Grant Dayton came out of nowhere, almost. Last summer, the Dodgers received him from the Marlins in exchange for first round draft pick/bust/Dustin’s favorite pitcher Chris Reed. Dayton’s minor league numbers showed promise, but only stuck out so much in an era with a sea of dominant relief aces. Guys who can strike out ten batters per nine in the minors are almost dime-a-dozen now, and the valuation compared to Reed made him seem like organizational depth. Dayton did not make Dustin’s top 100 prospects list before the season began.
This season Dayton has done his best to shed that perception.