Los Angeles, CA (News4usOnline) – Considering the lofty expectations after a World Series title and several high-profile offseason additions, the Los Angeles Dodgers have not been great this year, and their 81 wins through 145 games are the lowest since the 2018 season.
Mookie Betts is statistically having the worst season of his career, and Teoscar Hernandez has regressed after making the All-Star team last year.
Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow have yet to push 120 innings pitched combined, accounting for only five wins, and Roki Sasaki has also barely seen the field due to injuries.
To top it all off, the signings of Michael Conforto and Tanner Scott have been busts, and they represent two of the more unreliable players in the league.
Even with all that, Los Angeles still holds a three-game lead in the NL West and remains as legitimate a World Series contender as ever. The Dodgers are still the most talented team in Major League Baseball, and their lack of production from key players this season could be seen as a sign that better days are ahead.
“I think that at certain times we lost sight of playing the game the way we are capable of playing. So it didn’t really matter who we had on the field, but presently the guys are engaged,” said manager Dave Roberts.
Championships are not won during March through September, only lost, and as long as the Dodgers survive until October, they will be the most dangerous ballclub entering the final stretch.
Despite the litany of injuries to the rotation and underwhelming performances from star players, there have been a number of positives as well. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been the definition of an ace, Freddie Freeman is still Freddie Freeman, Andy Pages has fully broken out, and Shohei Ohtani remains the best player in the sport.
The most encouraging part of the Dodgers’ prospects moving forward is that their rotation will be a five-headed monster entering the postseason, now that they are healthy. Yamamoto and Glasnow both flirted with no-hitters in their last starts, and Snell followed with a gem of his own. Clayton Kershaw appears as healthy as he has been in years, and Ohtani is ready to contribute quality innings on the mound in the playoffs.
“We have all been waiting for our guys to come back to health and kind of see what we look like as the ballclub that we all envisioned,” said Roberts.
Los Angeles has traditionally shortened its rotation to four starters in the postseason, and instead of having to fill one of those slots with a bullpen game this year, the Dodgers skipper has plenty of options.
He could opt for having Ohtani and Kershaw form a 1-2 punch, where each gives it their all for four to five innings, a deadly combo that would also allow the bullpen to rest every fourth game.
The Dodgers’ starting pitching is now an embarrassment of riches that no one will want to see in a seven-game series.
“You feel like you are in every game, and you just have to get the offense going. It is nice when every night you can pencil in a guy that you feel gives you a really good chance to prevent runs, and the offense is starting to come together as well,” said Roberts.
Last year, they won the World Series thanks to an elite lineup and clutch at-bats. This time around, if they can repeat, it will be due to the depth and quality of their pitching. Even though it feels like it has been a grind to get to this point, the Dodgers have as good a chance as any team to raise another trophy.
Feature Image: Los Angeles, CA – Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) has been on fire during the last stretch of the regular season for the team. Photo credit: Melinda Meijer / News4usOnline
Benjamin Verbrugge is a reporter for News4usonline who studied journalism at CSU Dominguez Hills. “Sports have brought me much joy throughout my life, and I want to give a little back to something that has meant so much to me.” Email Benjamin at benverbrugge8@gmail.com.