Who is Gavin Stone? All you need to know about Dodgers' young pitching prospect

Gavin Stone, a pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers who was chosen four rounds after Shelby Miller, will make his major league debut against the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday, ushering in the team's newest crop of pitching prospects.

"Dave Roberts confirmed that Gavin Stone will start tomorrow." - Rowan Kavner

"#Dodgers are calling up No. 4 prospect Gavin Stone, per source. He’ll be flying to Los Angeles and the plan is for him to start Wednesday against the Phillies. Stone impressed everyone this spring and has pitched much better his last two starts in AAA after a slow start." - @juanctoribio

When Stone arrived in the Great Lakes in 2021, he was still largely a fastball pitcher. He had faced 378 hitters that year and struck out 138 of them. His changeup quickly evolved into his most devastating move.

Stone was born on October 15, 1998, and studied at the University of Central Arkansas and Riverside High School in Lake City, Arkansas, where he participated in collegiate baseball with the Central Arkansas Bears.

He was taken 159th overall in the abbreviated 2020 Major League Baseball draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fifth round. The signing bonus was $100,000.

"Gavin Stone is set to debut for the Dodgers today, but had one quick stop to make first." - @MLBONFOX

Gavin Stone's baseball career with Dodgers

Stone signed with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in 2021 and was moved to the Great Lakes Loons in the middle of August. He received the Dodgers' minor-league Pitcher of the Year award in August 2022.

Stone's first start of the year saw him surrender six runs in 2.2 innings. The Dodgers recognized Stone had some back leg delivery difficulties, which he resolved with the aid of Hill, Triple-A pitching coach Doug Mathis, and the strength and medical staff in Oklahoma City. Stone's 2.08 ERA in his past three outings included 17 strikeouts and five walks over 13 innings.

The Dodgers chose Stone as their Branch Rickey Minor League Pitcher of the Year for 2022. In order to start the 2023 season, Stone relocated to Oklahoma City.

On May 3, he received his first call-up to the main leagues and made his major league debut against the Philadelphia Phillies. In his debut, Stone went four innings while giving up four earned runs on eight hits and two walks. Nick Castellanos was the victim of his lone strikeout.