Tony Gonsolin burst on the scene like his rookie counterparts of Dustin May, Gavin Lux, and Will Smith in 2020 — not to mention the emergence of bats like Matt Beaty and Edwin Rios. The Dodgers have one of the youngest cores in the sport and should be in contention for a long time because of it. Teams that are based primarily on young, homegrown talent are prime candidates for signings of veterans and mentors.
This past season, Russell Martin, David Freese, and Rich Hill provided that service for the young Dodgers and for right-handed pitcher Tony Gonsolin, Hill was his specific mentor as a pitcher.
Gonsolin spoke with David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports radio about his offseason, Rich Hill’s mentorship in 2019, and his career goals for 2020.
.@Dodgers @goooose15 joins @THEREAL_DV to talk about how #RichHill advice #RichHill gave him this last season & preparing for the upcoming season. https://t.co/EaHR9xp4Sy
— AM 570 LA Sports (@AM570LASports) January 7, 2020
Gonsolin on Debut
Tony Gonsolin’s stuff and talent has never been a question, but after a rough start in the big leagues in his first go-round, there were questions about whether or not he was ready for the bright lights. He silenced the doubt.
“I think there were ups and downs throughout the entire year. Starting off in Triple-A was the highest level I had ever played in and then making my debut — it did not go the way I had expected it to go, but it was a learning experience for me.”
Gonsolin Talks Analytics
Gonsolin admitted that while he likes the analytics side of the spectrum, he likes to keep a level head and maintains his focus on both sides.
“I like the best of both worlds. I will take as much information as I can and then for me personally, I just try to simplify that with how complicated it can be and then take the things I believe will help me.”
Tony Smokes Discusses Dick Mountain
Gonsolin said that he learned how to find ‘compete’ within himself. Rich Hill is one of the greatest competitors in the league and there is not much better a person to learn from as a rookie pitcher.
“I really enjoyed all of my conversations with Rich in the dugout and clubhouse. Being the younger guy and him being one of the vets, I definitely tried to pick his brain as much as possible. He has helped me be a little more convicted in the pitches that I throw.”
Conclusion
Tony Gonsolin will have a major impact on the 2020 season and could find himself making a solid number of starts for the club. The Dodgers view him very highly and the trio of him, Dustin May, and Josiah Gray could be rocking the National League in a couple years.
NEXT: Dodgers 2020 Top-10 Prospects by Baseball America
