Gavin Stone's season for the MiLB history books
Stone gained as much stock as possible over a dominant 2022 campaign
Again and again in his career, Gavin Stone has overcome doubt, with no bigger example than his 2022 season. Rated as the Dodgers’ No. 18 prospect coming into the year, Stone had a chance to prove himself and move into the upper echelon of prospect value. He did exactly that, with one of the greatest campaigns Minor League Baseball has ever seen.
Starting the season in High-A, the competition facing Great Lakes couldn’t hold Stone there for long. He was moved up to Double-A in May after posting a 1.44 ERA through his first six starts.
Despite the High-A to Double-A jump being viewed as the toughest adjustment in the minors, Stone was even better with the Drillers. Sticking in Tulsa for 14 appearances, Stone’s 1.60 ERA was extremely impressive, but his peripherals are even more eye-popping: Among Texas League pitchers with 50 innings, his 0.12 HR/9 and 2.24 FIP both came in first, plus his 35.3 K% and 25.4 K-BB% clips were second best.
Stone’s performance in Double-A led to yet another box of rare feats to be checked for Stone this season: going from High-A to Triple-A within a single season. He proved himself worthy of his August promotion to Oklahoma City by continuing his dominance into the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League with a 1.56 ERA, which was number one among PCL pitchers with at least five starts. He also held opponents to a batting average of just .177.
To put some perspective on how incredible this season was, Stone’s 1.56 ERA across High-A, Double-A and Triple-A is the best clip among starters in full-season ball since 2015. That’s five whole seasons (because no games were played in 2020) that no pitchers have accomplished what Stone did in 2022. Additionally, he only allowed three total home runs in his 115 2/3 innings for a 0.23 HR/9 clip, which led all of full-season MiLB and was the best since former Dodger Josiah Gray in 2019.
Across the year, Stone vaulted 11 spots in the Dodgers’ Top 30 list to number seven, and climbed into the number 79 spot on the overall Pipeline Top 100. Other sites have ranked Stone even higher, with Baseball America putting him at 57th overall on their list. Overall, there won’t be a Top 100 list made this offseason that doesn’t include Gavin Stone.
When examining Stone’s profile and numbers, it’s easy to see why so many people are high on his future. There aren’t many weak spots. His repertoire fits a starter profile, with an above average fastball that tops out at 98 mph, a nasty changeup with tons of run that is effective against both lefties and righties, a solid slider that he can throw for strikes, and a lesser used curveball to add some extra variety. Stone pounds the zone, with 66% of his pitches being strikes in his pro career. That many strikes would typically lead to concern with home runs, but as mentioned before, he’s limited the long ball as well as anyone.
Stone is a bit undersized for a typical starter, listed at 6'1” and 175 lbs. This was part of why he fell to the 5th round of the abbreviated 2020 draft before the Dodgers scooped him up for an under-slot $100,000 signing bonus. However, he has proven his size to be a non-issue thus far in his career, pitching on the same or better levels as his bigger fellow 2020 draftees and top Dodger prospects Bobby Miller and Landon Knack.
He will likely begin the 2023 season back with Oklahoma City, but if his performance continues to amaze, the major leagues could be in the near future for Stone. Turning 24 this October, his timeline is right on schedule for a debut next season. Gavin Stone’s otherworldly 2022 campaign could signal a long and fruitful career with the Dodgers, and he has proven himself as a huge prospect for fans to look forward to playing in Los Angeles.