Alex Vesia

Vesia arrived in Los Angeles last February as part of the Dylan Floro trade and opened 2021 in the minors. The southpaw bounced between Triple-A and Los Angeles several times before showing he had nothing left to prove at Triple-A, fanning 19 hitters over nine innings at that level before he got the call for good near the All-Star break. Vesia was outstanding for the Dodgers, quickly overtaking Victor Gonzalez as the team's top lefty out of the pen. He finished the year with a 2.25 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 12.2 K/9 over 40 innings, and his 17.8% SwStr% would have ranked among the leaders if he qualified. He attacks left-handed hitters with his slider and only allowed one hit on the pitch all year, while blanking hitters altogether on his changeup. The lefty turns 26 in April and needs to improve his control (5.0 BB/9) to take the next step forward, but initial returns forecast a promising high-leverage career.

Vesia is a player whose minor-league statistics get your attention. In 100 minor-league innings, he's allowed just 75 hits with a 138:26 K:BB while allowing just four home runs. Stats such as those would lead one to believe Vesia has a triple-digit fastball or some nasty breaking ball, but neither is true. Vesia has a rather average fastball, but he hides it well and it sneaks up on hitters. His changeup is his best pitch, and it is why he was able to produce such lofty strikeout totals in the minor leagues. He made it from Division II college to the major leagues in two years thanks to embracing a role in the bullpen. Expect to see him in the majors a fair amount in 2021 assuming he can throw more strikes than he did during his brief time in the big leagues in 2020.