Julio Urias struggles in MLB debut, but better days are ahead

The eyes of the baseball world were focused on Citi Field on Friday night as the Los Angeles Dodgers paid a visit to the New York Mets.

There were several reasons for this added attention. It’s the first time these two teams have met in New York since last October’s contentious NLDS, which included Chase Utley injuring Ruben Tejada with an aggressive takeout slide. That was the main storyline coming in, at least until Thursday, when the Dodgers announced 19-year-old pitching phenom Julio Urias would make his anticipated MLB debut under the bright Friday night lights.

It’s a moment that’s been years in the making, despite the fact that Urias is only 19 years old. In fact, Urias became the youngest player to make his MLB debut since a 19-year-old Felix Hernandez did so in 2005.

Los Angeles Dodgers' Julio Urias delivers a pitch during his MLB debut against the New York Mets. (AP) Unfortunately, when it came time to shine, the results didn’t quite match the hype as Urias was never able to get on track. He lasted just 2 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and four walks. The run total could have been worse, as Urias left with the bases loaded in the third. However, Chris Hatcher retired Jacob deGrom to end the inning.

Urias’ outing started out promising enough. He struck out Curtis Granderson to begin the game and then got David Wright swinging two batters later, but the patient Mets were able to get some favorable hitting counts and made Urias pay. The Mets ended up scoring three times in the first, while forcing Urias to throw 36 pitches. That made quite a dent, as manager Dave Roberts planned on limiting Urias to 90 pitches. He ended up throwing 81 pitches, with only 42 going for strikes.

It’s not the outing many fans envisioned from Urias in his debut. Especially considering he arrived as one of the hottest pitchers in the minors, having posted a 27-inning scoreless streak at Triple A. However, there were a couple encouraging signs mixed within a disappointing night.

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First and foremost, his stuff is filthy. That was evident even as Urias struggled to find his release point. His command came and went throughout, but the moments he had it and the times he was able to get ahead confirmed he’ll be extremely difficult on hitters on both sides of the plate. That will also come with experience.

Despite the results, Urias never looked overwhelmed either. He bounced back with an impressive second inning and a good start to his third. It’s just a matter of refining his mechanics, building endurance and attacking major league hitters with confidence. Considering he’s 19 years old, it’s amazing his to-do list isn’t a lot longer in terms of development.

Julio Urias will never get another chance to make a first impression, but his foundation is as strong as they come. The Dodgers will be reaping the benefits sooner than later.

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