Adam Serwinowski spent 2026 proving he could handle a heavy workload for Tulsa, but the numbers still leave the Dodgers with a real call to make this winter.
The 22-year-old left-hander, acquired in last year’s trade deadline deal that sent catcher Hunter Feduccia to the Rays in a three-team swap, made his first full season in the organization after being drafted by the Reds in the 15th round in 2022. His development had been slow early on - he didn’t get to 30 innings across his first two pro seasons in Rookie ball - but the Dodgers pushed him to Double-A to open 2026 and let him take on the Texas League.
Serwinowski responded by becoming one of the workhorses on a Drillers club that rolled to an 88-50 record. He led Tulsa with 150 strikeouts, which ranked second in the Texas League behind only Daniel Eagen’s 157 for the Diamondbacks.
That production came with a 5.31 ERA, though the context matters in a league known for helping hitters. There were flashes that showed why the Dodgers kept betting on the arm, including a seven-scoreless-inning one-hitter against Corpus Christi in late June.
But the rough outings kept coming back around, and Springfield in particular gave him problems. The Cardinals, who later knocked Tulsa out in the semifinals, tagged Serwinowski for 12 runs across 11.2 regular-season innings. They got to him again in the playoffs, scoring four runs in four innings during Tulsa’s eventual 9-7 loss.
Now the Dodgers have to decide what comes next. For the first time in his career, Serwinowski will be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft, and while the Texas League can make a pitcher look worse than he is, he does not appear ready to help the big league club anytime soon. That means Los Angeles would need to use a 40-man roster spot to keep him.
The other route is one the Dodgers have taken before: turn a prospect into a different, younger prospect and trade some proximity to the majors for roster flexibility. Serwinowski fits the profile of a player who could surface in offseason trade conversations.
Game of the year
Wichita was the matchup where Serwinowski looked most comfortable. He faced the Wind Surge five times in 27 starts, and one of his best outings came in late May, when he allowed one run over seven innings, gave up just five baserunners, and picked up his only double-digit strikeout game.
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