Dodgers' Dreyer is in bottom 1% of MLB in two really important pitching stats

TL;DR

Los Angeles Dodgers' relief pitcher Jack Dreyer is struggling, ranking in the bottom 1% of MLB for exit velocity and hard-hit balls. He has a 4.15 ERA over 4.1 innings but has not yet allowed a home run.

Dodgers' Dreyer is in bottom 1% of MLB in two really important pitching stats originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have shown exactly why they are back-to-back World Series Champions. Well on their way toward a three-peat, the opening of the 2026 season has been smooth sailing thus far.

But, there is one soft spot in their impenetrable armor, and that is the performance of one of their relief pitchers. Namely Jack Dreyer, who has a 4.15 ERA in 4.1 innings of work. He did gain the win on April 5 against the Washington Nationals, but there have been issues with his game that could resonate into bigger issues.

According to Baseball Savant, Dreyer resides in the bottom 1% of all of Major League Baseball in two key stats. He averages an exit velocity off of his pitches at 97.7 MPH, as well as 83.3% of the batted balls off his pitch is a hard-hit, which is over 95+ MPH.

It has not been too much of a problem in the early going, as Dreyer hasn't surrendered a home run yet. But, two of the four hits he has let up have been doubles, via those hard-hit balls.

Eventually, those hits are going to rack up to being extra-bases, including the long ball. In the waning innings of a game, when specialists like Dreyer are called to get through a single inning of batters, one home run can make a huge difference.

Opposing batters are seeing his pitches clearly, particularly his slider, which has been caught-up with a .429 batting average. He has thrown 31 sliders, and the batter has smashed both doubles on it.

The Dodgers are firing on all cylinders, and for now, Dreyer is surviving on the mound. But, as this long season rolls along, the batter in the box will start to push these hard hits out of the ballpark.