One of the few bright spots in the dismal 2019 Dodgers bullpen has been right hander Dylan Floro. The Dodgers acquired the 28-year old reliever on July 4 2018 in a trade with the Reds for Zach Neal and international bonus slot money in exchange for two minor leaguers. Up to that point Floro was already a fairly reliable relief option. A local boy who attended Cal State Fullerton was originally drafted by the Rays and progressed through their system
Floro pitched in Tampa Bay for one season before tossing 9.2 innings with the Cubs in 2017. He posted a 6.52 ERA allowing seven earned runs on fifteen hits. The Dodgers actually acquired him off of waivers from the Cubs in 2017 but he never appeared in a major league game. That next winter he signed as a free agent with the Reds and turned in a quality first half of the season. With the Reds he posted a 2.72 ERA in 36.1 innings pitched. He allowed only two home runs and posted a 3.38 FIP during 25 appearances.
Keeping the ball in the park has been one of Floro’s specialties. As a matter of fact he allowed just one home run for the Dodgers in 2018 while posting a 1.63 ERA in 27.2 innings pitched. With the Dodgers in 2018 he struck out 10.1 hitters per nine frames and allowed just 5.9 hits per nine innings. Overall that season he posted a 2.25 ERA and registered 58 punch-outs while walking just 23 in 64 innings. During the postseason he pitched well. While he did allow three earned runs in 2.1 World Series innings, let’s not forget he tossed 4.1 scoreless frames in the NLCS against Milwaukee.
This year he is quietly having a strong season. Despite having a rough outing against Tampa Bay on Wednesday, he still carries a 2.21 ERA in 20.1 innings of work. He’s struck out 15 and walked only two while allowing just seven runs (five earned) in a little over 20 innings. He’s walking less than a batter per nine innings and has a 3.47 FIP.
Floro’s three-pitch mix of his sinker, four-seam fastball and changeup has produced quality results. He generally averages around 93-94 MPH on his sinker and four-seamer and can get a lot of swings and misses. However this season it seems as if he has changed into more of a ground-ball pitcher. He is mostly throwing a lot of four-seamers and sinkers and using his changeup less frequently. His changeup usage has dropped from 8.5% in 2018 to 4.7% in 2019.
He is putting up healthy ground ball rates. In 2018 he had a 55% ground ball percentage, and this year it’s been hovering around 50%. Last year he limited opposing hitters to a .231 batting average against and in 2019 that has improved to a .218 BAA. He can be tough with runners in scoring position. In 2019 with runners in scoring position the National League is hitting just .214 against him. He’s super tough at home too. He sports a 1.17 ERA at Dodger Stadium this season. His ability to induce grounders and keep the ball in the park are his strengths.
Perhaps some of his success can be attributed to a much higher release point this season. Floro may not be an elite reliever and his performance on Wednesday was disappointing. However Floro has proven to be a very reliable bullpen arm for the Dodgers since acquiring him almost a year ago. With limited options in the Dodgers pen this season Floro may prove to be more valuable than anyone could have imagined.
Floro by far has been the best addition to the pen this season. He has been Cy Young relative to Joe Kelly and the rest of the band of gas can haulers. As of late Baez has started to impress, they just didn’t give him a good ST to work things out, April was actually ST for many of our players.
Scott
I hear ya on Floro being great but I must have missed something because lately he has not impressed much. Anyway, tonight’s lineup makes no sense to me. Why is Kike in CF? Why not Verdugo? Where is Joc and why is Beaty in for him? It is not lefty, righty as 3 RH batters at the end of the lineup. Why does dummy have to be dummy? These kids do not need a rest. All in all this lineup looks like Fido’s butt.
Gotta admire Package.
Verdugo is having some back stiffness. Best to check all sources before making a statement. I said the same thing you did until I read about his back. By the way, Fido’s butt swept the Bucco’s.
Michael
I was speaking of one lineup, not every lineup in the series.
I understand that Package, but that is why he was not in the lineup…He sat Turner a day and look how well that turned out. This series they face a lot better pitching than the Buc’s have.
A bunch of players are playing back to their career lines, after a good start to the season: Kike, Barnes, Pederson ….
Meanwhile there is little sign (yet) that Seager gets back to .290 with power. But I remain hopeful. No sign of Taylor recovering, and I think we probably need to cut bait soon and let others play. Beatty for example, has shown better ABs than Taylor and Kike, and with Kike around I don’t think we need Taylor.
We have a big break out player in Bellinger, and Muncy is perhaps showing that he can hit consistently and also steadily improve on defense at 1B and 2B.
I also think that with a 3 plus run lead, we need to let Stripling pitch more. I think he tends to throw more strikes and give the defense a chance to play.
Kelly coming off the bereavement list tomorrow so someone needs to go down. I suggest Ferguson who has been cuffed around quite a bit and with Urias back on the roster, he is not needed at this time. If Pederson hit’s .250, what he is hitting right now, and that is ABOVE his career average, with 25 plus dingers, which he should reach easily, I am fine with him being in there. Kike has slipped back into his 2017 mode where he is trying to pull everything. Watch him the next game he is in. He is pulling off of the ball almost every time. Give Seager a break. He missed an entire season and he is coming back from 2 major surgeries. He hit a homer today and that gives him 5. He has not done it consistently yet, but the kid has way too much talent and game smarts to not hit.
Floro has been a God send. The Bullpen has been less than stellar this season, but Floro has come through time after time.
With Baez just re-establishing his true identity, Floro adds that extra option out of the pen, maybe even sharing Closer duties with Jansen. I hope Baez can come back strong after that ugly comebacker.
As far as yesterday’s spanking of the Bucs, Clint Hurtle tried to pull a fast one by starting with the “Unknown Opener”, but the Dodger bats took on the challenge, big time. A bit taken, when Beaty was immediately removed, in favor of CT3, but Taylor stepped up to the challenge. Maybe Beaty will get another opportunity today.
Wonder if the Bucs will play Freese’s walk-up song ever again?
Our new “Ace” Ryu goes today. Expect another solid start from the Dodger chubby, Dodger Cherub.
Hello Bluefan, I thought the lineup was weird yesterday too, but with that unknown opener, maybe that was why Beaty started and not Joc. BTW, today in Dodger History:
Josh Beckett pitches a no hitter in Philly on May 25, 2014
Dodgers beat the Reds 17 to 6 on May 25, 1979 while hitting 7 HR’s at DS and I was in the LF pavilion to see Gary Thomasson, Steve Garvey, Dusty Baker, Davey Lopes, Joe Ferguson, Darell Thomas and pitcher Rick Sutcliffe all go deep.
Needless to say I lost my voice from screaming, LOL
I was at that game also…..
The Dodgers are now 5-2 on this eight-game roadtrip that ends Sunday in Pittsburgh. The Dodgers are now 34-18 overall. Cody Bellinger has played 50 games this year, 100 times reaching base from a hit or a walk.
The Pirates got 10 hits against Ryu and had base runners all night, but Ryu limited the damage. This is what he has done consistently. He deserves to be in the All Star Game this year.
So right Yueh,
The real key was his control and command. NO WALKS!!! All this year, only 4 walks in 65.1 innings…. amazing command of the strike zone.
Also, NO PANIC! So much composure.
On the Dodgers tremendous defense
https://www.billjamesonline.com/the_dodgers_dominant_defense/
Agree Bluto, but if he had some walks, that would have been disastrous. His control and command eliminated the free passes, and also kept the ball in the park, so the defense could make spectacular plays for him. Don’t forget, the miserable 2nd inning was due to a “Defensive” miscue.
It’s a testament to how well the Dodgers are playing that a 2-run inning is now what qualifies for “miserable.”
Exactly…. there is no defense for Walks and Home Runs
Justin Turner started the week hitting .276/.375/.423. He’ll end it hitting .304/.396/.444 on the season.
His OPS increased 42 points in 4 games!
The day off did Turner some good!
The Dodgers are a much better team with PUig on the Reds. The Dodgers are a much better team with Grandmal on the Brewers. Much more consistent defense at both positions, not to mention Bellinger is having a monster season, something to be said to having a set position and not being bounced around all over the field. Hopefully we are going to see most of the positions set before the post season begins, it does make a difference both on defense and offense from a vast majority of players.
Kemp signed with the Mets.
Toles left Camelback Ranch. No longer with the club and Roberts thinks he went to join his family for time away from ball.
A sweep, as expected….
Maeda still vulnerable to the dingers…..
Offense too hot to handle….
Series against the Pirates, perfect time for day off for JT….
JT should not rest when playing top contending teams….
What does Pederson have to do to earn respect and get more playing time….
Ferguson has looked pretty bad, lately. He has got to figure it out…..
Stripling can do better….
Sad for Toles. God given talent being wasted. He needs some help…..
Did Toles go mental, as in breakdown?