Ace of the staff
Walker Buehler, the top prospect in the Los Angeles Dodgers farm system, gets the opening day start for OKC in the first game of Thursday’s doubleheader in Iowa. Walker also is scheduled to start Tuesday’s home opener.
Walker Buehler isn’t here for the prospect rankings.
Being the consensus No. 1 prospect in the Dodgers’ farm system means little to the 23-year-old righthanded pitcher.
“The whole prospect thing is for the media, not us,” Buehler said. “For me, it’s about being an important guy for this organization, not Baseball America.”
Fair enough.
But there remains plenty of reasons why scouts and prospect ranking services believe Buehler is destined for big things at the major league level.
He features a 98-mph fastball and devastating curveball that helped him skyrocket through three minor league levels to the majors last season, his first full year removed from Tommy John surgery.
Now, it’s about finetuning his repertoire early in the year with Oklahoma City. Buehler is the Dodgers’ opening day starter for Thursday’s doubleheader in Iowa and he’s scheduled to start Tuesday’s home opener at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
It’s his first opening day start at any level.
“I think it speaks for itself,” OKC manager Bill Haselman said about choosing Buehler. “That’s a pretty easy one.”
Last season, Buehler started 19 of 28 games he pitched in the minors. He posted a 3.35 ERA while striking out 125 batters. He transitioned in OKC to the bullpen, where he made eight appearances in Los Angeles.
But it was there he had growing pains with a 7.71 ERA. He walked eight batters and struck out 12. Moving from pitching every five days to being in the bullpen was tough.
“It was two different types of uncomfortable,” Buehler said. “You’re new in the big leagues and you’re new at being a reliever.
“I’m excited to get back to starting and seeing what we can do from there.”
Buehler is ticketed for L.A.’s pitching staff at some point this season. The question remains exactly when that will happen.
The Dodgers will limit his innings, a plan like the one used with teenage phenom Julio Urias in the past until he suffered a shoulder injury. But Buehler has already had elbow surgery, undergoing the procedure after he was drafted in the first round from Vanderbilt in 2015.
Buehler understands he’s likely only throwing 140-150 total innings.
“It’s above my pay grade,” Buehler said. “It’s not my call. I’d love to go throw 10 innings a day. It doesn’t matter. But it’s their job and they have some research and some knowledge that I probably don’t have. You’ve kinda got to stick with them.”
Buehler will likely be held to 75 pitches or five innings early in the year. The goal is to build him up to seven innings.
For a young star who strikes out more than 12 batters per innings in the minors, it could be a ton of fun to watch. And if things work out, it’ll likely prove the prospect rankings true.
“I appreciate (the ranking), but now I’ve got to go do it and do what I can to help them win and help us win here,” Buehler said.