A bridesmaid finish is no doubt frustrating, and Los Angeles Dodgers fans know that feeling all too well. Twice in the past three seasons, the Dodgers made it to the World Series, but were unable to finish the job both times. They lost to the Houston Astros in 2017, then to the Boston Red Sox in 2018 — two losses made more painful by sign-stealing controversies involving both the Astros and Red Sox. Last season, the Dodgers looked primed for a breakthrough, winning 106 games to set the franchise record for wins in a season. Unfortunately, they were ambushed in the Division Series by the eventual champions, the Washington Nationals, adding to the team’s recent run of heartbreaks.
Those heartbreaks notwithstanding, the Dodgers have been one of the league’s elite teams in the second half of this decade, led by the inimitable Clayton Kershaw and an offense that consistently ranks among the MLB’s best. This year is no different, with the Dodgers adding former AL MVP Mookie Betts to an already formidable lineup that features last year’s NL MVP, Cody Bellinger, and former All-Stars Corey Seager and Joc Pederson. With this abundance of talent, the Dodgers are Bwin’s number one pick for the World Series, just ahead of the equally loaded New York Yankees and the up-and-coming Minnesota Twins. All three have played true to form, with each team toting impressive records at this point in the season.
The Dodgers, in particular, have been quite impressive in racing out to a league-best record as of this writing. Their offense has been on-point so far, batting in a league-leading 160 runs and recording the third-most home runs among all teams. The Dodgers’ pitching has been just as impressive, topping the league with a 2.63 ERA, while surrendering only 77 runs (third fewest). They are also 7th in fielding percentage (.987), committing only 14 errors this season. These are no doubt impressive numbers, but they can get even better.
Consider: Cody Bellinger and Joc Pederson, two of the team’s best hitters, haven’t gotten into a groove thus far, with the Bellinger batting an atrocious .211 and Pederson batting an abysmal .174. Even Justin Turner, hitting .272 this season, still seems out of sync, as is Max Muncy and his horrendous .192 batting average. This means there’s still a lot of room for improvement for a team already playing like a championship favorite.
Then again, the Dodgers have made the regular season their own showcase, winning more than 90 games in each of the past 7 seasons. The true test, of course, comes in the postseason, where the Dodgers came oh-so-close to winning it all twice, yet couldn’t quite get the job done. But it’s not that they can’t, as the Dodgers are built to achieve playoff success, too, with a mix of excellent offense, great defense, and solid pitching. While the team still has that same mix, they have been made better with the addition of Betts and veteran pitcher David Price as well as the continuing rise of Bellinger. This makes the Dodgers must-see baseball this season, especially when they’re playing at their best. If they can do that throughout the season and into the playoffs, the Dodgers might just get the job done this time.
Contributed by: Melissa Jordan
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