Gavin Stone was among the Los Angeles Dodgers prospects who made their MLB debut during the 2023 season, which saw him make appearances as both a starter and relief pitcher.
The right-hander did not fare too well as he finished 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA and 1.90 WHIP over eight games (four starts) during his time in the Majors. Stone had a much better showing in his first full season with Triple-A Oklahoma City, going 7-4 with a 4.24 ERA in 21 games (19 starts).
Stone revealed that he dealt with a blister on his foot during the first half of the year, which contributed to some of his struggles and even led to him tipping pitches.
The 25-year-old is now past those issues and put on weight during the offseason to help keep his velocity up this season, via Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic:
Gavin Stone said he put on 10-15 pounds this winter as part of his offseason program. Noted he has a problem keeping weight on during the season, hopes this helps him maintain his velocity.
The key?
“Lot of Chipotle,” he said.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) March 3, 2024
Stone’s adjustments seem to be paying off as his fastball velocity sat around 95-96 mph during his 2024 Cactus League debut against the San Diego Padres. He pitched one perfect inning and collected a strikeout in the outing.
In three Spring Training appearances so far (two starts), Stone owns a 2-0 record with a 1.59 ERA and 0.71 WHIP across 5.2 innings pitched.
Gavin Stone’s outlook for 2024 season
Stone is among the Dodgers pitchers vying for a spot in the Opening Day rotation, competing against the likes of Michael Grove, Landon Knack, Emmet Sheehan and Ryan Yarbrough.
“I feel like we’re all competing against each other, but at the same time we all root for each other and pull for each other,” Stone said. “There’s definitely competition, but throw up zeros to put yourself in a good spot.”
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