 26.7% of his fly balls left the yard.
Miller’s uneven 2022 season did little to impact his prospect rankings, however, as he entered the 2023 as a consensus top 30 prospect in the sport. While his 2023 season has been off to a rocky start so far, with a 5.65 ERA and a strikeout rate of just 19.7% in 14 1/3 innings so far this season, the young right-hander is an incredibly talented prospect who has flashed a triple-digit fastball, making it easy to see why the Dodgers would be interested in getting their young hurler a look in the big leagues. It isn’t clear whether Miller’s first trip to the majors is expected to last beyond Tuesday night’s start, though with Walker Buehler, Julio Urias, Dustin May, Michael Grove, and Ryan Pepiot all on the injured list, it stands to reason that this won’t be Miller’s only opportunity to impact the big league club this season.
Let’s go B Miller
It’s about time. Let’s go B Miller
Here’s hoping he doesn’t get too much of a whopping on Tuesday.
It seems “whopping” was today’s entry on Nick’s word-of-the-day calendar.
You have to be pretty old to remember when more than a handful of people cared about such things, but this reminded me of Edwin Newman’s books on language usage. In one of them he wondered when exactly a thing began to whop.
Back than, people didn’t say more then, would of, should of, or could of.
It makes me think my friend’s idea of conservation of knowledge – there’s a set amount of knowledge so we’re getting dumber on average as the population increases – might be accurate.
“Idiocracy” is a documentary well worth checking out!
Same goes for Pootie Tang
Billy jack said…”im gonna take this right foot, and whop you on that side of your face”….
Larry Brown,
That’s a classic scene!
indeed!!
Well… I know it’s more out of necessity than curiosity. But, when you’re 7.5 games up on the best team on paper. Now seems like a good time to see what he can do. Pepiot and Grove seem like cannon fodder. Maybe third times a charm.
Greg Maddux was 8-18 with an ERA over 5.50 his first two seasons. I’m not saying any of these guys will be HOFers, but a few appearances don’t necessarily mean much.
It’s Miller time on tuesday!!!!
Mason, Bryce, now Bobby. It’s Miller time on MLB mounds this season
He’s probably not ready yet but has enough stuff to perform well in a start or two. Dodgers have a lot fewer options now with all the injuries.
Nice first assignment…. Let’s Go Bobby!!!! #ItsMillerTime
Seems rushed to me. Could they be showcasing him for clubs who may be interested in a deadline deal? A package of Busch, Miller & a lottery ticket probably nets the LADs whatever they want once trade season kicks into full gear.
Really wish that lottery ticket is named Budweiser. A prospect package of Busch, Miller & Budweiser.
Thank goodness Tony LaRussa isn’t a GM, amirite?
RunDMC: Maybe they could add an old (losing) lottery ticket as in Arden Pabst. I remember the old slogan PBR Me ASAP. Yes, I know, I’m old.
They aren’t trading Bobby Miller lmao. Nobody at this deadline is worth him
Miller, Busch, Grove & some filler for Burns & Adames. You still laughing your A off?
Brewers aren’t selling in a winnable division
Kershaw, Thor and Urias may not be Dodgers in ’24. Arms like Miller, Pepiot and Grove will be needed; I doubt they’re dangled.
Yeah just like they didn’t trade Hader last year….
You don’t even know who is available at this deadline yet. Ohtani or Bieber could easily become available and return a prospect better than Miller.
Eduardo Rodriguez
Doubt that. He’s still young. Giving up quickly if they deal him. But perhaps he’s not untouchable as he’s been before if there is a right deal.
No. Dodgers don’t trade big time arms for rentals. You’re another fan that makes up what they want to believe about the Dodgers when it’s far from the truth
Josiah Gray was their #2 when traded just a few years ago. Maybe they do trade top pitching when it suits them.
They also got 1 1/2 years of Trea Turner. Guess you forgot about that
No I didn’t forget. I only addressed you apparently forgetting that the Dodger do actually trade top pitching prospects – when it suits them. You said they never do it and saying that they might that “it’s far from the truth”. I made no comment whatsoever on the value of the trade.
Might be a few years ago now, but I think they traded Andrew Heaney (for Howie Kendrick) and Jose De Leon (for Logan Forsythe).
Yeah, KD69 may need to learn the lesson of never saying never because there is always a “sometimes”! I’ll give him/her/them that it isn’t a regular thing but then, it isn’t a regular thing for most teams probably.
The Dodgers do seem to have a plethora of young talented arms. That said, I remember when the Padres had a plethora and well, most didn’t pan out or are slowly become “serviceable” arms at best and not near the talent that they projected in milb.
So it is always – yeah I know I said it LOL – prospects are suspects until they prove it.
To be fair those guys including Gray were not as highly rated prospects as Miller is. The Dodgers are learning more about Miller everyday. If they do deal him perhaps they’re seeing something and want to maximize trade value but I think we’re too early here unless they’re given a deal of a lifetime by including Miller.
He hasn’t had the performance in the minors yet to show that he’s elite but obviously the stuff is elite and still has a lot of potential once he commands his pitches better. Command is not only walks but also being wild in the zone over the middle of the plate.
Mlb – yeah it’s so strange how these prospects play out on the whole. This is why I always get so confused when a fan sinks his teeth in so deep on any one given prospect. Look at Gore- he was supposed to be the next Kershaw starting in 2021 and it’s 2 years later just to see him being “good” and that is a small sample size. Who knows what he may be in 2 years – an ace or trash.
The number of guys that pop up at 20-22 and just have it and stick is so small historically. As fans we just get so in love with our prospects.
3 years ago, I saw Padres as Logan Allen (not the one pitching in big leagues now), Chris Paddock, Gore, Patino, Quantrill and a few other guys – only Q and Gore are even middle of order guys right now.
People freak out over the Fried trade – it took 6 years before he became a dominating pitcher!
Prospects are trade capital just as much as they are hope for the future.
Dodgers have 4-5 similar to what Padres had 3 years ago. We all just have to wait and see.
You might ass we’ll toss in Zach Eflin for Jimmy Rollins if you want to talk about pitchers of a certain caliber
For what it’s worth, I never wanted to include Eflin for Matt Kemp. If the Pads don’t make that trade, then I doubt LA ever acquires Rollins.
Yup, we all fall in love with the elite prospects. That’s because we know how valuable that they can be. Look at Corey Seager, Will Smith, Clayton Kershaw and Cody Bellinger (before the meltdown), among many others. Ridiculous production at dirt cheap money. That’s how you sustain playoff runs, not free agency. That’s why fans hate it when their team trades away elite prospects for rentals or 2 years of a star player.
But for every Kershaw, Seager, etc. most prospects fail, including the elite ones. Baseball is such a difficult sport to replicate performance. You can’t just rely on strength/athleticism to hang and not be a complete bust. Being the strongest guy in the world will not help you if you can’t hit the high heat, breaking pitch or discern a ball from a strike. Throwing your fastball at 99 mph is irrelevant if you can’t throw enough strikes or locate it in the good part of the strike zone or combine it win another pitch. Etc., etc., etc.
And there is so much bias towards elite prospects, as if publications know exactly who will thrive. Who would have said Outman was untouchable before his first MLB stint last season?
I agree that GMs need to look at prospects as also trade capital. There is a balance there. Can’t trade them all way and deplete your farm system and you can’t just hoard the prospects and watch most of them fail and capital gets depleted. It’s a game of poker, and you have to known when to hold on and when to cut your losses and get something for the prospect. And there needs to the balance of going for it one season without depleting your farm. Friedman has done a really good job at that.
I don’t think he’s ready. I hope it doesn’t destroy the man’s confidence
Come on Mikey, Destroy? Cripple for a bit, but not destroy.
The kid has what is necessary to succeed! Goin’ on Milla time.
Pitching in the PCL ain’t exactly healthy either.
I’m baffled. At what point has he been good as a pro?
4.57 ra9 and 56 BB in 183 minor league innings
You’re really citing RA/9 on a minor league prospect? Everyone knows that’s more unreliable at levels where you have minor league defense playing behind you. He has a minor league lifetime 3.79 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 7.2 H/9, 0.8 HR/9, 2.8 BB/9 11.2 K/9 which is pretty good considering he’s always younger than league average. He did all that while pitching in hitter leagues like Texas and PCL.
Total walks is misleading unless you post his innings too. 2.8 BB/9 isn’t bad at all, especially for a young flame throwing prospect.
He’s probably only going to fill in for 1 start because of injury anyway. It’s a good opportunity for the kid to get some major league experience and bails the dodgers out of having to use the bullpen for a whole game.
Those numbers alone don’t make the kid unworthy of a call up. I’m calling attention to his hype more than anything, as that is what leads a kid with that kind of walk rate to get called up despite….expectations. I know he’s got lively stuff, I just don’t believe the hype based on numbers alone.
Then again, look at Brice Millers numbers this season in the minors. Hey, maybe he Kerry Woods it out there.
This is why you shouldn’t scout based on numbers alone.
Yeah dude I agree, but it’s still reasonable to chat about a top prospects not so top numbers. That’s what we do here; talk baseball, speak in hypotheticals, predict, etc.
I think a reply that actually presents a rebuttal to the numbers I posted would be more apt; than to simply say “numbers aren’t everything.” Yeah, I know dude. We know.
But I digress.
RA 9 in the minors? good lord who cares. Watch him facing Trout and Ohtani last year in spring training. This kid is going to be a star
56 walks in 183 might sound high but it’s a 2.8 BB/9 which is not bad at all. Taking into account minor league defense, RA9 is probably not the best measure to judge a young pitcher on. His K and BB numbers look very good overall.
He may not be ready but those wouldn’t be the numbers to worry about.
Bullpen is going to get taxed with these youngsters on short pitch counts and struggling with command. Not the long term solution. You’d think there is a trade soon if Dodgers still serious about competing which they should be.
Ok, who’s up for the DFA? Anybody afford to go to 60 day that’s not already there?
Just DFA Trayce Thompson. He’s cooked.
Trayce Thompson is contributing the least. Yency Almonte won’t last long either.
Let’s see what he can do, some guys never get a shot, take it when you can.
I wouldn’t be upset to see Roberts DFA’d but that isn’t happening so possibly Almonte at this point
I’m thinking it’s Trayce…. but hope he clears and gets outrighted so he can go down and figure it out.
Dave Roberts is Andy Friedman wearing a uniform.
Yep. Friedman’s swipe of 2nd in the 2004 ALCS was epic. Amazing how Roberts swooped in to get the credit though.
Did you see the airplane?
It will be a reliever maybe Suero
It’s pretty nice when you can dip into your system and replace a couple injured starters with pitchers like Stone and Miller. Move Nastrini up the list.
Weird to have a season where Kershaw is your healthiest pitcher
Give it a couple weeks.
lil bro gonna get rocked unfortunately
Miller High Life Light if you can find it.
One Bud Light, coming right up!
When I bring up my top pitching prospect I too like the first two hitters they face to be Ronald Acuña Jr and Matt Olson.
He better be as good as Kershaw was when he was promoted with all the hype, as I just picked him up on my Fantasy team . And the LAD better keep him up for more then one start
I picked him also. LA’s record with these promotions is pretty good. If it was another team, I’d probably have ignored him.
Made some really good pitches in third and fourth inning to get out of trouble. Impressed with his composure. Got squeezed a couple of times and some really good misses with two strikes on sliders and change ups that hitters didn’t quite bite. But man, you have to like a pitcher that can combine stuff with good misses with two strikes. More impressed with him than Stone so far.