Hurt got into better shape last offseason and had a breakout year in the upper levels of the minors. He slimmed down to a still large 6-foot-3, 240 pounds and logged 155 strikeouts in 94 innings across Double-A, Triple-A and the majors. Hurt only logged two innings in one late-season MLB appearance, but he struck out three without allowing a baserunner and retired Fernando Tatis, Juan Soto and Manny Machado in order. Hurt's plus fastball can touch 98 mph and sits at 95 mph, but his upper-80s changeup might be his best pitch. He also mixes in a cutter and a curveball. He threw between four and five innings in 10 of his 26 minor-league appearances, but he never completed more than five frames. Hurt turns 26 in May, as his draft year was the pandemic year of 2020 and he underperformed at USC and wasn't in good enough shape to throw consistent strikes until 2023. The Dodgers will always have plenty of options for the rotation, so Hurt may work as a big-league reliever for stretches this season, but he has enough upside as a starter for the Dodgers to keep him on that track for at least another season. Read Past Outlooks