1 spring training position battle that could shape Dodgers’ season

A star-studded rotation is a luxury that few teams boast, but even such an arsenal of weapons can be compromised by injuries or other setbacks. Depth can often be the difference between earning a first-round bye in the postseason or being forced to face a scrappy club that barely clawed its way into a best-of-three wild-card series.

Despite boasting arguably the sport’s most fearsome rotation, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ regular season could be greatly impacted by how the back end of their staff performs. While he does not plan on it, All-Star Blake Snell might start the year on the injured list. The battle for who will join Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani could be critical.

Emmet Sheehan and Roki Sasaki are projected to be on the Dodgers’ roster, but it remains to be seen how to use them. While 27-year-old River Ryan could be a factor, Gavin Stone and Landon Knack may receive the first chances to help, given their prior experience with Los Angeles.

Gavin Stone has shown high upside in big league action

Stone did not pitch in 2025 but showed real potential in 2024. Across 25 starts that season, the Lake City native went 11-5 with a 3.53 ERA and a 4.01 FIP. According to Baseball Savant, he ranked in the 89th percentile in terms of Pitching Run Value, thanks in large part to his changeup, sinker, and slider.

Following a lengthy recovery process that included a setback last summer, Stone committed himself to adding body mass and becoming more durable.

“It’s still gonna be a long process, fine-tuning some things, getting the timing down,” Stone told Jack Harris of the California Post. “Shut it down for a little while (after that). Played light catch during the postseason, just to keep that elasticity in the tissue and stuff. But then took some time this offseason, took a couple weeks off, and ever since then, have been feeling great.”

The former fifth-round pick impressed with his offspeed pitches in 2024, and after facing hitters recently, his fastball, which clocks in at around 95 MPH, was a highlight that impressed at least one member of the team’s brass.

“Really good fastball quality, the arm’s good, the changeup was encouraging, and velocity was great,” general manager Brandon Gomes said. “That was a really nice (outing) for Stoney.”

Landon Knack could surprise this season

Stone and Ryan might be receiving a heap of the praise early in camp, but Knack should not be forgotten. The Tennessee native was serviceable in 2024, going 3-5 with a 3.65 ERA and a 4.72 FIP through 69 innings. In 2025, he posted a 4.89 ERA along with a 5.71 FIP across 42.1 innings.

These marks do not jump off the page, but his advanced metrics leave room for optimism. According to Baseball Savant, Knack put up a walk rate of 6.3% in 2024. The following year, this number spiked to 10.3%. This dip was accompanied by a decrease in strikeout rate and a rise in Barrel %.

It would seem that Knack simply had trouble putting batters away last season. If he could lean into collecting more ground balls with his sinker, or using his changeup to generate more weak contact or strikeouts, he may finally become a mainstay who can oscillate between the rotation and bullpen.

Further, Knack boasts one advantage that neither Ryan nor Stone possess — postseason experience. He tossed seven innings of October work as Los Angeles brought home the 2024 World Series title. While he surrendered six runs, the experience could benefit him as he attempts to prove himself.

The Dodgers’ All-Star talent has transformed them into a juggernaut, but the depth of their starting rotation will be a key talking point if they have designs on winning the National League West and a third straight Fall Classic.

The post 1 spring training position battle that could shape Dodgers’ season appeared first on ClutchPoints.