LOS ANGELES — After each start, Justin Wrobleski pulls up his laptop, opens up Excel and assigns himself a score.It’s a simple process, he says: A score of 100 represents the baseline, and values are assigned based on standard deviations above and below league average. There are inputs for everything: first-pitch strikes, zone efficiency, how often he records an out in three pitches or less, how many times he establishes a 1-2 or an 0-2 count, etc.He has both mental and mechanical boxes to check, and grades his pitch mix according to how he felt and how opposing hitters responded. He prefers to use Fielding Independent Pitching over ERA, as the stat accounts for outcomes only the pitcher can control (strikeouts, hit-by-pitches, walks and home runs) and does not factor in the result of any ball put into play.When he’s done inputting his values, Wrobleski combines the numbers into his post-outing score. That’s how he evaluates his performance and defines what he needs to work on before his next start. Given his sudden importance in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ injury-riddled rotation, consistent improvement feels urgent.It’s a good thing Wrobleski has nailed down his process.“It’s not like super complex,” Wrobleski said in a recent conversation with The Athletic. “But it probably wouldn’t make sense to a lot of people other than me, just because it’s my thing.”Data and numbers have never been more prevalent in the game, but for Wrobleski, the model that makes the most sense is the one he created himself. He doesn’t share the spreadsheets publicly, though pitching coaches Mark Prior and Connor McGuiness are well aware of their existence. The values differ from other well-known evaluation sites, such as Baseball Savant and FanGraphs, because the formula Wrobleski uses exists only in his mind.He doesn’t need it to make sense to anyone else.“It’s my thing,” Wrobleski said. “I love spreadsheets. Assigning values is much easier for me to understand than just talking things over or journaling. During a long season, it’s easier for me to just take 10 minutes to punch in values and see where I’m at, go back and watch the outing, and then be able to combine all that together.”When the Dodgers elected to stick with a six-man rotation, Wrobleski seized the opportunity and ran with it. Now his 2.87 ERA ranks eighth in the National League. He’s also sixth in WHIP and fifth in walks per nine innings.His ascension as a key Dodgers starter has been one of the most prominent storylines of the year. With Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow likely to miss several more weeks on the injured list, it’s also become more critical.Though the Dodgers have always believed in Wrobleski’s long-term impact as a starter, they deemed his value was higher last season as a swing starter and long reliever, and he spent most of the year shuttling between Triple A and the majors. Wrobleski made 22 relief appearances for Los Angeles last season, carding a 3.22 ERA over 55 2/3 innings in the regular season, but did not appear in the postseason until the World Series. He pitched in four games en route to the Dodgers’ second straight title — including 1 1/3 innings in Game 7 — and did not allow a run in five innings.