Connor Brogdon Explained

Connor Brogdon
Team:Los Angeles Dodgers
Number:75
Position:Pitcher
Birth Date:29 January 1995
Birth Place:Clovis, California, U.S.
Bats:Right
Throws:Right
Debutleague:MLB
Debutdate:August 13
Debutyear:2020
Debutteam:Philadelphia Phillies
Statleague:MLB
Statyear:April 1, 2024
Stat1label:Win–loss record
Stat1value:10–8
Stat2label:Earned run average
Stat2value:3.88
Stat3label:Strikeouts
Stat3value:146
Teams:

Connor Michael Brogdon[1] (born January 29, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Brogdon was born in Clovis, California, and attended Liberty High School in Madera. Although he was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 40th round of the 2013 MLB Draft, he decided to attend Fresno City College rather than sign with the team. After two seasons there, he transferred to Lewis–Clark State College, where he was part of the 2017 NAIA World Series championship team.

The Phillies drafted Brogdon in the 10th round of the 2017 MLB Draft. He was originally intended to be a starting pitcher but became a reliever in the minor leagues to make room in the starting rotation. Brogdon played for three seasons in the Phillies' farm system and was invited to an alternative training site after the 2020 minor league season was canceled. He made his MLB debut on August 13, 2020, giving up three runs to the Baltimore Orioles, but he improved his performance in September.

Early life

Brogdon was born in Clovis, California on January 29, 1995, and attended Liberty High School in Madera[2] alongside San Francisco Giants prospect J.J. Santa Cruz.[3] The Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB) drafted Brogdon in the 40th round of the 2013 MLB Draft, but he elected to attend college instead. Although Brogdon signed a National Letter of Intent to play for Fresno State, he instead attended Fresno City College.[4] In his two seasons with Fresno City College, Brogdon had a 9–0 win–loss record and a 1.85 earned run average (ERA), and he was named the Central Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year.[5]

After his sophomore year, Brogdon transferred to Lewis–Clark State College,[6] where he was used as a starting pitcher.[7] In his first season at Lewis–Clark, Brogdon posted a 6–0 record, a 2.81 ERA, and 48 strikeouts in 11 games started and innings pitched.[8] The next year, Brogdon recorded an 8–1 record in 15 games, led the team in innings pitched with, and was part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) World Series-winning team.[9] His pitching velocity began to suffer in his senior season, dropping from the mid-90mph range to the mid-80mph range. Philadelphia Phillies scout Hilton Richardson told The Athletic, "I don't want to say they abused him, but he got worked a lot."

Professional career

Philadelphia Phillies

Minor leagues

The Phillies selected Brogdon in the 10th round, 293rd overall, in the 2017 MLB Draft. He was the highest Lewis–Clark draft pick since Beau Mills, who was taken in the first round.[10] He signed with the team that year for a $5,000 signing bonus. Brogdon made his professional debut on June 26, 2017, with the Low–A Williamsport Crosscutters, pitching innings in a 9–5 loss against the Auburn Doubledays.[11] [12] Initially signed as a starting pitcher, Brogdon was moved to the Crosscutters' bullpen to make room in the starting rotation for Spencer Howard and Connor Seabold.[13] In 16 appearances and innings with the Crosscutters that season, Brogdon posted a 3–1 record and a 2.34 ERA.[14]

The next season, Brogdon was named to the preliminary Opening Day roster for the Single–A Lakewood BlueClaws alongside Crosscutters teammate Howard.[15] Overall, he went 5–3 with a 2.47 ERA, but his ERA was only 1.42 in his 38 innings as a reliever.[16] Brogdon continued to ascend through the farm system the next season, beginning 2019 with the High–A Clearwater Threshers. He made only 10 appearances with the Threshers before receiving a promotion to the Double-A Reading Phillies. After only 15 games, he was promoted again to the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs.[17] Across all three minor-league teams that year, Brogdon had a combined 6–2 record and a 2.61 ERA in 51 appearances.[18]

Major leagues

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, MLB canceled the 2020 Minor League Baseball season.[19] The Phillies chose to invite a handful of relievers, including Brogdon, to an alternative training site in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in case they were needed in the majors. Brogdon was officially called up to the Phillies' roster on August 11, 2020.[20] He made his MLB debut on August 13, appearing in the eighth inning to relieve Austin Davis against the Baltimore Orioles. On Brogdon's first pitch, Pedro Severino hit a solo home run. After recording two outs, Brogdon surrendered another home run, this one a two-run blast, to Rio Ruiz. He was then pulled, having thrown 38 pitches in his debut.[21] His performance improved in September, as he recorded 14 strikeouts in shutout innings that month.[22] Brogdon recorded his first career win on September 18, 2020, in the second game of a doubleheader against the Toronto Blue Jays.[23] He finished the season with a 1–0 record and a 3.97 ERA in innings pitched.[24]

The Phillies called on Brogdon to pitch in the tenth inning of the season opener against the Atlanta Braves on April 1, 2021. He threw a shutout inning and was credited with the win.[25] [26] Brogdon did not allow a run in the 2021 MLB season until April 20, when he gave up two three-run home runs to Alex Dickerson and Wilmer Flores of the San Francisco Giants, causing the Phillies to lose 10–6.[27]

Going into the 2022 season, some sportswriters expressed concern about Brogdon's performance in spring training: his fastball velocity had decreased from 96.1mph to 92–, while he had trouble commanding breaking balls.[28] He told The Philadelphia Inquirer that the 2021–22 MLB lockout had negatively impacted his practice regimen, because he did not know when the 2022 MLB season would begin, and that he was "just treading water" in spring training.[29] After allowing two runs in of an inning during the Phillies' 9–6 loss to the New York Mets on April 13, Brogdon was sent back down to Triple-A.[30]

In the 2022 regular season with the Phillies, he was 2–2 with two saves and a 3.27 ERA in 47 relief appearances covering 44 innings with 50 strikeouts.[31] Brogdon pitched in 27 contests for Philadelphia in 2023, registering a 4.03 ERA with 26 strikeouts across 29 innings pitched.[32]

Brogdon struggled for the Phillies to begin the 2024 season, posting a 27.00 ERA across his first three appearances. On April 2, 2024, he was designated for assignment by Philadelphia.[33]

Los Angeles Dodgers

On April 6, 2024, Brogdon was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for Benony Robles.[34] After only one appearance for the Dodgers, he was placed on the injured list with plantar fasciitis in his right foot on April 13.[35] Brogdon was transferred to the 60–day injured list on May 19.[36]

Pitcher profile

Brogdon relies primarily on a three-pitch repertoire: a fastball, a changeup, and a hybrid of a cutter and a slider. In 2020, his average fastball velocity was 96mph,[37] an improvement over his minor league speed. Speaking after the 2020 season, Brogdon has said that his focus, as he continues his baseball career, is to be able to sustain 97mph fastball speeds over longer stretches at the mound. He developed his changeup while playing with the Reading Phillies, and is capable of reaching speeds up to 83mph with it.[38] The "cut-slider" is his newest pitch, developed during his 2019 stint in the minors.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Connor Brogdon Stats, Fantasy & News . . Advanced Media Group . April 2, 2021 . March 31, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210331114703/https://www.mlb.com/player/connor-brogdon-641401 . live .
  2. Web site: Connor Brogdon - Baseball . 2023-12-17 . Lewis-Clark State College Athletics . en.
  3. News: Brogdon confident entering 2021 . April 2, 2021 . . February 17, 2021 . April 2, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210402203722/https://static.parastorage.com/services/wix-thunderbolt/dist/bootstrap-features.53cf58f0.chunk.min.js . live .
  4. News: Former Liberty standout reaches the majors . April 2, 2021 . Madera Tribune . August 15, 2020 . September 29, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200929112416/http://www.maderatribune.com/single-post/2020/08/15/Former-Liberty-standout-reaches-the-majors . live .
  5. News: Galaviz . Anthony . JC baseball: Fresno City ace Connor Brogdon won't settle for personal perfection with state title still in sight . April 2, 2021 . . May 7, 2015 . August 30, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190830203229/https://www.fresnobee.com/sports/article20945025.html . live .
  6. News: DeGeorge . Matthew . Phillies Notebook: Connor Brogdon continues to play video game after getting call to bigs . April 2, 2021 . . August 13, 2020 . September 26, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200926210116/https://www.delcotimes.com/sports/phillies-notebook-connor-brogdon-continues-to-play-video-game-after-getting-call-to-bigs/article_5218299a-dd0d-11ea-8a77-2fe16d5cb0f5.html . live .
  7. News: Gelb . Matt . Phillies righty Connor Brogdon's rise from $5,000 signing bonus to 97 mph in majors . April 2, 2021 . . March 5, 2021 . April 2, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210402203754/https://theathletic.com/2425420/ . live .
  8. News: Lewis-Clark State's Brogdon picked in 10th by Phillies . April 2, 2021 . . June 14, 2017 . April 2, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210402203719/https://lmtribune.com/sports/lewis-clark-states-brogdon-picked-in-10th-by-phillies/article_b21cf29e-4f7b-57d1-a7de-553004355a83.html . live .
  9. News: LCSC's Brogdon is selected by Phillies in 10th round of MLB draft . April 2, 2021 . LC Warriors . June 13, 2017 . September 9, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170909004618/http://www.lcwarriors.com/news/2017/6/13/baseball-lcscs-brogdon-is-selected-by-phillies-in-10th-round-of-mlb-draft.aspx . live .
  10. News: Jacobsen . Sarah . Six LC Warrior baseball players drafted to the majors . April 2, 2021 . . June 15, 2017 . February 12, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190212083223/https://klewtv.com/sports/college/six-lc-warrior-baseball-players-drafted-to-the-majors . live .
  11. Web site: Connor Brogdon 2017 Minor Leagues Game Logs & Splits . . April 2, 2021 . April 2, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210402203754/https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=brogdo000con&type=pgl&year=2017 . live .
  12. News: Houghtaling . Jeremy . Auburn Doubledays take big lead early, hang on to top Williamsport Crosscutters . April 2, 2021 . . June 26, 2017 . April 2, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210402203722/https://auburnpub.com/sports/doubledays/auburn-doubledays-take-big-lead-early-hang-on-to-top-williamsport-crosscutters/article_50dded4c-e75d-568e-b9d7-af7d79bf4eff.html . live .
  13. News: Salisbury . Jim . Meet the guy who pitched in and helped Connor Brogdon become a big-leaguer . April 2, 2021 . . April 2, 2021 . April 2, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210402203720/https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/phillies/phillies-bullpen-how-connor-brogdon-became-big-leaguer-lewis-clark-state-college . live .
  14. Web site: Connor Brogdon Minor Leagues Statistics & History . Baseball-Reference.com . April 2, 2021 . November 1, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201101012012/https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=brogdo000con . live .
  15. News: BlueClaws Announce 2018 Preliminary Opening Day Roster . April 2, 2021 . MiLB.com . Advanced Media Group . March 30, 2018 . April 2, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210402203720/https://www.milb.com/jersey-shore/news/blueclaws-announce-2018-preliminary-opening-day-roster-270144930 . live .
  16. News: Ebenau . Vin . 100 Lakewood BlueClaws have now gone from the Shore to the Show . April 2, 2021 . . August 14, 2020 . January 24, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210124225637/https://wobm.com/100-lakewood-blueclaws-have-now-gone-from-the-shore-to-the-show/ . live .
  17. News: Franco . Angel . Pitching prospect Connor Brogdon could be the Phillies' next man up . April 2, 2021 . . July 31, 2019 . August 30, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190830203233/https://www.inquirer.com/phillies/connor-brogdon-phillies-lehigh-valley-ironpigs-reading-clearwater-20190730.html . live .
  18. News: Zolecki . Todd . Brogdon primed for struggling 'pen, debut . April 2, 2021 . MLB.com . Advanced Media Group . August 12, 2020 . April 2, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210402203718/https://www.mlb.com/news/connor-brogdon-video-games-callup-phillies . live .
  19. News: West . Jenna . Minor League Baseball's 2020 Season Canceled . April 2, 2021 . . June 30, 2020 . November 18, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201118093911/https://www.si.com/mlb/2020/06/30/minor-league-baseball-season-canceled-2020-coronavirus . live .
  20. News: Breen . Matt . Before joining the Phillies, Connor Brogdon had a video game to finish . April 2, 2021 . The Philadelphia Inquirer . August 12, 2020 . October 1, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201001140247/https://www.inquirer.com/phillies/philadelphia-phillies-connor-brogdon-prospect-debut-counterstrike-video-game-bullpen-20200812.html . live .
  21. News: Rough MLB debut for LCSC's Brogdon . April 2, 2021 . Lewiston Morning Tribune . August 14, 2020 . January 30, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210130072152/https://lmtribune.com/sports/rough-mlb-debut-for-lcsc-s-brogdon/article_98b7696d-3a8d-50e0-8a2a-53255a02aac6.html . live .
  22. News: Zolecki . Todd . 'I belong here': Brogdon regains confidence . April 2, 2021 . MLB.com . Advanced Media Group . March 17, 2021 . March 19, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210319212956/https://www.mlb.com/news/connor-brogdon-cutter-brings-confidence-results . live .
  23. News: Maaddi . Rob . Harper's bat helps Phillies sweep slumping Blue Jays in doubleheader . April 6, 2021 . . September 18, 2020.
  24. Web site: Connor Brogdon Stats . Baseball-Reference.com . April 2, 2021 . March 25, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210325134939/https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/brogdco01.shtml . live .
  25. News: Moore . Tom . Phillies follow-up: What we learned from bullpen and defense on Opening Day win over Braves . April 2, 2021 . . April 2, 2021 . April 2, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210402203736/https://www.mcall.com/sports/ironpigs-phillies/mc-spt-phillies-braves-postgame-breakdown-analysis-20210402-z3plnywhpngb3onakwbblxxkpi-story.html . live .
  26. News: LCSC's Brogdon posts win on Opening Day . April 2, 2021 . Lewiston Morning Tribune . April 2, 2021 . April 2, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210402203720/https://lmtribune.com/sports/lcsc-s-brogdon-posts-win-on-opening-day/article_148cb371-4d63-5ab5-834f-1a4faf261f52.html . live .
  27. News: Pavlovic . Alex . Why Giants had Phillies reliever starstruck in rough outing . April 21, 2021 . . April 21, 2021.
  28. News: Carr . Alex . Should the Phillies be Worried About Connor Brogdon? . . March 31, 2022 . April 13, 2022.
  29. News: Coffey . Alex . Phillies' Connor Brogdon struggling to regain velocity: 'I feel like now I'm just treading water' . The Philadelphia Inquirer . March 30, 2022 . April 13, 2022 . limited.
  30. News: Phillies' Connor Brogdon: Sent to Triple-A . CBS Sports . RotoWire . April 13, 2022 . April 13, 2022.
  31. Web site: Connor Brogdon Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More. Baseball-Reference.com.
  32. Web site: 2023 Phillies in review: Connor Brogdon. April 2, 2024. thegoodphight.com. en.
  33. Web site: Phillies Designate Connor Brogdon, Select Ricardo Pinto. April 2, 2024. mlbtraderumors.com. en.
  34. Web site: Dodgers Acquire Connor Brogdon. April 6, 2024. mlbtraderumors.com. en.
  35. Web site: Dodgers' Connor Brogdon: Hits 15-day IL. May 22, 2024. cbssports.com. en.
  36. Web site: Dodgers' Connor Brogdon: Shifts to 60-day IL. May 22, 2024. cbssports.com. en.
  37. News: Breen . Matt . Connor Brogdon could play a key role in Phillies' bullpen with sharper mindset and stronger fastball . April 2, 2021 . The Philadelphia Inquirer . April 2, 2021 . April 2, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210402203719/https://www.inquirer.com/phillies/phillies-connor-brogdon-bullpen-freddie-freeman-20210402.html . live .
  38. News: Housenick . Tom . New ball, new level, new slider? No problem for IronPigs reliever Connor Brogdon . April 2, 2021 . The Morning Call . August 27, 2019 . September 23, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200923202117/https://www.mcall.com/sports/ironpigs-phillies/mc-spt-ironpigs-connor-brogdon-20190827-rrmphla3brb5hk4w3hy57nogtq-story.html . live .

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