Tony Gonsolin and tyler anderson: The unsung hero’s of L.A’S Rotation

Now that we are three months into the 2022 Major League Baseball season, we can see standings, players stats, and more take better shape. When looking at the Los Angeles Dodgers starting rotation and how it has panned out since the beginning of the season, two key pitchers have emerged unexpectedly, those two key pitchers are Tony Gonsolin and Tyler Anderson, the unsung hero’s of L.A’s starting rotation.

Before, we get into them though, it’s important to mention the how the rest of their opening day rotation has done this season. Starting with future Hall of Fame pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who was on the IL for a few weeks but has now made a return, has began his 2022 campaign on a great note posting an earned runs average of 2.12 with a couple terrific performances along the way.

Julio Urias has also been solid once again for Los Angeles posting an ERA of 2.80. Although his velocity has been a bit down from last season and although the lack of run support he has been getting has led to a poor W/L record, he has still been an important piece to L.A.’s rotation and will be moving forward.

Next, we have Andrew Heaney who has unfortunately only pitched two games for the Dodgers but those two starts seemed to be extremely promising after a rough stint with the New York Yankees the previous season. Andrew Heaney is extremely close to a return at this point, which is much needed for Los Angeles and can provide a nice boost for them and their pitching staff.

Walker Buehler, the Dodgers opening day starter and someone who was expected to make a run to win the NL CY Young Award is currently on the IL with a right flexor tendon strain. Dodgers fans know what Walker Buehler is capable of and who he can be, but unfortunately he has not been able to live up to that standard he holds himself to early this season which has been frustrating, and Walker had shown clear signs of frustration in his last few starts. With Buehler out for a while, Dodgers fans can hope he returns with that same fire they all know and love.

Lastly, we have the unsung heroes. Tony Gonsolin and Tyler Anderson have been fantastic for Los Angeles amidst all the IL stints between the opening day starting rotation. After a recent two game series sweep against the team from Anaheim in which both Gonsolin and Anderson pitched, they further proved just how big they have been this season for the Dodgers especially after just getting swept by their rival, the San Francisco Giants. Anderson was two outs away from a no-hitter and Gonsolin struck out six with one hit through six-and-a-third scoreless innings.

Tyler Anderson has come in after Andrew Heaney went down and held his own in ways that weren’t expected. Tony Gonsolin on the other had has been absolutely lights out posting an ERA of 1.42 which is the lowest in the majors among qualified starters and was the first pitcher to eight wins on the year. With these two pitching well and Kershaw finding his groove again after his IL stint along with Heaney, Urias, and Buehler in 10-12 weeks, I still believe the Dodgers will add another arm at the trade deadline. Now who that should be and could be is a story for another day, for now let’s all appreciate how big Gonsolin and Anderson have been for L.A.