All bets are in and the overwhelming consensus is that this year’s title is the Los Angeles Dodgers to lose. Although we have seen them lose from this position before, we believe that this is the year because of the unique strength and depth in the team. Where before frailties came to the fore when the arbitrary nature of the play-offs kicked in, this year there are more than enough solutions to counter these problems. Let’s get into the details of the strengths of this season’s best-ever Dodger’s team.
Power
The Los Angeles Dodgers have an unbelievably powerful lineup. They lead the league with 107 home runs, first in Exit Velocity at close to 90mph, and a hard-hit percentage of nearly 45%. What does all this mean? Well, when a Dodger’s player hits the ball it stays hit… hard.
It is not just brute force though. They use power with strategy. They are the most successful team at launching the ball exactly where it is needed to maximize their run-scoring opportunities. It is not just about getting a true hit and letting it sail off wherever. You need the power along with the optimal angle to get the most offensive success. They are undoubtedly the best at this in the MLB.
Discipline
It is not just that they have massive offensive power with the bat – it is that they know when to leave a bad ball alone. They know to lay off bad pitches – as they have a 26.3% swing rate at pitches outside the strike zone. This is by far the lowest in the league. When each of the offensive players is quantified based on their total value overall, the Dodgers’ lineup comes in at 153 and the next highest is 145 – a huge dominance.
Depth
It is the sheer depth and breadth of talent in the Bullpen that gives the Dodgers the greatest chance of dominating in this wild-card World Series. While there have been problems with consistency with some key players, others show their colors instead. The Dodgers’ ability to limit walks and hard contact from opposing hitters means that they dominate the stats.
What is good news for Dodgers’ fans is that the one-two punch is on track to peak during the wild card end to the season. While there were many questions about Kershaw and Buehler at the start of the season, most report that they are now firing and riding high. The velocity of both pitchers is high – and Beuhler particularly looks like he has found his best form for the latter part of the season.
All-Stars
All this quality is fine and dandy but in reality, a World Series sometimes comes down to a bit of stardust. You need that one player with an aura to step up and do something special. In Mookie Betts, the Dodgers have a genuine MVP contender again. Most feel Betts has exceeded expectations in his first 28 games with the team – as he has not only produced at the plate but also offered some elite defense. The crowd – if there was one – loved the 11 home runs too. He is certainly a strong presence in the clubhouse and one that could easily rouse the energies for the rest of the team.
It is not just the tangibles that can be quantified in the stats, it is the whole package that makes him a genuine MVP contender. Most experts put him at the top of the rankings for the whole of the MLB
Kenley Jansen had an awful season in 2019. However, he has returned to his elite levels this season – and while his velocity is down his variety is up. He is mixing his three pitches more and forcing the hitter to work harder into the bargain. He is now less reliant on his cutter, which began to make him so predictable. While it might be too early to get carried away – as the sample size for the stats is small – we have to remember that everything about this season is full of small sample sizes. He only needs to continue the pattern through October to help secure the Dodgers’ rightful claim on the title.
Trades
Finally, the LA Dodgers benefit most from having no obvious glaring needs that would require any trading. There are real doubts about how the trades can happen this year and makes everything feel a little more random. However, the only problem the Dodgers face is having too much talent. Remember Tony Gonsolin – quite the impressive pitcher – he was optioned to their alternative training camp but is now expected to rejoin the Dodgers for the playoffs. What a problem to have!
While you might accuse us of bleeding blue and being overly positive in our assessment of the Dodgers, there is no doubting their dominance. We are well aware that this team has been the best in the league and still lost the championship – but with the shorter series, we are convinced that they will get the job done.
