Los Angeles Dodgers Pitching Revelation Hunter Wrobleski Silences Royals With 96-MPH Heat and Nasty Slider He Added This Season

Hunter Wrobleski is making sure Major League Baseball remembers his name—and opposing hitters are learning the hard way.

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ young left-hander, delivered a dominant performance that turned heads across the league, mowing through the heart of the Kansas City Royals’ order with poise, precision, and two pitches that defined the outing: a blistering 96-mph fastball and a devastating two-strike slider that looked unrecognizable compared to last season.

For Dodgers fans who have been clamoring for reliable pitching depth, Wrobleski’s latest display may be the answer they’ve been waiting for. With every pitch he threw on a warm night at Dodger Stadium, Wrobleski looked less like a rookie still adjusting to The Show and more like a future staple in Los Angeles’ pitching rotation.

It all came to a head in a defining moment during the sixth inning when Royals’ budding superstar Bobby Witt Jr. stepped into the batter’s box. Witt, known for his lightning-quick bat speed and uncanny ability to handle high velocity, represented the ultimate test for Wrobleski—and the young southpaw passed with flying colors.

After getting ahead in the count, Wrobleski unleashed a 96-mph fastball that zipped past Witt’s bat for strike two, setting up the most electric pitch of the night. With the count in his favor and the crowd rising to its feet, Wrobleski snapped off a sharp, late-breaking slider that completely tied Witt up. Witt swung over the top, missing badly, as the stadium erupted.

That slider—the one that made a dangerous hitter like Witt Jr. look overmatched—is a weapon Wrobleski wasn’t consistently throwing like that last season. But thanks to offseason adjustments, increased comfort on the mound, and the Dodgers’ renowned player development staff, it’s become a legitimate putaway pitch.

The strikeout punctuated not just a key moment in the game, but a statement outing for Wrobleski, who finished his night with seven strikeouts over six innings, allowing just two hits and no earned runs.

For the Dodgers, Wrobleski’s emergence couldn’t have come at a better time. While the star-studded rotation features big names like Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, injuries and inconsistencies have left room for new contributors to step up. Enter Wrobleski, a former late-round draft pick who battled through the minor league ranks, refining his arsenal and steadily building confidence.

His development has been anything but linear. Coming into last season, scouts labeled Wrobleski as a project: a lefty with decent command, modest velocity, and flashes of secondary stuff that weren’t consistent enough to dominate high-level hitters. The raw tools were there, but the jump to becoming a major-league-caliber starter required refinement.

Much of that refinement happened quietly over the offseason. Wrobleski dedicated months to strength training, mechanical tweaks, and working with Dodgers pitching coaches to elevate his game. The most notable change? Velocity. Where he sat in the low 90s last year, Wrobleski now routinely touches 95-96 mph, with improved life on the fastball that jumps on hitters.

But the true difference-maker has been the slider. Once a fringy, predictable breaking ball that savvy hitters could track, Wrobleski’s slider now features sharper break, later movement, and better deception. It tunnels off his fastball more effectively, making it nearly impossible for hitters to distinguish between the two until it’s too late.

That development was on full display against the Royals, especially when navigating the heart of their lineup. Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, and Salvador Perez—three of Kansas City’s most dangerous bats—combined to go 0-for-6 against Wrobleski with four strikeouts.

After the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts couldn’t hide his excitement about what he saw from the 24-year-old.

“That’s the best we’ve seen Hunter look at this level,” Roberts said. “The fastball had real life, the slider was sharp, and most importantly, he was attacking hitters with confidence. That’s a huge step for him, and for us.”

Confidence, indeed, may be the hidden ingredient propelling Wrobleski’s rise. Pitchers can have all the velocity and breaking stuff in the world, but without the mental edge to challenge hitters in high-leverage spots, success is fleeting. Wrobleski, by contrast, looked unfazed, working quickly, pounding the zone, and never shying away from elite bats like Witt Jr.

His teammates took notice, too.

Catcher Will Smith, who guided Wrobleski through the outing, praised the lefty’s ability to execute under pressure.

“He’s not the same pitcher from last year, plain and simple,” Smith said. “That slider wasn’t a weapon like it is now, and when you pair that with mid-90s heat, good things happen. He attacked Witt with conviction, and that’s exactly what we need.”

The Dodgers’ front office, known for unearthing hidden gems and maximizing young talent, has long believed Wrobleski could blossom with time. Now, those investments appear to be paying off. While it’s still early in the season, outings like this against playoff-hopeful teams like Kansas City fuel optimism that Wrobleski can be more than just a fill-in arm—he can be a reliable, long-term contributor for a franchise with championship aspirations.

Of course, consistency remains the next hurdle. One dominant outing, even against dangerous hitters like Witt Jr., doesn’t guarantee sustained success. But the ingredients are clearly there. Improved velocity, a nasty slider, mental toughness, and an organization built to support pitcher development—it’s the recipe that has propelled countless Dodgers arms to stardom over the years.

For Wrobleski, the opportunity is clear. With veteran arms managing workloads and the inevitable bumps of a 162-game season, the Dodgers will need contributions from their young arms. If he continues to build on performances like this, Wrobleski won’t just be filling a temporary role—he could be pitching meaningful innings in October.

Time will tell if this is the start of a breakout season for Wrobleski, but if the way he dismantled Bobby Witt Jr. and the Royals is any indication, the rest of the league should be on notice.

For now, though, Dodgers fans can relish the sight of a young lefty mowing through elite hitters, one 96-mph fastball and one filthy slider at a time. The future is bright, and Hunter Wrobleski is making sure it arrives sooner than anyone expected.