Dodgers: Experts Compare Bobby Miller to Former Dodger Champion
Among the Dodgers' many promising prospects, Bobby Miller is one pitcher in particular that has caught the eye of many prospect hounds.
Miller has already previously been named in MLB.com’s list of Top 10 RHP prospects of 2023. Most recently, ESPN’s prospect expert Kiley McDaniel featured five Dodgers on his list of rankings, where he highlighted the Dodgers as the No.6 farm system in the league.
On Friday, the ESPN insider gave insight into his prospect list during an ESPN Zoom conference. McDaniel has given Miller a glowing review and even previously compared Miller to Max Scherzer.
“The reason he lasted until the late first round in that draft was a little bit of effort, kind of looks like a reliever. Which obviously Max Scherzer is like the patron saint of like, if it kind of looks like a reliever it doesn't automatically mean it's a reliever. But he's also the exception. You don't expect that to happen.
Between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City, the righty went a combined 6-6 with a 4.45 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 11.6 strikeouts across 91 innings pitched.
The young pitcher has been a standout with his powerful fastball and curveball. He has a high-90s rising fastball and a mid-90s 2-seamer. McDaniel also acknowledged Miller’s solid pitching skills.
“Big fastball. Good slider. There were some mixed reviews. People thought the slider was like a 50 or a 55. Like a little above average. Now it's like a 65, maybe a 70. Which is sort of ridiculous how much better it's gotten."
"The pitch has gotten better, he's throwing it harder, a little better shape and utility to it. But yeah, if it turns out the command instead of hovering around that like 50 command, maybe 50 control, like just good enough to start. If it ends up being a 40 or 45, which is probably what it is right now. Then it's a reliever, maybe a multi-inning reliever and it's just like, bananas-plus stuff all over the place. I don't want to say like Éric Gagné, but the kind of thing, like, oh, it's not this typical like two-pitch guy where he's like either throwing a 97 here or he's throwing a slider off the plate here. He's got more going on that.”
With as much potential the 23-year-old holds, McDaniel has high hopes for the prospect as Miller develops his game in Los Angeles.
“I think like a multi-inning setup guy is probably about, you know, fingers crossed on injuries and velocity disappearing and all these sorts of the things. But if it's just sort of like a linear growth but it just stops right here, then it's like a 40 command guy with great stuff that can come in the 7th, 8th inning and maybe go multiple and be that kind of guy.”
“And I just think because there's the chance he could be that superstar, you got to move him way up the list. Even though that floor is pretty low. Like a good reliever that seems like everybody's got a couple of those guys."
As the righty makes his debut this season, Miller is aiming to live up to many expert's expectations by continuing to deliver with the talents that have already gotten him this far in his career.
