Dodgers fans roast Ryan Pepiot for a disastrous spring finale

The Los Angeles Dodgers named Ryan Pepiot the fifth starter to start the 2023 season, but his disastrous spring finale left fans feeling unwell.

It became clear as the end of spring training neared that the Los Angeles Dodgers would have to pick a fifth starter as Tony Gonsolin headed to IL to start the season. That battle ended with two of the organization’s top pitching prospects, Ryan Pepiot and Michael Grove.

At the start of the last weekend of the spring, however, manager Dave Roberts named Pepiot the fifth starter.

Because of that, all eyes were on the 25-year-old No. 6 prospect in the Dodgers’ system Tuesday night as he teeed off for the Spring Training Finals. And all eyes saw him being rocked by the Los Angeles Angels.

Lasting just 3.2 innings to start, Pepiot was bombarded as he allowed five earned runs on six hits and four walks. Four of those six hits were for extra bases as Anthony Rendon hit an RBI double in the first, Brandon Drury followed with his own RBI double in the second, and then Hunter Renfroe and Luis Renigfo each homered in the third round.

Not exactly the upbeat start the Dodgers faithful were hoping for.

Dodgers fans bake Ryan Pepiot after terrible final start in spring training

It wasn’t just what they hoped for, however. Dodgers fans were all over social media cooking up the right-handed starter and wishing they could re-nominate the fifth starter to start the season.

Going into the game, it wasn’t hard to see why Pepiot earned the nod as he had a 3.29 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 10 innings pitched. The finale, however, will leave a bad taste in everyone’s mouth.

The hope, however, is that Pepiot has recovered everything from his system and can return to form on his first regular season start. After his spring training is over, the thing is, he’ll be under the microscope by the time he takes the mound.