Walker Buehler owns a 2.63 ERA through nine major-league starts. He has used his elite velocity to strike out more than a hitter per inning, and he has had the control to walk little more than one man per start.



We asked three prominent hitters for their initial impressions of the Dodgers’ 23-year-old right-hander over the first six weeks of his starting career. Their reports follow.



“The two things I look at with a guy who first comes up is how often he gets foul balls or swings and misses, and whether or not he stays in the strike zone, meaning: Is he just going to hand you a walk? Is he going to hand you a base?” Reds first baseman Joey Votto said. “He doesn’t seem to have that, and he does seem to be getting a lot of swings and misses and foul balls. That’s a really good start.”



Because of his wiry frame, Buehler has often drawn comparisons to Tim Lincecum, the two-time Cy Young winner who attempted a comeback...