Dodgers to promote Urias for Friday debut
The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Thursday that left-hander Julio Urias - widely considered the game's best or second-best pitching prospect - will be called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City and is scheduled to make his highly anticipated MLB debut Friday, getting the start against the New York Mets at Citi Field.
Set to start in lieu of an ailing Alex Wood, the precocious 19-year-old has navigated a remarkable ascent up the minor-league ladder since signing with the Dodgers in 2013. Lauded for his advanced pitchability and three-plus offerings, Urias was tormenting Double-A hitters last year at the age of 17 and crafted a 1.10 ERA in 41 innings with Oklahoma City this season - where he was eight years younger than the average Pacific Coast League player - before being recalled.
| Year | Lev | AgeDif | ERA | WHIP | SO/W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | A | -5.8 | 2.48 | 1.10 | 4.19 |
| 2014 | A+ | -6.1 | 2.36 | 1.11 | 2.95 |
| 2015 | AA-A+-AAA-Rk | -6 | 3.81 | 1.18 | 4.00 |
| 2016 | AAA | -8 | 1.10 | 0.78 | 5.50 |
"What he can do and how dynamic he is, he can do a lot of things to help a major-league club," Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers' president of baseball operations, told Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register earlier this month.
Though it remains to be seen if Urias will stay with the Dodgers beyond Friday, those PCL hitters will be thrilled to see him go, if only for little while. Urias, the most heralded Dodgers pitching prospect since Clayton Kershaw, hasn't allowed a run since April 22, managing 22 strikeouts while allowing just 10 hits and five walks across a 27-inning scoreless streak with Oklahoma City.
For now, though, Urias' streak will be put on hold, as the Mexico native is gearing up to become the fifth pitcher in Dodgers history to make a start at age 19, joining Sandy Koufax ('55), Don Drysdale ('56), Joe Moeller ('62), and Dick Calmus ('63).