"There are rich teams, and there are poor teams. Then there's 50 feet of crap, and then there's us."
" target="_blank"> Brad Pitt made the line famous, and it's never been more true, with the Los Angeles Dodgers among the "rich teams" in unprecedented fashion. After winning the 2024 World Series, the Dodgers had one of the most active MLB offseasons — which included signing left-hander Blake Snell to a five-year, $182 million deal and adding Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki, among many other moves — to put their payroll at roughly $321 million for next season.
However, those two pitchers are just the tip of the iceberg for the Dodgers' pitching depth.
Here are all their rotation options for next season, in alphabetical order:
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Tyler Glasnow
Perhaps the forgotten member of this pitching staff due to injury (Glasnow's 2024 season ended after 22 starts, which was the most he had made in a single season in his MLB career, due to an elbow injury), Glasnow can be hugely impactful. A one-time All-Star, Glasnow cranks his four-seamer up in the high 90s, while also deploying his slider and curveball and striking out batters at a high clip. Last season, he posted a 3.49 ERA, 2.90 FIP, 0.95 WHIP and 168 strikeouts in 134 innings.
Tony Gonsolin
Once upon a time in 2022, Gonsolin was arguably the Dodgers' best starting pitcher. Unfortunately, forearm injuries have kept him off an MLB mound since 2023. Gonsolin has posted a combined 3.19 ERA and 1.05 WHIP across 79 career appearances (71 starts). The still-30-year-old has effectively leaned on his four-seamer and split-fingered fastball.
Clayton Kershaw
The three-time National League Cy Young and five-time ERA winner may be on his last stand, but Kershaw can still hurl. Last season, the southpaw was limited to seven starts due to elbow and toe injuries, and he hasn't made 30 starts in the regular season since 2015. However, when healthy, the soon-to-be 37-year-old Kershaw, who boasts a career 2.50 regular-season ERA, can still be an effective finesse pitcher, inducing weak contact with his slider.
Landon Knack
Knack flaunted upside in the 15 games (12 starts) he appeared in last season. Posting a 3.65 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 69 innings, the right-hander displayed a consistent, four-pitch arsenal: four-seamer, slider, curveball and changeup. The former second-round draft pick could potentially either come out of the bullpen or begin the 2025 season at Triple A due to the number of rotation options manager Dave Roberts has. If and when injuries present themselves, Knack can hold his own.
Dustin May
Much like Gonsolin, May once looked like a vital part of the Dodgers' future, but elbow issues got in the way, as he has been limited to just 46 appearances (34 starts) since first appearing on the scene in 2019. In those appearances, he has posted a combined 3.10 ERA and 1.05 WHIP, hit the high 90s on the radar and showcased a power sinker.
Bobby Miller
The Dodgers' 2020 first-rounder is coming off two polar opposite seasons. Miller posted an 8.52 ERA in 13 starts last season. The season prior, though, he recorded a 3.76 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 22 regular-season starts. Miller has also been able to consistently deploy five pitches at a reasonable rate for each offering: four-seamer, changeup, curveball, sinker and slider.
Shohei Ohtani
A three-time MLB MVP, Ohtani hasn't pitched since 2023 due to a torn UCL, and it appears he won't be part of the opening-day rotation. When Ohtani is fully recovered, he gives the Dodgers an electric right-hander. Across 86 career starts with the Los Angeles Angels, he posted a 3.01 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 608 strikeouts in 481 2/3 innings. Ohtani has effectively thrown a sweeper and cutter, among other pitches.
Roki Sasaki
Sasaki is arguably the most compelling arm on the Dodgers' pitching staff next season based solely on not knowing what to expect from the 23-year-old. Sasaki posted a 2.02 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 524 strikeouts in 414 2/3 innings across a combined 69 appearances in the Japan Pacific League and Japan Eastern League. Sasaki's fastball has clocked in at triple digits, and he pitched for Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Blake Snell
One of the most unique pitchers in MLB history now plays for the Dodgers. Snell, a two-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time ERA winner, won the 2023 NL Cy Young Award with an MLB-best 2.25 ERA and an MLB-high 99 walks, while getting more than 18 outs in just three starts for the San Diego Padres. After a 2024 season that saw him start late due to not signing until March and then hitting the injured list twice, Snell bounced back down the stretch with the San Francisco Giants, posting a 1.23 ERA over his last 14 starts, which included throwing a no-hitter. He tends to rely heavily on his four-seamer and curveball, but Snell gets the job done and sports a career 3.19 regular-season ERA.
Gavin Stone
In a 2024 season that saw the Dodgers' rotation get ravaged by injuries, Stone made the most starts (25) on their staff in the regular season. In those outings, he posted a 3.53 ERA, while not severely relying on any one pitch; Stone actually threw his changeup more than any other pitch (26.6% of the time, per Statcast). That said, Stone suffered a shoulder injury late in the season, which required surgery and could keep him off the mound for the entire 2025 season. Should Stone recover faster than expected, though, he could provide the Dodgers with another pitcher that can go multiple innings per appearance in the postseason.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Yamamoto was limited to 18 regular-season starts in his first MLB season due to triceps tightness on his throwing arm, and he was a mixed bag in the postseason. In all, though, he pitched at a high level. Across said regular-season starts, Yamamoto posted a 3.00 ERA, 2.61 FIP, 1.11 WHIP and 105 strikeouts in 90.0 innings, while leaning on his four-seamer and showcasing a flaming, split-fingered fastball and curveball. The Dodgers made a $325 million investment in Yamamoto. While a full season of work is needed for a more accurate portrayal, the right-hander showed his ace potential in 2024.
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