The Dodgers found Banda at a time of need, and the gamble on the journeyman left-hander paid off
The Dodgers seem to make a habit out of developing relievers for prominent roles, often finding one specific tool that’s somewhat overlooked and building a solid option out of that. Anthony Banda is just another name on that list, helping the Dodgers complement the lefty side of a bullpen that started the year with only Alex Vesia as a southpaw specialist. Ryan Yarbrough was on the team, but he filled an entirely different role that had nothing to do with his handedness.
A 31-year-old former 10th-round pick out of San Jacinto College, Banda made his big league debut in 2017. If you don’t necessarily remember him, don’t feel too bad as his inning max in a single season was 33⅔ frames, often moving up and down between the majors and minors.
Banda started the 2024 season in the Guardians minor-league system, and the Dodgers acquired him for cash considerations on May 17. That move proved pivotal in the makeup of this bullpen, as Banda never relinquished his spot on the active roster since his call-up. Banda was doing quite well in Triple-A for Cleveland, but the Guardians’ bullpen was a tough place to get a spot, rated by most measures the top one in the sport.
The Dodgers, on the other hand, had more than their fair share of issues at the time, dealing with injuries to the likes of Evan Phillips and Ryan Brasier, among others.
There is a multitude of factors to look at to determine why a player was struggling to make it to the show. That being said it’s hard to imagine why a left-hander with a heater that sits 96 MPH and a pretty good slider had this tough a time to establish himself. Maybe he just needed the right organization to unlock his potential and that was certainly the case.
Quickly asserting himself as a very reliable option, the beginning of Banda’s career with the Dodgers could not have gone better. The lefty tossed 11⅔ innings without allowing an earned run before the Royals roughed him up during a 7-2 loss in mid-June.
Despite his fast start with LA, it took a minute for Banda to be handed higher-leverage frames, his first hold came on his 14th appearance with the team, involved in a 4-3 win over the Chicago White Sox. He later saved two games in August as he pitched in bigger and bigger moments.
Skipping ahead to the end of the season, Banda returned from the injured list after breaking a bone in his left hand by hitting a towel dispenser in the clubhouse. On September 26 in his first game back, Banda came in with a runner on third and two outs as the Dodgers trailed by two, and he recorded four outs without giving up anything. The Dodgers rallied to win the National League West that night, and Banda got the win in the clincher.
In the postseason, Banda was lower on the depth chart as several names got healthy (Blake Treinen, Daniel Hudson and eventually Brusdar Graterol). But with an incredible shortage of starters, Banda like any reliever on the team inevitably had to play an important role.
The 31-year-old southpaw pitched eight innings in October, allowing one run and striking out 11. That sole run came in the clinching game of the NLCS after Banda had left the game as Ryan Brasier allowed a two-run bomb with his inherited runner. Banda was present in all four of the Dodgers wins against the Yankees in the World Series.
2024 particulars
Age: 31
Stats: 3.08 ERA, 3.29 xERA, 3-2, 2 saves, 48 G, 49⅔ IP, 18 BB, 50 K
Salary: unknown
Game of the year
Banda got the win in his first appearance with the Dodgers on May 19 — the day he was added to the roster — tossing a perfect 10th inning in a 3-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds, won on an RBI single in the bottom of the frame on Shohei Ohtani’s first walk-off hit with the Dodgers.
Roster status
Banda has three years, 135 days of major league service time, and is eligible for salary arbitration. MLB Trade Rumors projects the left-hander to earn $1.1 million in 2025, while Cot’s Baseball Contracts projects a $1 million salary.
Banda is out of option years, having used them in 2017, 2018, and 2020.