Of the several rookies who debuted with the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 2019 season, Tony Gonsolin stands out for his contributions in both the starting rotation and bullpen.
Receiving his first MLB promotion at the end of June, the right-hander went on to appear in 11 games, posting a 4-2 record, 2.93 ERA, 3.86 FIP and 1.03 WHIP over 40 innings pitched.
Gonsolin accumulated 37 strikeouts in comparison to 15 walks, allowed just 26 hits and even recorded his first career big league save against the Colorado Rockies on July 30.
Though he was left off the Dodgers’ National League Division Series roster, Gonsolin still enjoyed an excellent debut campaign and feels much better about his outlook heading into the 2020 season.
During a recent appearance on “Dodger Talk” with David Vassegh of AM 570 L.A. Sports, the 25-year-old attributed his success to the positive impact former teammate Rich Hill left on him:
“I really enjoyed all of my conversations with Rich in the dugout, in the clubhouse, just kind of everywhere. Being a younger guy and he being one of the vets, I definitely tried to pick his brain as much as possible. For me, the things I learned were finding a routine that works for me and being able to consistently stay within my routine day in and day out; trying to maybe tweak here and there if I think I’m going to get a little bit more out of my body by changing within my routine. And on the pitching aspect, being on the mound, he’s a big compete more so than throwing the right pitch in the count. Just learning from that helped me to be a little bit more convicted in the pitches I need to throw and being able to take an extra second to gather that conviction before I throw the pitch.”
Hill, who signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Twins earlier this month, was a respected voice in the clubhouse throughout his time with the Dodgers.
Many pitchers that have come up with the organization in recent years similarly credited the veteran for helping them get acclimated to the Major League level.
Gonsolin now looks to apply some of Hill’s wisdom into what he hopes is an even better 2020 season. He is one of a handful of candidates that will vie for the fifth spot in the starting rotation come Spring Training, along with Dustin May, Ross Stripling and the newly signed Jimmy Nelson.
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