The big league life hasn't always been super kind to Anthony Banda.
At one point, the lefty was one of the top pitchers in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. He topped out as their no. 1 prospect before his debut back in 2017, with MLB Pipeline projecting a future as a fourth starter.
That future never materialized. Banda started only four games for the Snakes in 2017, making six appearances overall and posting an ERA close to six. He was sent to Tampa Bay in 2018 as part of a three-team deal that netted the team Steven Souza. He appeared in parts of three seasons with the Rays before being sent to San Francisco in 2021, for whom he never pitched at the top level.
From there, Banda assumed the role of the journeyman. Fighting performance & health issues, he threw for the Mets & Pirates in 2021, the Pirates, Blue Jays, & Yankees in 2022, and the Nationals in 2023. He was with the Guardians' Triple-A affiliate this year prior to being acquired by the Dodgers in May in exchange for cash considerations.
Injuries to the bullpen necessitated the move for a guy with a career 5.39 ERA, as the team has been without Joe Kelly, Brusdar Graterol, and Ryan Brasier for much of the year. Evan Phillips just barely returned this weekend from his own injury.
Nevertheless, Banda has been able to gain some semblance of form across 6.2 innings with the Dodgers. He has yet to allow a run, with opposing hitters going for a BABIP of just .176 against the southpaw. He's stranded all baserunners to date. While that last bit isn't likely to sustain, he's also allowing hard contact at a lower clip than his career average. Statcast also has him at an xERA of just 2.53. So even if his overall output is better than the peripherals, it's not as if he's performing at a level completely unsustainable.
That's a testament to the Dodgers' famously elite pitching infrastructure. The team has him deploying a sinker with more regularity, likely helping him to mitigate hard contact even if not generating whiffs at a notable rate.
It'll be interesting to see what the future holds for Anthony Banda in this relief mix, especially as the team gets healthier. At the very least, he's likely parlayed this stretch into his next opportunity elsewhere. But given that he's got some prospect pedigree and showcasing a stable (and healthy) presence, one imagines he's at least earned an extended run once this bullpen does get a bit healthier.