First Game Takeaways
I always try not to draw any conclusions from just one game, but I do have eyes, and here are a few things worth considering:
I always try not to draw any conclusions from just one game, but I do have eyes, and here are a few things worth considering:
- Teoscar Hernandez looks fitter than ever, and his bat looks ready. He just lost a ball in the sun. That does not concern me.
- Andy Pages impressed me with his pitch selection and solid hits.
- Zyhir Hope‘s weight training and thickness are going to be a problem for him. He has added a lot of muscle and weight over the last couple of years. He loves hitting balls out of sight, and his power is tremendous, but his bulging muscles do not impress me. He looks like a linebacker, not an outfielder.
- Strikeouts are Ryan Ward‘s Kryptonite. Shades of James Outman.
- Many fans have forgotten that Nick Senzel was once a highly touted prospect. He bears watching as he was once the #2 Draft Pick. He can play IF and OF. He is a nice RH bat, but is not on the 40-man roster.
- Luke Fox has a live arm and could move up rapidly. Look for him in 2027.
- The game against the Angels was more about how BAD they are, not how GOOD the Dodgers are.
- Ryan Fitzgerald is worth watching. He will be 31 shortly.
- Jack Suwinski is an interesting pickup. In 2023, he hit 26 HR and OPS’ed .793 in his Sophomore Season. Next, his strikeout percentage dropped, as did his hard hit rate… and he has tanked ever since. Still only 27, he’s “fixable.”
- I had forgotten about it, but long ago, I said that Gavin Lux was not a SS. It turns out I was right. I also said that he would be traded. I took a lot of flak for that one, too. Thanks to Brian for the reminder.
- For the record, I think Hyeseong Kim makes the opening day roster along with Rojas and Rushing. There could be some surprises as well. I think it is likely Alex Freeland starts at OKC, but he could play his way onto the team. So could some others.
- I will be at the games next Tuesday and Thursday at the Ranch.
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Discussion (32)
Disagree, not disagreeable
It’s called “showcasing.”
He has a real shot of breaking with the team.
Don’t sleep on Sirota.
Part of having a superteam is having long-term replacements in place in case of injury.
Mark, I remember several years ago you asked us to guess the opening day bullpen. I think it would be 1. Hard, 2. Very lucky if someone could guess OKC outfielders on there opening day. None are currently listed and we have an abundance of candidates. You try and make a guess then the club goes and signs another veteran. David Bote tore it up in spring training last year. He refused to play at OKC so he was placed on the restricted list. He’s still on it. When does that end and why would the Dodgers hold on to him. Thank you for your advice.
Now that he’s on the 40, it’s an easier pathway to playing in LA. Even easier if he can do it at multiple positions.
1. I would not even attempt to guess this bullpen. It’s a total crapshoot among about 500 pitchers. 2. Bote refused his assignment and was placed on the restricted list. He is likely to retire – officially,