Tanner Scott has rediscovered his form with the Los Angeles Dodgers after a challenging 2025 season. Scott, who signed a four-year, $72 million deal, described his previous season as a “disaster”. He didn’t feature in the postseason during the Dodgers’ World Series win, leading to self-reflection.
“I sucked,” Scott admitted.
Analysing What Went Wrong
Scott pinpointed issues with his execution, particularly with two strikes or when ahead in the count. He conceded as many home runs in those situations (six) as he had in the previous two seasons combined. Scott also acknowledged problems with his mechanics, leaving too many pitches over the plate.
A low point came last September in Baltimore when Scott gave up a walk-off home run to Samuel Basallo on a two-strike count. His assessment that night was that “baseball hates me.” He then proceeded to get walked off the next night, and again a week later.
Scott’s Improved Performance
Now, Scott is playing a key role in the Dodgers’ bullpen. Dodgers relievers have not allowed a run in 29 consecutive innings, the franchise’s longest streak since at least 1998. This is especially important with Edwin Díaz recovering from elbow surgery.
“He’s been a very important, stabilizing force,” said pitching coach Mark Prior of Scott, who has a 1.37 ERA through 21 appearances. Manager Dave Roberts added that Scott’s return to form “has helped us out big.”
The Two-Strike Approach
Scott’s success is closely linked to his performance with two strikes. He has a high chase rate this season. Last year, Scott’s chase rate ranked in the 99th percentile. His pitching can be overpowering, provided it avoids the heart of the plate.
“I’d get the two strikes, and I’d leave the ball in the heart of the plate, and it was causing a lot of damage,” Scott explained.
The Dodgers had identified this issue and communicated it to Scott last season. Scott was aware of the problem, but struggled to correct it. When he missed his spots, the ball ended up over the middle, resulting in a 4.74 ERA and 11 home runs allowed.
“Last year was weird because he came in and he was throwing a ton of strikes,” Prior said. “Problem is, he was throwing strikes at the wrong times.”
Prior noted that Scott’s increase in strike-throwing, especially late in counts, was not the Dodger
Scott looks like the guy the Dodgers thought they signed two offseasons ago.