Who is Julio Urias and why are Dodgers fans so excited?

The Dodgers aounced Thursday that top pitching prospect Julio Urias will make his debut Friday against the New York Mets at Citi Field in New York.

Urias, 19, will start for fellow left-hander Alex Wood, who is experiencing tightness in his left tricep.

So who is Urias and why are baseball fans excited about him? Here are a few facts:

• Bo Aug. 12, 1996, in Culiacán, Sinaloa, México.

• Is 6 feet tall, weighs 215 pounds and throws and bats left-handed.

• Throws his fastball in the mid-90s with a quality curveball and changeup.

• Signed by the Dodgers 11 days after his 16th birthday on Aug. 23, 2012.

• The Dodgers paid a $450,000 signing fee for Urias, most of which went to the Mexican League’s Diablos Rojos del México in order to secure his rights.

• When he was young, Urias had three surgeries on his left eye to remove a benign mass. As a result, his left eye was nearly closed, but he could still see through it.

• Last May, Urias underwent peri orbital benign mass removal, an elective cosmetic surgery on his left eye to repair the defect. He was sidelined about a month.

• Made his pro debut May 25, 2013, for the Great Lakes Loons in the Midwest League, faing six batters over three shutout iings.

• Finished the season 2–0 with a 2.48 ERA, with 67 strikeouts in 54.1 iings over 18 starts.

• Pitched for the Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the Califoia League in 2014.

• Went 2–2 with a 2.36 ERA in 25 appearances with 20 starts, striking out 109 batters and walking only 37.

• Started 2015 in the Texas League with the Double-A Tulsa Drillers.

• Went 3–4 with a 2.77 ERA in 13 starts,

• Was called up Aug. 31 to the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers of the Pacific Coast League.

• Struggled in his two starts, giving up nine runs in 4 1⁄3 iings.

• Started the 2016 season back in Oklahoma City, where he has shined in eight games — seven of which were starts — as the youngest player in Triple-A.

• His 2016 Triple-A stats: 4-1, 1.10 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, 41.0 iings, 24 hits, 5 eaed runs, 2 home runs, 44 strikeouts, 8 walks

• Currently has a 27-iing scoreless streak.

• Has never thrown more than six iings or 89 pitches in a start

Advertisement

• At 19 years and 289 days, will be the youngest Dodgers starting pitcher since Dick Calmus on Aug. 23, 1963.

• The last teenager to start on the mound for the Dodgers? Feando Valenzuela in 1980.