Thursday, May 23, 2024
Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2024
The Los Angeles Dodgers just finished a disappointing home stand with four wins and three losses. Most baseball-knowledgeable people think the Dodgers will go to the World Series, but their play has been inconsistent. Some Dodgers have been surprising in both being excellent and bad.
Most people wanted Shohei Ohtani no matter how much the Dodgers needed to pay him. I was skeptical because I don’t think he can continue pitching for long. I was wrong.
Ohtani is a pure hitter. His batting average of .353 is leading in the National League. His on-base plus slugging percentage is top in the National League. For a huge man, Ohtani has amazing speed. He even had a bunt single during the Arizona Diamondbacks series. If Ohtani never pitches again, he is worth $700 million because he can be the best hitter.
The infield defense is another great surprise. While Mookie Betts is frustrated with his play at shortstop, he has been great. Transitioning from right field to shortstop is difficult for anyone, and it hasn’t been done since Bill Russell of the Dodgers in 1969. Betts, 31, has committed errors, mostly throwing, and has saved runs. Yes, it is hard. Betts is a perfectionist. Transitioning to shortstop is difficult, and Betts needs to give himself grace.
Before going on the IL, Max Muncy was playing a Gold Glove-caliber defense at third base. After he had a terrible defensive year in 2023, Muncy worked arduously this past offseason to improve his defense.
This spring, Gavin Lux was supposed to achieve his dream of being the shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers. During spring training, he had many throwing errors, so the Dodgers moved Lux to second base, where he played in the 2022 season. Since then, he has been a defensive asset for the Dodgers.
The pitching staff has been a pleasant surprise even though it has many injuries. Though Tyler Glasnow has had two poor consecutive starts, he has accepted and acted like an ace. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been excellent after his first major league start in South Korea, and if he continues, he is on a path to win the National League Rookie of the Year.
After a rocky short major league season in 2023, Gavin Stone has been wonderful. He has developed two more secondary pitches that made his fastball and changeup better. His command has been magnificent.
James Paxton has pitched better beyond expectations. While he had control problems in his five starts caused by mechanical problems in his delivery, he solved the problem in his last two starts.
After two rough starts after being on the IL for two years, Walker Buehler had a wonderful start against the Cincinnati Reds. It will still take him time to find his groove after having his second Tommy John surgery.
Injuries have decimated the bullpen. It hasn’t caused the relievers to perform badly. Daniel Hudson and Blake Treinen, coming off major injuries, have been great. The Dodgers have brought in Anthony Banda from the Cleveland Guardians. Ryan Yarbrough pitched well saving his fellow relievers from being overworked.
The headline offense has been inconsistent, especially when the bottom of the lineup struggled. Freddie Freeman, still hitting close to .300, hasn’t been an RBI machine like he has been during his career, which frustrates him.
The bottom of the lineup has struggled. The Dodgers even sent James Outman to Oklahoma City to find his stroke. After missing a year with a major knee injury, Lux is batting around .212, and he should improve as the season proceeds. Andy Pages has his first slump in his major league career. Chris Taylor has been mired in a huge slump since the start of the season, and his playing time has decreased greatly.
The Dodgers must improve to be a World Series team. On paper, they look great, but the Dodgers have shortcomings. Andrew Friedman needs to evaluate this team seriously before the trading deadline in August.
