Midseason Grades: Dodgers
Record: 46-49, 2nd place
The Good: So far this year, the Dodgers have had a ridiculous slew of injuries at almost every position but have been able to remain in the playoff hunt as a result of playing in baseball’s worst division, the N.L. West. While management has been critical of the young players, they are the ones have actually kept the Dodgers in playoff contention so far. Twenty-five year old catcher Russell Martin leads the team in Batting Average (.300), home runs (10), and runs (48). Twenty-three year old outfielder Matt Kemp and twenty-four year old first baseman James Loney lead the team with 48 RBIs respectively. Twenty-three year old pitcher Chad Billingsley leads the team with eight victories. Twenty-two year old third baseman Blake DeWitt has surprised fans and management with his 34 RBIs and 31 runs scored. Without these young players, the Dodgers would likely be competing with the Padres for last place in the division.
The Bad: As with any sub-500 baseball team, there were a lot of things that went wrong during the first half of the season. The most obvious is the acquisition of Andruw Jones, who was signed to a two year $36 million dollar contract. So far this year, Jones is batting a measly .164 with just 2 HRs, 10 RBIs and 19 runs. Yes, he is really getting paid $18 million dollars a year. However, Jones isn’t the only overpriced veteran who is underperforming this year. Last year Brad Penny, the Dodgers’ ace, started the All-Star Game for the National League, but is 5-9 with a 5.88 ERA so far this year. Number two starter Derek Lowe is also having his fair share of difficulty on the mound with an ERA that is getting ever close to four. Outfielder Juan Pierre continues to show that he is incapable of being a leadoff hitter or even an everyday starter. He always plays hard, but his .277 batting average and .327 OBS are too hard to overwork. If the Dodgers are going to make a serious run at the division crown than they must get more production from the veterans.
The Future: If guys like Rafael Furcal and Brad Penny can return to the lineup in good health and revert to their old form than the Dodgers have a good shot at reaching the playoffs. It’s unlikely that GM Ned Colletti or Owner Frank McCourt will acquire a big-time pitcher or power bat through a trade so the roster isn’t going to instantly improve. However, they trail the Diamondbacks by just one game so it’s very likely that this team can still make the playoffs this season.
Grade: B-
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Comment by Matt on 16 July 2008:
Isn’t it sad that you can have a losing record and still be in the playoff hunt?
Too bad the D-Backs couldn’t keep playing well.
It’s also too bad that the Padres are terrible.