Saturday, December 30, 2023
Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2023
As the 2023 year comes to a close, I would like to examine the past season for the Los Angeles Dodgers and look forward to the 2024 season.
Ultimately, after the regular season, the Dodgers broke their fans’ hearts when the Arizona Diamondbacks swept them in the NLDS. No one believed the Dodgers would win one hundred games this season, but they did. For the first time since moving to Los Angeles from Brooklyn in 1958, the starting rotation collapsed. No pitcher in the starting rotation on the Opening Day lasted the entire season. Clayton Kershaw was the closest, but he should have quit on June 27th. After the season, including a playoff debacle, Kershaw underwent shoulder surgery. No one knows if Kershaw will return.
For the first time since 1958, the Dodgers scored more than 900 runs. Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman had fantastic performances, finishing second and third in the National League MVP voting. Max Muncy again had more than 30 home runs. Will Smith was an All-Star for the first time even though he played most of the season with a cracked rib.
Jason Heyward revitalized his career with a good offensive performance and provided mentorship to James Outman who emerged as the centerfielder. David Peralta also contributed to the offense, but after the All-Star break, he played with an elbow injury that required surgery after the NLDS.
The Dodgers had many rookies, and most of them did well. Without Bobby Miller and Emmet Sheehan, the Dodgers wouldn’t have made it through the season. Outman emerged as the everyday centerfielder.
At the start of the 2023 season, the Dodgers had a lousy bullpen, but by the end of the season, they had one of the best bullpens in baseball. Going into the 2024 season, the Dodger bullpen should be a strength.
Losing Gavin Lux, slated to be their Opening Day shortstop, during the third exhibition game for the entire season with a significant knee injury. Mostly, Miguel Rojas played shortstop, and the Dodgers sacrificed offensive production. Lux will be the starting shortstop, and will he have the adequate range necessary to be a decent shortstop?
Since the Dodgers spent over a billion dollars on Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the expectations for the Dodgers are huge. The addition of Tyler Glasnow will help the starting rotation, but the Dodgers need another starter, preferably a left hander. Since their powerful lineup is dominated by left handers, the Dodgers need a right-handed left fielder. They could use another reliever.
