LOS ANGELES -- Yimi Garcia kept dominating hitters, putting up strikeout rates similar to that of elite major-league closers, but his progress through the minor leagues was methodical rather than fleet. For one stretch at Class-A ball, he struck out nearly 19 batters per nine innings and nobody seemed to care.

“He was not one of those guys who’s knocking down the radar gun in the minor leagues throwing like 98 [mph]. He was 92, 93. I think there was some thought that that wasn’t going to be enough,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “I think we missed the boat a little bit. This guy has had success all the way through, but you always look for a reason, right? And it was the minor leagues. Would he do it here?”

Months later, that question still lingered over Garcia and other young Dodger pitchers. When Garcia and Pedro Baez got to spring training in February, they found many of the other relievers to be older men with long histories in the major leagues. The Dodgers’ new front office, concerned about the team’s pitching depth, had stockpiled pitchers, many on minor-league deals.

But unlike the previous regime, which put a greater emphasis on experience in its bullpen-building, this group went with the best arms as camp was breaking. The Dodgers jettisoned Dustin McGowan, who wound up with the Philadelphia Phillies, told Mike Adams he wouldn’t make the team (Adams subsequently retired) and sent ex-closers Sergio Santos and David Aardsma to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

For Garcia and Baez to defy the odds and win jobs got the attention of everyone in the clubhouse.

“I’ve done that before, where it is make-or-break and you’re actually on the board to be chopped,” reliever J.P. Howell said. “They beat out big-leaguers, man. They beat out professional guys and it’s not just because of stuff. It’s because of work ethic. They’re in battle mode. In our world, it’s fight or flight and they’re actually comfortable in that. That’s the trick. I see it in their eyes.”

Thus far, going young has looked like a wise methodology as Garcia and Baez have pitched the most impressive late innings so far. They lead all Dodgers relievers in innings pitched and, combined, have struck out 17 batters while allowing just two walks. Dodgers starters have yet to get into their midseason rhythm and have been ceding the late innings to the bullpen. To the surprise of many, that generally has worked out well.

There are numbers beyond ERA that indicate this bullpen has the potential to be not only good, but considerably better than last season’s group, which had far more famous names. Even without closer Kenley Jansen, one of the hardest pitchers in baseball to make contact against, the Dodgers’ bullpen leads the majors in strikeouts per nine innings (12.72) and it’s sixth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.56). Garcia is on pace to strike out 15 batters per nine innings and Chris Hatcher is on an even more impressive pace (16.2).

The Dodgers have blown just one save so far. Two teams, the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals, have already blown four.

Only 11 major-league pitchers have thrown a harder average fastball than Baez, who has averaged 96.1 mph. The Dodgers had been hoping Baez could develop an effective off-speed pitch and he’s now throwing his slider more than ever, nearly 25 percent of the time. Garcia’s average fastball has been 93 mph, but the Dodgers feel like it plays up to hitters because he releases it well in front of the rubber. He also has what Howell described as a “weird slider,” because it rides up and away to right-handed batters. His fastball tends to move in on hitters’ hands.

“He has the stuff to cover both ends and two different bat angles,” Howell said.

Jansen, who had foot surgery in February, is expected to be back sometime after the middle of May. Meanwhile, veterans Joel Peralta and Howell are doing their best to help mold an otherwise-young bullpen into a reliable group. They converse with the younger pitchers throughout the game, Howell said, asking them what pitches they would throw to what locations as scenarios arise for Dodgers starters. By the time the fifth inning comes, Howell and Peralta make sure everyone is getting prepared to pitch.

By the time Jansen gets back, raring to go, he just might find that things are in pretty good working order.