A look back at the 2015 season for Dodgers 2010 first-round draft pick Zach Lee, who has seemingly been around forever but somehow just turned 24 three months ago.
What went right
Lee repeated Triple-A in 2015 and pitched well in a less-toxic environment for pitchers, going 11-6 with a 2.70 ERA in 21 starts for Oklahoma City, with 81 strikeouts and 19 walks in 113⅓ innings. He might have won the Pacific Coast League ERA title but fell two innings short of qualifying.
The right-hander lasted at least six innings in 14 of his 21 starts in Triple-A, including six of his final seven starts of the season.
Lee had a 1.80 ERA in April with 24 strikeouts and five walks, and by the end of May had a 2.39 ERA in 10 starts.
Lee was named the Dodgers Branch Rickey minor league pitcher of the year, the second time in three years he captured the honor.
The strong performance in Triple-A finally earned Lee his big league debut, five years after he was drafted.
What went wrong
That major league debut for Lee came on July 25 against the Mets in New York, and it did not go well. He allowed four runs on five hits in the first inning, and ended up giving up seven runs in 4⅔ innings in a 15-2 loss. To date, that is Lee's only major league appearance.
He might have made his debut earlier in the season were it not for missing a month with poor circulation in the middle finger of his right hand.
2015 particulars
Age: 23
Stats: 11-6, 2.70 ERA in 21 Triple-A starts; 7 runs in 4⅔ innings with LA
Salary: $507,500; pro-rated for his time in the majors, roughly $22,000.
Game of the year
On May 24 at Las Vegas, Lee pitched seven scoreless innings for Oklahoma City, allowing four hits and a walk, with three strikeouts
Roster status
Lee has eight days of major league service time and two option years remaining.