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When the Dodgers announced they were going with a “youth movement,” in 2023, everyone clamored at the thought of Bobby Miller finally taking the mound. After striking out a certain Anaheim designated hitter in spring training, fans fell in love with Miller’s fastball and confidence.
Now that 2023 has come and gone, everyone, Miller included, can reflect on the year he had and where he fits into the rotation moving forward.
Bobby Miller’s 2023 Season in Review
Miller’s career got off to a strange start. After pitching against the Angels in the exhibition Freeway Series, the front office shut Miller down. He did not pitch in Triple-A and he was not part of the team’s starting rotation.
Then he made his debut on May 23 against, of all teams, the Atlanta Braves. With a line of 5.0 IP / 4 H / 1 ER / 5 SO, he had the exact start fans hoped for. Miller would go on to make 22 more starts in the regular season, enduring the ups and downs expected from a rookie.
The 25-year-old ended the year throwing 124.1 innings with a 3.76 ERA, 119 strikeouts, and an impressive 2.3 BB/9. He continued to pound the zone with his 100+ mph fastball and show good command, but his off-speed stuff became the talk of the town.
Between his slider and his changeup, Miller seemed to have a strikeout pitch against batters from both sides of the plate.
Unfortunately, the last memory fans have of Miller came in the playoffs against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He appeared overmatched in the first inning. The Diamondbacks jumped all over him, scoring three runs before he could record three outs. He exited the game in the second inning and a postseason ERA of 16.20.
How Can Bobby Miller Improve in 2024?
The 2023 season left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. In the wake of the season, Miller joined SportsNet LA to give some insight into how he wants to improve going forward:
“I had a lot of struggles with the slider throughout the year so that’s something I’ll definitely be attacking at this offseason.”
Bobby Miller on SportsNet LA
Miller’s slider proved to be a more than adequate tool against right-handed batting. He threw the pitch three times more against right-handers than he did against left-handed hitters.
However, when a batter connected with Miller’s slider, they dealt some damage. Despite a .229 xBA, opponents slugged a whopping .424 against this pitch.
These numbers suggest Miller’s slider is a good weapon in his arsenal. Whether he’s throwing it in the wrong count or just plain hanging the pitch, there’s room for improvement. If he can land that slider with more consistency, feel sorry for any righty stepping into the box.
On top of his slider, Miller believes another pitch could use some work heading into next season:
“We went through it a little bit. The changup was something that I wasn’t using enough at the start of the year and we kind of started attacking the changup more and more and that was really the pitch to keep guys off my fastball a lot.”
Bobby Miller on SportsNet LA
Miller’s 2023 changeup usage by month looks like a very nice serving dish. He used it a lot in May and September, not as much in the middle months.
Miller did not abandon the pitch altogether during June, July, and August. He just didn’t throw it as consistently as he did in May and September.
Ultimately the changeup grades out as an above-average pitch in his arsenal, even against right-handed hitters. It has the lowest batting average against at .133 and the highest whiff rate — 39.9 percent(!) — of all his pitches.
For one reason or another, the changeup just didn’t factor into Miller’s game plan often. He threw the pitch 22 percent of the time against right-handers, but only 4 percent against lefties, according to Statcast. With such good numbers to show for it, if he can work this pitch into at-bats more consistently, everything points to more success for him.
Where Does Bobby Miller Factor Into the Dodgers’ Future Plans?
At just 24 years old, Miller has shown ability beyond his years. He did struggle at times with emotions on the mound, but that will be settled with more experience.
Even more impressive than his pitching is his introspection on the season. Identifying what pitches he needs to work on and how he needs to change them shows an eagerness to get better.
Heading into 2024, Miller is poised to take a step forward in a rotation that also includes Walker Buehler and the recently-added Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. If that step becomes a giant leap, Miller could be the best No. 4 starter in the league.
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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