Dodgers

Dodgers: Tony Gonsolin Loves This Dominant LA Starting Rotation

Dodgers pitcher Tony Gonsolin is excited about the 2023 LA starting rotation of himself, Julio Urias, Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May, and Noah Syndergaard.

Dodgers pitcher Tony Gonsolin had an outstanding year in 2022, going 16-1 with a 2.14 ERA and getting serious Cy Young talk throughout the summer. The only blemish on his season was a forearm strain that shut him down in late August for most of the rest of the season, costing him his shot at 20 wins, an ERA title, and possibly the Cy Young Award.

Gonsolin is healthy now, and he has a two-year, $6.65 million contract to cover his first two years of arbitration eligibility. He’ll have two more years of arbitration after this deal is done because he was a Super Two this year, earning eligibility a year early.

Gonsolin was on MLB Network on Thursday talking to Alanna Rizzo about his new contract and how things are looking heading into 2023. Gonsolin was excited about his new contract, but he seemed equally excited about LA’s starting rotation heading into the new season.

“We have Kersh [Clayton Kershaw], we have Julio [Urias]. They’ve established themselves as being dominant. I hope that I can continue what I’ve been doing the last few years. Dustin [May] same thing, he’s been throwing well when he gets a chance coming off of TJ last year and he’s looking big, he’s looking strong, looking healthy. And then I don’t really know much about [Noah] Syndergaard, I just know that every time he threw against us, he looked pretty dominant when he was with the Mets. So, kinda excited to meet him and see what he’s all about.”

This Dodgers rotation has a chance to be very good. Kershaw’s 2.28 ERA and 0.942 WHIP last year would have fit right in with his prime years when he was winning the Cy Young every year; only the 22 starts would tip you off about the difference. Urias was MLB’s only 20-game winner in 2021 and led the NL with a 2.16 ERA in 2022.

Gonsolin’s career ERA is only a couple ticks above Kershaw’s, and Kershaw’s is the best in the live-ball era. May has some of the best stuff in baseball when he’s healthy and commanding it. And Syndergaard could have been described the same way we described May just a few years ago, with hopes of regaining that form.

There are durability concerns, for sure, but Los Angeles has a handful of young starters ready to plug holes as necessary. But this starting five, when they’re on the mound, they have the potential to be among the best rotations in baseball.

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