Bobby Miller had one of eight temporary lockers in the Dodgers clubhouse which was overcrowded for the Freeway Series exhibition which marked the end of spring training. But his performance on the mound Tuesday night against the Angels, his first time pitching in a competitive game at Dodger Stadium, hinted it won’t be long before Miller has his own stand.
The Dodgers drafted Miller in the first round from Louisville in 2020, and he enters this season as the organization’s top pitching prospect. The 6’5 right-hander has been ranked among the top 100 prospects on at least six national lists, with an average ranking of 60th in MLB by Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, ESPN, FanGraphs, The Athletic and MLB Pipeline.
Miller pitched three scoreless innings and struck out two on Tuesday, allowing just one and two walks, plus a 376-foot flyout to center by Anthony Rendon who brought a sigh of relief from the pitcher’s mound.
Nearly half of Miller’s 55 pitches were four-seam fastballs, averaging 99.4 mph. Seven his three numbers on the radar gun, including three fastballs to Shohei Ohtani in the first inning.
Dodgers third baseman coach Dino Ebel spoke on SportsNet LA, and late in the first inning offered his first impression of seeing Miller pitch live in a game.
“Woo, this is real. It’s gas,” Ebel said on the show. “I’ve heard a lot of good things about him, and it’s pretty good stuff there in the first one. Facing Ohtani as the first hitter is something he will never forget. It’s something I am will never forget.
Bobby Miller said he “almost passed out a bit” after knocking out Ohtani to start the night: “Probably the highlight of my career here.”
— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) April 6, 2022
Miller to start his minor league season will travel to Double-A Tulsa, where he made his last three starts last year. He’s been mentioned by potential rankings, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and others as someone who could pitch for the majors this season.
” That would not surprise me. Pure talent, I see no reason why he shouldn’t make his debut at some point. manager Dave Roberts told reporters ahead of Tuesday’s game. “But you have to go out there and play and play, and see where it takes us.”
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The Dodgers have two days off, one of which will be spent traveling to Denver. Opening day is Friday afternoon against the Rockies (1:10 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA), with Walker Buehler making his first start on opening day. Left-hander Kyle Freeland starts for Colorado.
What remains in between is that the Dodgers are finalizing their Opening Day roster, which likely means sending a pitcher and announcing starting pitchers Saturday and Sunday at Coors Field.
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