Gavin Stone

Gavin Stone (born October 15, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB).^[1] A right-handed thrower who bats right, Stone stands 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 175 pounds.^[2] He attended the University of Central Arkansas, where he played for the Central Arkansas Bears baseball team and pitched a no-hitter against Southeastern Louisiana University on March 6, 2020, striking out 13 batters.^[3] The Dodgers selected Stone in the fifth round, with the 159th overall pick, of the 2020 MLB Draft; he signed for a $100,000 bonus and began his professional career with the Low-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in 2021.^[1] In 2022, Stone led Minor League Baseball with a 1.48 ERA across High-A Great Lakes Loons, Double-A Tulsa Drillers, and Triple-A Oklahoma City, earning him organizational Pitcher of the Year honors from the Dodgers.^[4] Stone made his MLB debut on May 3, 2023, against the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium, allowing four earned runs over four innings in a 10-6 Dodgers victory.^[5] Over his first two MLB seasons, he appeared in 33 games (29 starts), compiling a 12-6 record with a 4.53 ERA and 138 strikeouts in 171.1 innings pitched.^[2] Stone's breakout came in 2024, when he made a team-high 25 starts for the Dodgers, posting an 11-5 record, a 3.53 ERA, and 116 strikeouts in 140.1 innings; he recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts in an August 19 outing against the Seattle Mariners.^[6]^[7] Injuries limited his late-2024 performance, including a bout of right shoulder inflammation that sidelined him from September onward and prevented postseason appearances despite the Dodgers' World Series championship.^[8] Following the season, Stone underwent right shoulder surgery on October 9, 2024, which caused him to miss the entire 2025 MLB season while recovering; he is expected to return for the 2026 season.^[9]^[10]

Early life and amateur career

Early life and high school

Gavin Blaine Stone was born on October 15, 1998, in Lake City, Arkansas, to parents Kerry and Jennifer Stone.^[1]^[11] Stone grew up in the small, rural town of Lake City, a close-knit community of about 2,300 residents located near the St. Francis River and roughly 20 minutes from Jonesboro.^[11] In this tight-knit environment reminiscent of mid-20th-century American small towns, he developed an early interest in baseball, showcasing talent as a pitcher that drew attention despite the area's remoteness.^[11] Stone was a multi-sport athlete, participating in baseball, basketball, tennis, bowling, and track and field during his youth.^[12] Stone attended Riverside High School in Lake City, where he played baseball for the Riverside Rebels, the school's Class AA team.^[11] As a right-handed pitcher, he earned four All-Conference selections and was named to the All-State team in both 2016 and 2017.^[11] He was also recognized as the Outstanding Player in the 2017 Arkansas High School All-Star Game.^[11] His high school yearbook caption read, "You are your only limit," reflecting his ambitious mindset.^[11] In November 2025, Riverside High School retired Stone's baseball jersey number 2.^[13] Following graduation, Stone continued his baseball career at the University of Central Arkansas.^[11]

College career

Gavin Stone enrolled at the University of Central Arkansas in 2017, where he played college baseball for the Central Arkansas Bears as a right-handed pitcher.^[3] During his freshman season in 2018, he appeared in 12 games with 5 starts, posting a 2–2 record and a 5.33 ERA over 25.1 innings with 20 strikeouts.^[3] As a sophomore in 2019, Stone had a breakout year, recording a 4–3 mark with a team-leading 1.52 ERA across 20 appearances, including 2 starts, while earning 6 saves, 58 strikeouts, and just 11 walks in 47⅓ innings pitched.^[3] His performance that season earned him honorable mention All-Southland Conference honors and a spot on the Southland Conference All-Academic Team.^[3] Stone's junior year in 2020 was shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic, limiting him to 4 starts, but he excelled with a 3–1 record, 1.30 ERA, and 31 strikeouts in 27⅔ innings, holding opponents to a .161 batting average.^[3] A highlight was his complete-game no-hitter against Southeastern Louisiana on March 6, striking out 13 batters, which marked the third no-hitter in Bears program history and earned him Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week honors.^[3] In addition to his collegiate play, Stone gained experience in the Northwoods League, a collegiate summer baseball circuit. He appeared in 2 games for the Battle Creek Bombers in 2019, pitching 2 scoreless innings with 3 strikeouts.^[14] The following summer, he made 2 appearances for the Great Lakes Resorters, going 0-1 with 4 strikeouts in 3.1 innings pitched.^[14] Stone's progression at Central Arkansas demonstrated steady improvement in command and effectiveness, transitioning from a mid-rotation starter to a dominant reliever and occasional ace, culminating in his recognition as one of the Southland Conference's top pitchers by his junior year.^[3]

Professional career

Minor league career

Stone was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fifth round, 159th overall, of the 2020 Major League Baseball draft out of the University of Central Arkansas.^[15] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Stone did not make his professional debut until 2021. In 2021, Stone split time between the High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and the High-A Great Lakes Loons, where he recorded a combined 2–2 mark with a 3.76 ERA and 138 strikeouts in 91 innings pitched, demonstrating improved command and strikeout ability early in his professional career.^[4] His performance earned him a promotion within the Dodgers' system, highlighting his rapid adjustment to full-season affiliates.^[15] Stone's breakout came in 2022, as he advanced through three levels of the minors. Beginning with the High-A Great Lakes Loons (1–1, 1.44 ERA in 25 innings), he moved to Double-A Tulsa Drillers (6–4, 1.60 ERA in 73⅓ innings) and finished at Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers (2–1, 1.16 ERA in 23⅓ innings), compiling a 9–6 record, 1.48 ERA, and 168 strikeouts across 121⅔ innings.^[4] For his dominant season, he was named the Dodgers' Branch Rickey Minor League Pitcher of the Year.^[16] Returning to Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2023, Stone made 19 starts with a 7–4 record, 4.74 ERA, and 120 strikeouts in 100⅔ innings before his major league call-up.^[4] He contributed to the team's success by pitching in the Pacific Coast League championship series, where Oklahoma City swept the Round Rock Express to claim the title.^[17] Throughout his minor league tenure with the Dodgers from 2021 to 2023, Stone progressed steadily from High-A to Triple-A, logging 313⅓ innings with an overall 3.19 ERA and 426 strikeouts, underscoring his development into a high-potential starting pitcher within the organization.^[15]

Major league career

Gavin Stone made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut on May 3, 2023, with the Los Angeles Dodgers, starting against the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium, where he pitched 4.0 innings and allowed four runs.^[5] In his rookie season of 2023, Stone appeared in 8 games, making 4 starts, and posted a 9.00 earned run average (ERA) over 31.0 innings pitched, with 22 strikeouts and a 1-1 win-loss record.^[2] His early MLB exposure came after a successful minor league campaign that highlighted his potential as a starter.^[1] Stone emerged as a reliable member of the Dodgers' rotation in 2024, recording an 11-5 win-loss record with a 3.53 ERA and 116 strikeouts across 25 starts and 140.1 innings pitched.^[2] A career highlight came on June 26, 2024, when he threw his first complete-game shutout against the Chicago White Sox, allowing just four hits, no walks, and striking out seven on 103 pitches in a 4-0 victory; this marked the first shutout by a Dodgers rookie since Hyun-Jin Ryu's in 2013.^[18] Through the end of 2024, Stone's career MLB statistics stood at a 12-6 win-loss record, 4.52 ERA, and 138 strikeouts in 33 games (29 starts) over 171.1 innings.^[19] As a starting pitcher, Stone provided stability to the Dodgers' rotation in 2024, leading the team in starts and innings pitched before an injury sidelined him.^[20] On September 6, 2024, he was placed on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation and shut down from throwing, missing the remainder of the regular season and playoffs.^[21] Stone underwent right shoulder surgery on October 9, 2024, performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, which caused him to miss the entire 2025 season.^[9]^[10]