by Megan Garcia
Brock Stewart knew there was a strong likelihood he’d be in a new uniform in August. Except this “new” jersey is actually quite familiar.
The Dodgers wanted a right-handed reliever at the trade deadline. They found him in their 2016 sixth-round draft pick out of Illinois State University, who they acquired on July 31 from Minnesota.
“Our focus and acute need was going to be a right-handed, high-end reliever after we lost Evan (Phillips) for the year. Being able to reunite with Brock, we felt like he’s in the upper tier of right-hander relievers,” said Brandon Gomes, Dodger executive vice president and general manager. “He’s been absolutely dominant against (right-handed hitters) this year and performing really well.
“Obviously, knowing the person and how hard he works and the relationships he had here, we were really excited to get him back in the mix.”
The right-hander has pitched 2 2/3 innings in three games for the Dodgers since he was acquired on July 31. He’s allowed two earned runs, struck out two hitters and issued one walk.
“I’m just going out there and trying to fill up the zone and compete and control what I can control,” Stewart said of his role in the Dodger bullpen. “I’m going to help the team get some big outs in whatever role that may be.”
The emotions are mixed for the right-hander following the trade that sent him from the Twins to the Dodgers. Minnesota was home for Stewart and his family, and where he came into his own. He had a 2.38 ERA in 39 appearances with Minnesota before the trade.
Stewart ranks among the top relievers in baseball with a 31.6 % whiff rate and 27.7% strikeout rate.
But the trade also provided him the opportunity to be on a team with aspirations to play deep into October.
“When I found out I was coming to a winning team, especially a team I had familiarity with, (I was) like, ‘Yes, of course’ because my goal is to win a World Series,” Stewart said. “That’s always been a dream of mine.”
Stewart’s last visit to Dodger Stadium was the week before the July 31 trade deadline with the Twins. He pitched two scoreless innings in two of the three games against the Dodgers.
Now he’s a Dodger again.
“This clubhouse is brand new. The amenities we have here are shocking — just the amount of resources at our disposal, it’s really cool to see,” Stewart said of the clubhouse differences since 2019. “Nobody’s going to have any excuse for not being rested or not feeling good because the stuff we have here is more than (anywhere I’ve been).”
Stewart finished July with a 1.80 ERA in 10 innings pitched in the month. It followed an impressive June with a 1.69 ERA in 10 2/3 innings pitched. He had 22 strikeouts and seven walks combined between the two months.
This version of Stewart differs from the one in 2019, when he last wore a Dodger uniform.
Stewart had a 5.46 ERA in 36 games (11 starts) in his first turn as a Dodger from 2016 to 2019. He struck 71 hitters and walked 40 in 84 innings in that span.
The Dodgers designated him for assignment in July 2019, and he was claimed off waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays that same month.
The five-plus seasons away from the Dodgers were a reset for him.
“I’m bigger, faster, stronger, throw harder, have a way better perspective (on my career),” Stewart said. “When I was released, I figured it way time to try some things out and it worked.”
Stewart’s evolution includes his incorporation of a sweeper and cutter into his pitch mix. His sweeper has a 42.9% whiff rate this season — the best of his five pitches. Since last playing for the Dodgers, he has picked up five miles per hour on his fadtball.
After 2021 Tommy John surgery, Stewart visited Tread Athletics in Charlotte, North Carolina, to start the rehab process. Playing catch and finding new ways to move his body led to experimenting on the mound.
The gradual healing and experimentation process resulted in a dominant relief pitcher.
“I was trying to find ways to clean up my arm action and trying to find new pitches,” Stewart said. “It didn’t just happen overnight; that’s for damn sure. A lot of hard work, and as cliché as it sounds, hard work pays off and that was the case for me.”
This version of Brock Stewart is bigger, faster, stronger, wiser was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.