Dodgers notes: Julio Urías, Max Muncy, recent draft picks

When the Dodgers gave Julio Urías the nod for opening day this season, there was the hope that he could replicate the same success he displayed over the past two seasons. While injuries and an inability to control the long ball have hampered his on-field value, his most recent start against the Pirates seemingly renewed a spark in the hopes that he can still develop into a bona fide ace for a Dodgers rotation that desperately needs one.

Urías so far on the season has performed as a back-end arm out of the rotation instead of a headliner, with a 4.76 ERA in 64⅓ innings, while also posting a 1.181 WHIP, a career high 2.0 home runs per nine innings and a 93 ERA+— a far cry from his 188 ERA+ that led the National League last season.

The first half for Urías has been rocky, however there is room for optimism that he can turn his season around. Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times writes a column that highlights Urías’ ability to dominate post-All Star break and how the lefty felt after his most recent start where he struck out eight hitters to the tune of six innings:

“‘I felt a click,’ he said in Spanish. Urías continued: ‘I feel it’s something I can take into the second half [of the season] to have a good second half. I felt something on the mound in that last inning. It’s something very positive.’ Last year, Urías was 9-1 with a 1.26 earned-run average during the 13 starts he made after the All-Star break.”

Links

• What used to be a lethal pitch has now seen its effectiveness diminish this season, as hitters have managed to adjust against sliders and run rampant across the league. Will Sammon and Eno Sarris of The Athletic analyze this new trend in offensive production against sliders, including how slugger Max Muncy feels about the recent usage of sliders in general.
• Juan Toribio of MLB.com reviews the Dodgers’ first round picks over the since the 2018 Draft and determines which picks have panned out and which were complete misses.