Although the Los Angeles Dodgers fell short of expectations during the 2023 season, it is likely still a year Brusdar Graterol will never forget.
On the field, Graterol posted his best season to date. The right-hander threw 67.1 innings while pitching to a minuscule 1.20 ERA, with many of his appearances coming in high-leverage moments.
In the postseason, Graterol pitched three scoreless innings as part of a strong effort from the Dodgers bullpen during their short playoff run.
After the team was swept in the National League Division Series by the Arizona Diamondbacks, Graterol posted a thank you note to Dodgers fans on his X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram accounts.
Thank you so much dodgers fans I love u 🫶🏾🦾🫡 see you next year 🐎 pic.twitter.com/OUHfNJKQEL
— brusdar graterol (@BrusdarGraterol) October 13, 2023
In addition to his performance on the field, Graterol was also able to reunite with his mother, Ysmalia, this year after seven years apart.
His mother lives in Venezuela and last got to see her son pitch in 2015 in the Dominican Republic, but they were able to get the necessary paperwork completed for her to come to the United States.
The two have a close relationship, so it was difficult to be apart for so many years. That led to an emotional moment greeting each other at the airport, where Ysmalia also got to meet her grandson for the first time.
“It’s an incredible moment,” Graterol recalled. “Obviously there’s been a lot of things that were really hard.
“When I made my debut, she wasn’t here. When I got married, she wasn’t here. When I had my daughter, she wasn’t here. Those were very difficult times, so to be able to now share that with her is very special.”
Later in the day, Graterol pitched with her in the stands for the first time as a professional.
He finished the year appearing in 68 games with a strikeout to walk ratio of 14% and a WHIP of 0.97.
Brusdar Graterol contract and outlook
Graterol is eligible for arbitration once again in 2024, so the Dodgers still have the rights on his contract and he is under team control through the 2026 season.
The 25-year-old will receive a raise from his $1.225 million earned in 2023 and projects to be a big part of the backend of the Dodgers bullpen once again.
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