Is Justin Wrobleski’s early-season success this 12 months actually sustainable?
If he throws his fastball like he did Friday night time, it is likely to be unattainable to cease.
Within the Dodgers’ 4-2 win over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night time within the opening recreation of this weekend’s postseason rematch, Wrobleski turned in essentially the most spectacular efficiency but of his breakout 2026 marketing campaign.
He spun seven dominant innings, permitting only one run on one hit that didn’t come till the sixth. He struck out a career-high 9 batters, twice punching out the aspect whereas additionally getting a career-best 16 whiffs total.
And, most significantly, he discovered renewed life on a instantly high-end fastball –– averaging a season-best 94.9 mph, topping out a scorching 97 mph a number of occasions, and utilizing the pitch for all 9 of his Ks in a merely overpowering begin.
“It’s simply type of felt like slightly little bit of a lacking piece,” Wrobleski mentioned. “It simply truthfully provides me extra confidence to type of go on the market and assault much more.”
Certainly, beforehand this 12 months, the 25-year-old southpaw had been pitching to contact and limiting harm. It had allowed him to be environment friendly, going six innings or extra in all however two of his eight begins. Nevertheless it additionally left him with one of many lowest strikeout charges within the majors this season, elevating questions over whether or not his spectacular numbers have been solely an early, and bound-to-regress, mirage.
However then got here Friday, when –– in a marquee matchup, towards a star-studded Phillies lineup, and with Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw sitting within the entrance row for measure –– Wrobleski took the mound and flashed a unique model of himself.
He bullied hitters within the zone. He dared them to hit his nearly untouchable stuff.
“He’s chewed up a variety of innings [earlier this season],” supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned. “However when you will get the swing and miss within the zone, that’s type of a separator for any pitcher.”
Wrobleski was so good on Friday, he simply outdueled three-time All-Star Zack Wheeler, who gave up 4 dwelling runs for under the second time in his profession towards a Dodgers lineup steadily discovering its collective swing.
Freddie Freeman opened the scoring by slapping an opposite-field solo shot within the first. Max Muncy tied Andy Pages for the staff lead in dwelling runs by mashing his thirteenth of the 12 months within the second.
Shohei Ohtani stored up his current tear by depositing one other solo drive into the Phillies bullpen within the third. Even the slumping Will Smith acquired in on the motion, making it 4-0 within the fifth earlier than the Phillies lineup had even recorded its first hit.
“We simply weren’t lacking the few errors he was making,” Muncy mentioned.
Wrobleski, then again, hardly let the Phillies barrel something up.
He averaged 96 mph along with his fastball within the first inning, when he rung up Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner and Bryce Harper all in a row. From there, he didn’t enable a baserunner till the fourth, when Kyle Tucker dropped a fly ball amid miscommunication with Pages in right-center.
Unfazed, nonetheless, Wrobleski stored on attacking, escaping that risk unscathed en path to retiring seven extra in a row –– 5 of which, as soon as once more, got here through the strikeout.
“He was on the assault,” Roberts mentioned. “It was simply actually good to see that efficiency.”
Solely with two outs within the sixth did Wrobleski lose his no-hit bid, when Schwarber walloped his MLB-leading twenty second dwelling run on a low fastball to straightaway middle.
“I used to be pissed after I gave up that hit,” he mentioned.
Regardless of. He shook it off.
Wrobleski sat down the subsequent 4 he confronted. He acquired a considerably early hook after 88 pitches.
It was a shock exit, however one which did little to dampen the dominance he found.
“When you’ll be able to attain again for 97,” Roberts mentioned, “it makes life quite a bit simpler.”
What it means
The Dodgers (37-20) have gained a season-high six video games in a row, and at the moment are 13-2 of their final 15 total.
Of that whole current stretch, this weekend’s collection towards the resurgent Phillies (29-28) had loomed as maybe the trickiest take a look at. Regardless of a dismal opening month, Philadelphia had gone 20-8 since a managerial change that put former Dodgers skipper Don Mattingly in cost.
Alas, identical to in final 12 months’s playoffs, the Dodgers reigned supreme once more.
Who’s sizzling
It’s price remembering: Earlier than Friday, Wrobleski had the second-lowest fee of strikeouts-per-nine-innings (5.01) of all MLB pitchers with at the least 50 innings this season.
A part of that was by design, with Wrobleski purposely attempting to refill the zone to induce comfortable contact and work fast outs. A part of it, nonetheless, had left the third-year pitcher pissed off, as his fastball dipped from 96 mph final 12 months (when he largely pitched out of the bullpen) to 93.7 mph in his return to the rotation this season.
Final week, nonetheless, Wrobleski mentioned one thing lastly clicked.
Although he suffered a five-inning, five-run clunker towards the Milwaukee Brewers, he completed that recreation by eclipsing 97 mph for the primary time this 12 months.
“I can’t inform you the precise factor,” he mentioned. “I felt simply type of again to regular, and type of carried into tonight.”
Did it ever.
Along with his fastball taking part in up, and his command within the zone executed with aggressive precision, Wrobleski merely overpowered the Phillies’ big-name offense. His fastball alone accounted for 13 swings and misses. He rung up a pair different batters by dotting referred to as third strikes.
“I wouldn’t say it was one thing that bothered me,” Wrobleski mentioned of his earlier velocity dip. “It was simply one thing that was out of the norm for me. Like, I used to be pleased with getting a bunch of outs, nevertheless it was bizarre how the outs have been coming. And like I mentioned, such as you’re at all times going to take outs. However yeah, you need slightly extra swing and miss … And, tonight type of felt again to regular.”
Who’s not
Those that thought Wrobleski was primed for regression after he’d given up 14 runs in his earlier three outings, which had raised his ERA from 1.25 to three.07.
These outings, in fact, epitomized what might go incorrect with Wrobleski’s throw-back fashion. Softly-hit balls discovered holes. Uncommon errors have been pushed out of the ballpark. And when he neeed to flee an inning, it required some assist from his protection behind him.
Friday, nonetheless, flashed a unique aspect of Wrobleski’s potential –– showcasing his skill to be an influence arm when his heater is thrown even barely more durable.
“It simply provides him far more margin,” Roberts mentioned. “Early on in his first 5, six begins, there have been a variety of balls in play, clearly some comfortable contact, balls at guys. However clearly you’re bringing the fielders into play. Tonight, most likely his greatest outing. When you’ll be able to take out the fielders and get the swing and miss, the strikeouts like he did, actually dominant efficiency towards a very good ball membership.”
Up subsequent
The Dodgers and Phillies resume their marquee matchup on Saturday, when Roki Sasaki (3-3, 4.93) will face Philadelphia left-hander Jesús Luzardo (4-4, 4.38).
