Dodgers Rumors: Who is Most Likely to Make the Rotation

Julio Urias – 20%

While Julio Urias is arguably the best pitcher in this slideshow, he only has about a 25% chance of making the starting rotation on Opening Day. Julio Urias is the Dodgers future, and while he will almost undoubtedly be in the rotation come August and September, to begin the season his best place is the bullpen.

The Dodgers do not want to burn Julio Urias out, his call-up last season was even pre-mature. Nobody expected Urias to come up and start games as early as May. The more reasonable prediction was that Urias would come up when the playoff rosters expanded and work exclusively out of the bullpen.

Instead, Urias spent more time with the Los Angeles Dodgers than he did down in the minor leagues. After he shook off the jitters of the big leagues he was sensational. Urias pitched to a 1.96 ERA during the months of August, September, and October.

Becuase of this talent, and his ripe old age of 20, the Dodgers will likely keep Urias in the bullpen and only bring him out either in an emergency or before the postseason to get him ready. They will be monitoring his innings, and instead of having him start and shutting him down they can ease him into the postseason.

Therefore, unless everyone else gets hurt or the Dodgers drastically change their mind, Julio Urias will almost undoubtedly come out of the bullpen to start 2017.