GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 17: Ryan Pepiot #71 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches in the ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox during their MLB spring training baseball game at Camelback Ranch on March 17, 2021 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
One benefit of the Los Angeles Dodgers possessing both an absurdly stacked farm system and a power-packed big-league roster? Even without MLB stars reporting for spring training, it still feels like there’s something valuable going on every day in Arizona.
And even without those MLB players in attendance, the young Dodgers still have a well of information to plunder from, as we learned this week when top pitching prospect Ryan Pepiot spoke to the media about his evolving arsenal — thanks, in part, to Blake Treinen.
While Treinen’s comfortably at home (we presume) bemoaning the possibility of a truncated MLB season, his slider grip is working jussssstttt fine for Pepiot in Arizona, as the 24-year-old out of Butler approaches the season where he’ll likely break through to the MLB level for the first time.
Notable amongst a bunch of good tidbits here from Jack: Ryan Pepiot adopted Blake Treinen’s slider grip over the offseason. https://t.co/7eMisP3PbX
— Future Dodgers (@FutureDodgers) March 7, 2022
Pepiot was already the most advanced of the Dodgers’ upper-level pitching prospects, and was extremely likely to get MLB run this year even before he upped his arsenal from four pitches to five.
Now? The Butler product, coming off 127 whiffs in 101.1 innings across two levels last season, could be the first name called for a spot start (alongside Andre Jackson).
In 2021, Pepiot experienced a tale of two seasons. He dominated Double-A to the tune of a 2.87 ERA in 59.2 innings, but the wheels came off when he ascended to the hitter-friendly PCL (7.13 mark in a 41.2-inning chunk).
Hopefully, the addition of the so-called “sweeper” aids in helping him conquer the final hurdle standing between him and big-league ascendance.
Dodgers prospect Ryan Pepiot picked up his changeup fiddling around with grips. His latest pitch, the “sweeper,” came from looking at clips of a teammate who isn’t even in minor league camp: https://t.co/kaFGcMr7wV
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) March 9, 2022
Of course, Pepiot was only able to report because he is not on the 40-man roster at the moment, and a corresponding move will be needed to add him in the event that a call-up is looming.
Beyond Jackson, though, that expanded roster is nearly devoid of big-league-ready starters, so anticipate that move sooner rather than later, regardless of the team’s best-laid plans.
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