Is Justin Wrobleski’s early-season success this yr actually sustainable?
If he throws his fastball like he did Friday night time, it may be unimaginable to cease.
Within the Dodgers’ 4-2 win over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night time within the opening sport of this weekend’s postseason rematch, Wrobleski turned in probably 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 facet whereas additionally getting a career-best 16 whiffs total.
And, most significantly, he discovered renewed life on a immediately high-end fastball –– averaging a season-best 94.9 mph, topping out a scorching 97 mph a number of instances, and utilizing the pitch for all 9 of his Ks in a merely overpowering begin.
“It’s simply form of felt like just a little little bit of a lacking piece,” Wrobleski stated. “It simply actually provides me extra confidence to form of go on the market and assault much more.”
Certainly, beforehand this yr, 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 had been solely an early, and bound-to-regress, mirage.
However then got here Friday, when –– in a marquee matchup, in opposition to 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 virtually untouchable stuff.
“He’s chewed up quite a lot of innings [earlier this season],” supervisor Dave Roberts stated. “However when you will get the swing and miss within the zone, that’s form 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 house runs for under the second time in his profession in opposition to 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 workforce lead in house runs by mashing his thirteenth of the yr within the second.
Shohei Ohtani stored up his latest tear by depositing one other solo drive into the Phillies bullpen within the third. Even the slumping Will Smith obtained 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 stated.
Wrobleski, then again, hardly let the Phillies barrel something up.
He averaged 96 mph together 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 permit 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 by way of the strikeout.
“He was on the assault,” Roberts stated. “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 house run on a low fastball to straightaway middle.
“I used to be pissed once I gave up that hit,” he stated.
Irrespective of. He shook it off.
Wrobleski sat down the following 4 he confronted. He obtained 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 may attain again for 97,” Roberts stated, “it makes life so much simpler.”
What it means
The Dodgers (37-20) have received a season-high six video games in a row, and are actually 13-2 of their final 15 total.
Of that total latest stretch, this weekend’s sequence in opposition to the resurgent Phillies (29-28) had loomed as maybe the trickiest check. 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, similar to in final yr’s playoffs, the Dodgers reigned supreme once more.
Who’s sizzling
It’s value remembering: Earlier than Friday, Wrobleski had the second-lowest price of strikeouts-per-nine-innings (5.01) of all MLB pitchers with no less than 50 innings this season.
A part of that was by design, with Wrobleski purposely attempting to replenish the zone to induce smooth 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 yr (when he largely pitched out of the bullpen) to 93.7 mph in his return to the rotation this season.
Final week, nonetheless, Wrobleski stated one thing lastly clicked.
Although he suffered a five-inning, five-run clunker in opposition to the Milwaukee Brewers, he completed that sport by eclipsing 97 mph for the primary time this yr.
“I can’t inform you the precise factor,” he stated. “I felt simply form of again to regular, and form of carried into tonight.”
Did it ever.
Along with his fastball enjoying 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 known as third strikes.
“I wouldn’t say it was one thing that bothered me,” Wrobleski stated 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, however it was bizarre how the outs had been coming. And like I stated, such as you’re at all times going to take outs. However yeah, you need just a little extra swing and miss … And, tonight form 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 model. Softly-hit balls discovered holes. Uncommon errors had 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 facet of Wrobleski’s potential –– showcasing his capacity to be an influence arm when his heater is thrown even barely tougher.
“It simply provides him far more margin,” Roberts stated. “Early on in his first 5, six begins, there have been quite a lot of balls in play, clearly some smooth contact, balls at guys. However clearly you’re bringing the fielders into play. Tonight, most likely his finest outing. When you may take out the fielders and get the swing and miss, the strikeouts like he did, actually dominant efficiency in opposition to 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).
