For the 2023 season, the Dodgers had yet another wonderful Regular Season but disappointing Postseason. They finished the regular season with a 100-62 record, resulting in a winning percentage of .617 and placed them 1st in their division for yet another year and 100+ win season for the third straight year. They went 53-28 at home and 47-34 on the road. But they went into the postseason a completely different team, going 0-3 with a first round exit. Pathetic, embarrassing, disappointing. Their payroll for the year was $240,278,296, which ranked them sixth in the league. A team who had a ton of depth and super high expectations, ended with complete failure and disappointment. The Dodgers have won 317 games over the last 3 seasons and it is one of the most dominant 3-year stretches we've seen in MLB history but they don't even have a World Series appearance to show for it. Even though they had a great regular season, the review for the Dodgers is a big fail. Let's recap and review thier season.
Dodgers 2023 roster review:
Postion Players -
During the regular season, the offense was no issue. Dodgers scored 900 runs in a season for the 6th time in franchise history, 4th since joining the National League in 1890, and 1st in Los Angeles. They had 4 guys with 100+ RBI (Betts, Muncy, JD, Freeman).
CATCHERS - Will Smith played the most games at catcher this season with 111 games with a batting average (AVG) of .261, 19 HR, 76 RBI, on-base percentage (OBP) of .359, and slugging percentage (SLG) of .438. An amazing year and he finally got his first All-Star appearance, way overdue. He struggled towards the end of the season though but was the best Dodger hitter in this years postseason with 5 hits and .417 AVG.
Austin Barnes was the backup catcher with 53 games. A solid defensive catcher but a bad offensive player. Had a .180 AVG, 2 HR, 11 RBI, .498 OPS. Not good but he is the backup and doing his job at defense so not much you can ask for.
Austin Wynns spent a few weeks playing for the Dodgers as a catcher when Will Smith was on the IL. Wynns played 5 games for the Dodgers - .182 AVG, 2 RBI, in 11 at-bats before being DFA'ed.
INFIELDERS - At First Base was none other than Freddie Freeman playing 161 games. He had an amazing regular season but terrible postseason. He hit 59 doubles this season, one short from 60 which hasn't happened since 1936. He finished the regular season with a .331 AVG (3rd in MLB, 29 HR, 102 RBI, 23 SB, .977 OPS (6th in MLB), 211 hits (2nd in MLB). An amazing regular season making his 7th All-Star appearance but terrible postseason going 1-10. Freeman is usually a great postseason hitter (.285 AVG, .914 OPS in 179 ABs in postseason career) so this was a huge surprise.
At second base, as many probably have forgotten, but this was supposed to be an everyday postion for Miguel Vargas. Vargas was announced the Dodgers opening day second baseman. He played 81 games but was a huge disappointment, struggling hard offensively. He got sent down to Triple-A in July and never came back for the rest of season. He finished the year with a .195 AVG, 7 HR, 32 RBI, .672 OPS in 256 at-bats. Awful. This triggered a move to have Outfielder, Mookie Betts, to start at 2nd base for the majority of the rest of season. We'll go over how he did later.
At third base, Max Muncy spent the majority of the season there. He improved much more offensively than last season but still not the best. In the regular season, he had a .212 AVG, 36 HR, 105 RBI, .808 OPS in 135 games. Pretty nice with the homeruns but needs to improve his hitting and defense having 16 errors (6th most in MLB). In the postseason, like everyone else, struggled hard. He went 2-11 and even picked up an error. He needs to do better next season in both regular and postseason.
At shortstop, this was supposed to be an everyday postion for Gavin Lux who missed the whole 2023 season with a knee injury he got in Spring Training. This gave the shortstop role to Miguel Rojas, who was supposed to be the Dodgers back up infielder. Rojas spent 121 games at shortstop. While he was pretty good defensively, he not so good offensively. He had a .236 AVG, 5 HR, 31 RBI, 8 SB, .612 OPS. This was a huge downgrade from Trea Turner who signed with the Phillies this year. In the postseason however, Rojas was not too bad going 2-6.
Other notable infielders:
Kike Hernandez was traded back to the Dodgers in July and did not disappoint. Like in the past, he served as the Dodgers utility man but played primarily in the infield. He had a .262 AVG, 5 HR, 30 RBI, .731 OPS in 54 games for the Dodgers. He even made a nice contribution to the postseason going 3-8 with 2 RBI and only started 1 of their 3 games. A great acquisition this year but unfortunately he's a free agent now.
Amed Rosario was another pre-trade deadline acquisition in July and was solid. Did what was needed from him playing 2nd base for the first time in his career. Unfortunately he didn't make the postseason roster but in the regular season he had a .256 AVG, 3 HR, 18 RBI, .709 OPS in 48 games with the Dodgers.
Number 2 prospect Michael Busch made his MLB debut with the Dodgers this season playing mostly in the infield but was not ready for the big leagues. He had 4 errors at third base so wasn't the best defensively and hit pretty poorly. He had a .167 AVG, 2 HR, 7 RBI, .539 OPS in 27 games. He was fantastic in the Minors though and has a ton of potential so it is exciting to see how he does next year.
Former 2x Gold Glove winner, Kolton Wong, was signed on a minor league deal and called up in September. He played and hit pretty good with a .300 AVG, 2 HR, 8 RBI, .853 OPS in 20 games which earned him a spot on the postseason roster. Sadly, he was useless going 0-3 as a pinch hitter.
Yonny Hernandez was acquired last off-season for depth but spent most of the season in the Minors. He played 14 games in the Majors for the Dodgers with a .136 AVG, 4 RBI, .413 OPS. Not good.
Luke Williams was also acquired last off-season for depth and spent 4 games with the Dodgers going 1-10 before being waived.
OUTFIELDERS - In right field, but also spending a lot of time in the infield was Mookie Betts. He had an amazing MVP-type regular season making his 7th All-Star appearance but an absolute awful postseason. In the regular season he had a .307 AVG (6th in MLB), 39 HR (7th in MLB), 107 RBI, 14 SB, .987 OPS (5th in MLB) in 152 games. He was also nice with his defense as usual giving him a Gold Glove nomination this year. An amazing year that put him up against Ronald Acuna Jr. for NL MVP but realistically he probably won't get it and it will go to Acuna. Not only did Acuna have a nicer season, but Mookie Betts was absolutely useless in the postseason going 0-11. Absolutely inexcusable for a star player like him and hopefully next year he fixes that. Freeman and Betts lack of offense was a big part of Dodgers postseason failure.
At center field, rookie James Outman spent most of the time there. He had a .248 AVG, 23 HR, 70 RBI, 16 SB, .790 OPS in 151 games. Not a bad year for a rookie and is up there for Rookie of the Year. In the outfield, he was pretty nice but in the postseason in Game 1, he didn't catch a ball he should have which set the tone aside from Kershaw's awful pitching and that could have changed things in postseason. Nonetheless, a pretty solid year for Outman and looks like he should have a bright future.
In left field, was primarily David Peralta who was acquired in the off-season last year. At 36, Peralta is reaching towards the end of career but still had a solid season at his age and even earned a gold glove nomination. He had a .259 AVG, 7 HR, 55 RBI, and a .675 OPS in 133 games. In the postseason, he didn't contribute much especially agianst his old team going 1-6.
Chris Taylor was another utility man for the Dodgers this season who spent more time in outfield. Taylor has struggled offensively the past few years but had a higher OPS than last year. He had a .237 AVG, 15 HR, 56 RBI, 16 SB, .746 OPS in 117 games.
Jason Heyward was signed on a Minor League deal last year, eventually making the Opening Day roster. After struggling the past few years, he surprisingly had a nice year. He had a .269 AVG, 15 HR, 40 RBI, .813 OPS in 124 games. Pretty nice but was awful in the postseason going 0-7 with 4 strikeouts.
Other notable outfielders:
Trayce Thompson played with the Dodgers briefly in the beginning of the year but was awful. He really only had 1 impressive game where hit three home runs, including a grand slam, and drove in eight runs. With that game, Thompson became the first player in Major League history to drive in eight or more runs in their season debut since the RBI became an official statistic in 1920. But after that he was as bad as you can be until he eventually got injured, then traded. He had a .155 AVG, 5 HR, 14 RBI, .676 OPS with the Dodgers in 36 games.
Jonny Deluca made his big league debut with the Dodgers after being called up a few times and was pretty solid in his short time. He had a .262 AVG, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .740 OPS in 24 games.
Jake Marisnick signed with the Dodgers in July. Many fans were not okay with this move as he was part of the 2017 cheating Astros team. But he didn't play long going 2-5 then catching a season ending hamstring injury.
DESIGNATED HITTER - At DH, JD Martinez spent most of the season there. A wonderful off-season signing for the Dodgers as he had a wonderful season. He made his 6th All-Star appearance and had a .271 AVG, 33 HR, 103 RBI, .893 OPS, in 113 games for the Dodgers. Couldn't ask for more from a 36 year old. He didn't have a great postseason though like many but better than most Dodgers players going 2-10 with a Solo HR. He'll be a free agent this off-season so hopefully Dodgers will bring him back. If they manage to sign Shohei Ohtani, however, then the DH role will likely go to Ohtani.
The 2023 pitching rotation:
The Dodgers starting rotation was a mess and a weakness this season. They really only had 2-3 guys they can rely on becuase so many guys got injuries, or struggled, or were placed on the restricted list. Next season can very well be another mess if none of the young guys step up or if the front office doesn't make some changes this off-season. Here's who was included in the rotation this year.
STARTING PITCHING - Clayton Kershaw had a nice regular season but an absolute dreadful postseason. He was literally 2 different pitchers between the regular and postseason. In the regular season, he was fantastic earning his 10th all-star appearance with a 13-5 record, 2.46 ERA, 137 SO, in 131.2 IP (24 starts). Amazing. But in the postseason, he started Game 1 and had his worst outing in his post season career allowing 6 runs and only able to get 1 out in the 1st inning. Just a huge disappointment especially since it set the tone for the whole series. A future hall of famer for his work in the regular season for sure but just an awful postseason pitcher. He'll be a free agent this off-season and no one really knows what's next for him, could be retiring as he indicated he didn't know what's next for him himself. We'll see.
Bobby Miller made his big league debut this season in May and was great. Many didn't project for him to do this much this year but with all the injuries at starting pitching, Dodgers had no choice but to call him up and keep him. He did not disappoint and was arguably the 2nd best pitcher in the team this season. He had a 11-4 record, 3.76 ERA, 119 SO, in 124.1 IP (22 starts). Couldn't have asked for more for a rookie. But like Kershaw, he was not good in the postseason struggling early in the game. He pitched Game 2 and only went 1.2 innings allowing 3 runs and getting the loss. Not as disappointing as Kershaw, especially since he's only a rookie and being asked for so much your first year is not easy. So even though he didn't look good in playoffs, I think he has a chance to redeem himself the next time Dodgers reach the postseason.
Julio Urias was part of the starting rotation until things completely changed for him on September 3rd when he was arrested for a domestic violence case. This was a huge disappointment not only becuase Dodgers have been dealing with a ton of injuries for thier starting pitching but also Urìas ruined everything because of his temper and doing such senseless acts. He had a promising career ahead of him and could have been the next Dodgers ace but his time is undoubtedly finished with the Dodgers and likely his whole career is finished. This was his second domestic abuse, first time back in 2019, which makes this even worse. Super upsetting. He was placed on administrative leave but he'll likely not sign with anyone else in the future and his career will be done. Dodgers have even shown indication they've moved on from him by removing anything related to him from the Stadium and the stores. He finished with a worse year than usual going 11-8, with a 4.60 ERA, 117 SO, in 117.1 IP (21 starts).
Tony Gonsolin was coming off an All-Star year from last year this season but was no where as near as good. He struggled hard and then in August he was finished when he injured his arm and it was concluded that he needed Tommy John surgery likely keeping him out until 2025. Upsetting for him and for the team as Dodgers really needed starting pitching. He finished the year with a 8-5 record, 4.98 ERA, 82 SO, in 103 IP, (20 starts). Not good.
Michael Grove started 12 games for the Dodgers and was in the rotation for a bit. He also was used out of the bullpen a few times. But Grove was not good as a starter and struggled. He got injured and was sent down to the Minors a few times. Hopefully he gets better next year. He had a 2-3 record, 6.13 ERA, 73 SO, in 69 IP.
Noah Syndergaard started the year in the Dodgers rotation and was probably the worst starting pitcher for the Dodgers this year and the league. Each game he struggled hard until eventually he caught an injury and Dodgers were able to trade him for Amed Rosario. He had a 1-4 record, 7.16 ERA, 38 SO, in 55.1 IP (12 miserable starts). Terrible but good that he's gone.
Lance Lynn was a pre-trade deadline acquisition and immediately added to the rotation. He was once a profound starting pitcher but struggled hard this season. But once he came to the Dodgers he improved a bit. What he struggled with the most was allowing homeruns and he allowed a league leading 44 this season. Awful. In the postseason, he started Game 3 and that was a big mistake. He allowed 4 homeruns in 1 inning, a postseason record, which eventually led to a loss and elimination from the postseason. For the regular season with the Dodgers, he had a 7-2 record, 4.36 ERA, 47 SO, in 64 IP (11 starts). He's got a club option next season but I'm not so sure if it will be wise for the Dodgers to take it if Lynn struggles so much with HRs again.
Emmet Sheehan made his big league debut with the Dodgers mid-season becuase of all the injuries in the rotation. He had a phenomenal first MLB start having a no-hitter in 6 IP agianst the Giants before being taken out of the game. His 2nd game was nice too but after that he struggled. Overall, he had an okay year and I'm not sure he's ready to be part of the starting rotation next year but could be used in bullpen. He had a 4-1 record, 4.92 ERA, 64 SO, 60.1 IP (11 starts).
Other notable pitchers:
Dustin May, poor Dustin May. This was another huge hit to the rotation as May was having himself a nice year until he got injured and needed his 2nd Tommy John surgery in 2 years. The first was one was back in 2021. This was really tough. He's made only 20 starts the past 3 seasons and will likely miss all of next year. He finished the year with a 4-1 record, 2.63 ERA, 34 SO, 48 IP (9 starts).
Gavin Stone started 4 games for the Dodgers but was awful. In each of his 4 starts he allowed 5 or more runs. Even in his relief appearances he allowed runs. He's the Dodgers number 5 top prospect so hopefully he makes some serious changes soon. He finished the year with a 1-1 record, 9.00 ERA, 22 SO, 31 IP.
Ryan Pepiot made 3 starts for the Dodgers and was great. He was supposed to start the season in the starting rotation but caught an injury right before the season started which made him miss over 5 months. This was tough as he could have had an amazing year judging from what we saw in his few appearances. He didn't make any appearance in the postseason and many argue that he should have started Game 3 over Lynn. He finished the year with a 2-1 record, 2.14 ERA, 38 SO, in 42 IP.
And that was primarily the Dodgers starting pitching this year. They had to try 11 different guys as starters becuase of all the injuries and issues they dealt with. There were many times where Dodgers had only 2-3 starting pitchers available. Tough year in that department and could be a contribution to the Dodgers struggles during the year and in postseason. Typically, teams only roll with 5-7 starters the whole year. There were more than the players above who made starts but as openers, going only 1 inning. See how they did below.
Relievers for the Dodgers in 2023 were:
The bullpen started off slow but in the 2nd half was one of the best bullpens in the league. It finished ranked 3rd in the league with a 3.42 ERA. Here's who contributed.
Brusdar Graterol had an amazing year as a reliever this season and even allowed no runs in the postseason. He was arguably the Dodgers reliever of the year. Also, he closed out some close games. He had a 4-2 record, 1.20 ERA, 48 SO, 0.97 WHIP, 7 saves in 67.1 IP (68 games). Insane.
Evan Phillips had another nice season after the Dodgers discovered him last year. He technically was the Dodgers closer even though it's not official making 24 saves out of 27 tries. He wasn't as good as last year but still very nice. He even allowed no runs in the postseason. He finished the regular season with a 2-4 record, 2.05 ERA, 66 SO, 24 saves, in 61.1 IP. Really nice.
Caleb Ferguson was having himself a nice year until the last month. He made 7 starts as an opener for the pitcher coming after him after the 1st inning. Ferguson was much nicer last season but overall, his season was not too bad. He allowed no runs in the postseason too. He finished the regular season with a 7-4 record, 3.43 ERA, 70 SO, in 60.1 IP.
Alex Vesia got off to a really bad start this year and even got sent down to the Minors twice. It wasn't until July when he really stepped it up and look like his old self and got on the postseason roster allowing a run. He finished the regular season with a 2-5 record, 4.35 ERA, 64 SO, in 49.2 IP.
Yency Almonte struggled hard this year. After having an amazing year last season, he was a whole other guy. His season finished in early August due to injury. He had 3-2 record, 5.06 ERA, 49 SO, in 48 IP.
Phil Bickford started the year with the Dodgers before trading him to the Mets. The past 2 seasons Bickford hasn't been good for the Dodgers and they had to move on. He finished with a 2-3 record, 5.14 ERA, 48 SO, in 42 IP.
Shelby Miller was signed last off-season and he was a great addition to the bullpen. He was one of the best relievers this year but unfortunately missed over 2 months due to a neck injury. He came back in September allowing no runs and even made the postseason roster allowing no runs. Great signing. He finished the year with a 3-0 record, 1.71 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 42 SO in 42 IP.
Ryan Brasier was probably the Dodgers best mid-season acquistion this year. He was signed on a minor league deal in June after being waived by the Red Sox where he was awful. But he looked great in the Minors and was eventually called up and was lights out. He only allowed 3 runs in 38.2 IP (39 games) for the Dodgers. That's top-class. He did allow a run in the postseason but overall a fantastic year for the Dodgers. He finished the regular season with a 2-0 record, 0.70 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, 38 SO in 38.2 IP. Insane.
Ryan Yarbrough was a trade deadline acquistion for the Dodgers. He looked good for the Dodgers in August but had an awful September that caused him to be left off the postseason roster. He finished the year with a 4-2 record, 4.89 ERA, 38 SO, in 38.2 IP for the Dodgers.
Victor Gonzalez spent some time with the Dodgers this season but struggled and was sent down and up a few times. After having a nice first year in 2020, he hasn't been able to match that since and continues to struggle. He finished the year with 3-3 record, 4.01 ERA, 30 SO, in 33.2 IP.
Justin Bruihl started the year with the Dodgers and did have a good first month but struggled to show his worth for the Dodgers. He was bounced around the Minors and Majors a ton of times before the Dodgers just gave up on him and traded him to the Rockies where he was bad. He had potential but just couldn't show it. He finished with a 1-0 record, 4.07 ERA, 19 SO, in 24.1 IP with the Dodgers.
Andre Jackson started the year with the Dodgers before being traded to the Pirates. Jackson had a ton of potential and looked great his first 2 years. But this season when he had a chance to redeem his worth he blew it and pitched awful for the Dodgers. He got bounced around a few times in the Minors and Majors until Dodgers gave up on him and let him go. He finished the year with a 6.62 ERA in 17.2 IP.
Other notable relievers:
Gus Varland returned to the Dodgers from the Brewers mid-season after spending time in the Dodgers org in 2021. He got called up in August and looked good before he got a season ending injury in September. He had a 1-1 record, 3.09 ERA, in 11.2 IP.
Joe Kelly was traded back to the Dodgers along with Lance Lynn a few days before the trade deadline. Kelly pitched very nice for the Dodgers but he spent about a month on the IL before coming back the last few weeks of the season. He made the postseason roster allowing no runs. Kelly had a 1-0 record, 1.74 ERA, 19 SO, in 10.1 IP.
Nick Robertson made his big league debut with the Dodgers mid-season but struggled. Rather then sending him down, there was an opportunity to acquire Kike Hernandez so they included him in the trade to Boston. He had 0-1 record, 6.10 ERA in 10.1 IP with the Dodgers.
Bryan Hudson made his big league debut mid-season as well. Didn't look good or ready for the Majors and was bounced around a lot from Minors to Majors. Finished with 7.27 ERA in 8.2 IP.
Wander Suero made his Dodger debut this year after spending 4 years with the Nationals. He didn't look good and after being sent down a few times he elected free agency. Had a 7.88 ERA in 8 IP.
Tayler Scott was on the Dodgers roster briefly before being traded to Boston. Didn't pitch well.He had a 9.00 ERA in 6 IP with the Dodgers.
Dylan Covey was on the roster briefly before being waived. He had a 4.50 ERA in 4 IP.
Tyson Miller was acquired mid-season from the Brewers before being waived, then claimed by the Mets, then waived, then claimed back by the Dodgers before being waived again. He was first acquired because Dodgers needed relievers but allowed 2 runs his only appearance. Then when he came back he allowed no runs in 2 IP but they had to let him go because there was no room for him. Tough. He had a 4.50 ERA in 4 IP with the Dodgers.
Daniel Hudson returned from injury after missing a year but Hudson only pitched 3 innings before catching yet another season ending injury straining his MCL. That's rough. He only pitched 3 scoreless innings in 2023.
Kyle Hurt made his big league debut in September making only 1 appearance before being sent back down. He looked really good pitching 2 scoreless innings with 3 strikeouts but there just wasn't room for him. He gets a ton of strikeouts in the Minors so can't wait to see him potentially playing more next year.
Tyler Cyr spent a few days on the Dodgers roster before catching a season ending shoulder injury. He allowed no runs in 1.2 IP.
Adam Kolarek spent a few days on the Dodgers roster before being waived and eventually traded to the Mets. He allowed no runs in 1.1 IP.
Jake Reed made 1 appearance before being waived and eventually electing free agency. In that 1 appearance, he allowed 6 runs 0.2 IP.
And that was pretty much the Dodger bullpen. Some position players pitched like Miguel Rojas, Yonny Hernandez, and Luke Williams but they were only in when the game was a blowout so they don't really count. Bullpen looked really good this year and there's some potential from the Minors, too.
The Dodgers' 2023 regular season (not postseason), in my opinion, was a success with all the injuries, player struggles, and legal battle they dealt with. Going into the season, there was a lot of uncertainty for the team performance. They lost Trea Turner, Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, Tyler Anderson (who pitched great last year), and more and they didn't really make any big acquisition's last off-season to replace who they lost. They had a pretty slow start to start the year and many believed that the Dodgers glory days were over. The Dodgers didn't make any noise until mid-July came where they started to go off. During that time, it was a really close battle (within 1-2 games) for 1st in the NL West with Arizona and San Francisco but once August startedthat's when they ran away with the 1st place lead. The bullpen started to be on fire, offense was going off, and starting pitching was also pretty good. By the end of August they had a comfortable 13 game lead in first place with one month left in the season. They went 24-5 in August. In that month, they had to postpone a game for the first time in many years due to Hurricane Hilary in SoCal. On September 16, the Dodgers clinched a playoff berth for the 11th straight year, and captured their 10th NL West title during that span. During the regular season, the 2023 Los Angeles Dodgers went 34-18 against their NL West opponents. In one-run games, or games that went into extra innings, the 2023 Los Angeles Dodgers went 18-18. During the regular season, the 2023 Los Angeles Dodgers went 6-6 in extra inning games. The longest win streak during the regular season for the 2023 Los Angeles Dodgers was a 11 game winning streak. The longest losing streak that the Los Angeles Dodgers had during the 2023 regular season was 4 games, which happened once during the season.
They ended the season with a 16 game lead over Arizona and a bye in the Wildcard series, but obviously that meant nothing.
Hurts to talk about this section but the NLDS started on October 7 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. They lost Game 1 at home when Kershaw allowed 6 runs in the 1st inning and was pulled after just 1 out. The bullpen struggled as well allowing 5 more runs, eventually losing the game 11:2. Then came Game 2 on October 9 at home. Bobby Miller started that game and just like Kershaw, struggled in the 1st inning allowing 3 runs. But this time it wasn't entirely the pitching fault. The offense only needed to overcome 3 runs and failed to do that, eventually losing the game 4:2. Finally came Game 3 on October 11 in Arizona. The NLDS is a best-of-5 so it only takes 3 games to win. Lance Lynn started that game and although he looked good the first 2 innings, all hell broke loose in the third when Lynn allowed 4 homeruns that inning, a postseason record. But again, this was not entirely the pitching fault. For the third straight game, the offense was non-existent. Although the starting pitching was bad, the games were winnable but the offense was a huge let down. They lost Game 3 4:2.... And they got swept in the NLDS by the D-Backs in 3 games for a first round exit. First time being swept in postseason since the 2006 NLDS against the New York Mets. MVPs Betts and Freeman in the NLDS were 1-21 combined. Inexcusable for the money they are getting. Offense with runners in scoring position was 4-17. The Dodgers' starters in the 2023 NLDS combined: 4.2 IP, 13 ER (25.08 ERA), 16 H, 5 HR, 3 BB, 2 K. Disgusting. All that hard work and impressive work in the first 162 games, literally meant nothing. Over the years, other than Houston Astros, it seems like the Wildcard teams had more success in the playoffs. Perhaps, the formula is to not be the best in the regular season, but to be the underdog?
The Dodgers had 5 players selected for the 2023 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, which was played in Seattle on July 11. Betts, Freeman and Martinez were all selected as starters, while Will Smith was a reserve and Kershaw was selected but unable to participate due to injury.
So what now for the Dodgers? In the future, the Dodgers face some uncertainty. They don't have a clear and strong starting rotation. As of right now, it's only Bobby Miller who should be in it. But with Kershaw being a free agent and considering retirement, Urias probably going to jail and never pitching again, Gonsolin and May out for 2024, and Lynn on a club option that might get denied, there really is no one. Ryan Pepiot is an option but he's not a proven starter just yet. Dodgers front office is going to have to work hard this off-season on starting pitching. They need to prioritize the signing of Shohei Ohtani, one of the best baseball players on the planet. The bullpen is looking good but some more depth won't hurt. As for the offense, the infield needs a lot of help, specially at 2nd base and 3rd base. Perhaps top prospect, Michael Busch, but can't say anything for sure. Muncy has a club option but with his struggles at third base and offense, the Dodgers should deny the club option if they can find someone better. The outfield will need some help as well specially at left field with David Peralta being a free agent. But even if Peralta is re-signed, he is 36, which means he's getting old and isn't the same as he used to be. So the Dodgers front office needs to put in some work this offseason or the Dodgers can risk missing out on the postseason next year for the first time since 2012.
Dodger Awards:
Team MVP - Mookie Betts
Although he had a awful postseason, his regular season was top tier and probably only Ronald Acuna JR was better this year. In the regular season he had a .307 AVG (6th in MLB), 39 HR (7th in MLB), 107 RBI, 14 SB, .987 OPS (5th in MLB) in 152 games. Plus he was amazing in defense as usual being nominated for a Gold Glove award in Outfield and as a utility player. He needs to work on improving his swing in high pressure situations like the postseason and he'll be top of the league.
Best Hitter - Freddie Freeman
Although he was also an awful hitter in the postseason, he still had an amazing regular season. He finished the regular season with a .331 AVG (3rd in MLB, 29 HR, 102 RBI, 23 SB, .977 OPS (6th in MLB), 211 hits (2nd in MLB). He is a hitting machine and just needs to improve his HRs and he can be considered an MVP.
Best Pitcher - Clayton Kershaw
Yes, I'm aware he had the worst postseason ever that should give him the worst pitcher award but he had a top class regular season and if he didnt get injured during the season he could have been a CY Young contender no doubt. He had a 13-5 record, 2.46 ERA, 137 SO, in 131.2 IP (24 starts). He's got one of the lowest ERAs in a pitchers career since 1920 and now number 2 on Dodgers all-time win list.
Reliever of the Year - Brusdar Graterol
Graterol had one of the best years as a reliever in the league. Ryan Brasier also had a good year but he didn't play the whole year with the Dodgers as Graterol did so this award goes to Graterol. He had a 4-2 record, 1.20 ERA, 48 SO, 0.97 WHIP, 7 saves in 67.1 IP (68 games).
Dodgers Rookie of the Year - James Outman/Bobby Miller
It's got to go to both players. They both stepped up when they were needed the most. There really is no everyday Center Fielder for the Dodgers to play well in the outfield and hit good other than Outman. And Dodgers desperately needed starting pitching and Bobby Miller was arguably the 2nd best pitcher on the team. Both deserve this honor.
Best Minor League Player - Michael Busch
Although he didn't hit well in the majors this season, he was lights out in the Minors. (.323/.431/.618, 57 XBH, 27 HR, 90 RBI in just 98 games played). Insane. He also won the 2023 Pacific Coast League Most Valuable Player. He's had a taste of Major League experience this year and he may be coming in hot next season.
Records broken this season:
Most doubles in Dodger history - 59 (Freddie Freeman)
Most wins in a calendar month in LA Dodger history - 24 (August 2023)
Grand Slams at lead off - 5 (Mookie Betts tied the record)
Most RBI in lead off spot MLB history - 105 (Mookie Betts)
Number of players with 100+ RBI in a season for Dodgers - 4 (Betts, Freeman, JD, Muncy)
Most HR allowed in postseason inning - 4 (Lance Lynn)
I'm sure there's more records broken by Dodgers this season just need to remember.
27 Players on IL this season:
Daniel Hudson - MCL Sprain, pitched only 3 games
Tony Gonsolin - went on IL twice, first time missed first month of season with ankle injury. 2nd time was in August with season ending Tommy John surgery
Ryan Pepiot - missed first 5 months with oblique injury
Will Smith - missed about 2 weeks with concussion
Miguel Rojas - missed about 2 weeks with hamstring injury
Michael Grove - went on IL twice, missed around 2-3 months total
JD Martinez - went on IL twice, missed about 1-1.5 month total
Julio Urias - missed over a month with hamstring injury, then placed on restricted list in September
Phil Bickford - missed about 3 weeks with back injury
Max Muncy - missed about a week with hamstring injury
Shelby Miller - missed over 2 months with neck injury
Chris Taylor - missed about 3 weeks with knee injury
Clayton Kershaw - missed over a month with shoulder injury
Jonny Deluca - missed about a month with hamstring injury
Joe Kelly - missed a month with forearm injury
Wander Suero - missed about 2 weeks with back injury
Yency Almonte - missed rest of season in mid-August with knee injury
Jimmy Nelson - missed entire season with elbow injury
Walker Buehler - missed entire season with elbow injury
Blake Treinen - missed entire season with shoulder injury
JP Feyereisen - missed entire season with shoulder injury
Gavin Lux - missed entire season with ACL injury
Tyler Cyr - missed most of season with shoulder injury
Alex Reyes - missed entire season with shoulder injury
Jake Marisnick - missed rest of season with hamstring injury, only played 4 games
Dustin May - missed rest of season in May with Tommy John
Gus Varland - missed rest of season with knee injury
6 on Paternity List
Yency Almonte
Mookie Betts
Caleb Ferguson
Brusdar Graterol
Max Muncy
Evan Phillips
3 on Bereavement leave:
Clayton Kershaw
Lance Lynn
Shelby Miller
As you can see, the starting pitching was heavily affected by injuries which contributed to the starting rotation mess. Even relievers were affected. Hopefully we'll see a lot of these guys back next season but for sure Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin we won't see as they are nursing a Tommy John surgery.
MLB debuts (9):
Michael Busch
Jonny Deluca
Bobby Miller
Emmet Sheehan
Gavin Stone
Gus Varland
Nick Robertson (on new team now)
Bryan Hudson
Kyle Hurt
New Players with Dodgers:
JD Martinez
David Peralta
Miguel Rojas (2nd stint)
Jason Heyward
Kike Hernandez (2nd stint)
Amed Rosario
Kolten Wong
Yonny Hernandez
Austin Wynns (on new team now)
Luke Williams (on new team now)
Jake Marisnick
Lance Lynn
Noah Syndergaard (on new team now)
Shelby Miller
Ryan Brasier
Ryan Yarbrough
Joe Kelly (2nd stint)
Wander Suero
Taylor Scott (on new team now)
Dylan Covey (on new team now)
Tyson Miller
Tyler Cyr
Adam Kolarek (2nd stint, on new team now)
+all the guys making MLB debuts above
Players gone:
Trayce Thompson
Austin Wynns
Luke Williams
Noah Syndergaard
Phil Bickford
Justin Bruihl
Andre Jackson
Nick Robertson
Tayler Scott
Dylan Covey
Adam Kolarek
Free agents:
Clayton Kershaw
Lance Lynn (club option)
Julio Urias
Max Muncy (club option)
Kike Hernandez
JD Martinez
Joe Kelly (club option)
Blake Treinen (club option)
Amed Rosario
Daniel Hudson (club option)
David Peralta
Kolten Wong
Shelby Miller
Jimmy Nelson
Alex Reyes (club option)
Jake Marisnick
Tyson Miller
Zack Burdi
Wander Suero
Jason Heyward
Robbie Erlin
Matt Andriese
Biggest needs:
Starting pitching - like I mentioned before there really is not set starting rotation for the Dodgers next season and the only person who will certainly be in it is Bobby Miller (unless God forbid, he gets injured). Everyone knows you can't roll with a 1-man starting rotation, that's impossible. So they need to pick up some starting pitchers or look into their farm system. Ryan Pepiot is a great option but not proven. If he is added, a 5-man starting rotation is ideal so they'll need to find 3 more guys. Kershaw is an option to re-sign and Ohtani would be nice but with his current elbow injury he won't be ready to pitch next year. Other hot free agents include Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, Aaron Nola or Japanese star pitcher, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who's projected to be in the MLB next year.
Infield - Currently we know that Freddie Freeman will be the everyday first baseman and Gavin Lux, if healthy, will be the everyday shortstop. But it's uncertain who will play at 2nd and 3rd base. Muncy has a club option but he hasn't been his best. Michael Busch can be an option at 2nd or 3rd but he's not proven yet to be an everyday player in the MLB. Mookie Betts did play 2nd base but he's likely going back to right field next season. So the front office needs to shop around for options.
Left Field - David Peralta will be a free agent this offseason. Even if he does re-sign, Peralta is getting old and declining. It may be better for the Dodgers to find a more younger and promising guy.
Postseason specialists - there are guys out there who don't necessarily have the best regular season but have amazing postseasons. It may be wise to find some guys like that even if they aren't that great in the regular season.
22 players will be free agents. A lot of guys that Dodgers can lose so the front office will have to be very aggressive this off-season for new players and for bringing players back. Theres a lot of players on the Dodgers free agent list that should be re-signed.
What's next?
One thing for sure is they need to figure out the formula to do good in the postseason. It's been too many years now where they've had an amazing regular season and awful postseason. Whether that's hiring an expert, or signing the best postseason players, they need to figure something out. But what's also important is maintaining a playoff team, if they figure out to play good in postseason. that won't do them any good if they can't make it. Like I mentioned earlier. Lot of things are uncertain for next year and if the front office does a bad job this off-season, Dodgers can become a non-playoff team. Lot of free agents and lot of changes need to be made. Dodgers president, Andrew Friedman, already confirmed Dave Roberts is staying along with the whole coaching staff so it's really up to the front office to make changes on the roster. Follow me and my instagram @sports_news_la for any Dodgers news and scores! I'll definetly be posting any news to come in the future there.
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