Great Lakes Lone Victor for LAD Affiliates

No complaints after a win? How about the fact that the offense still does not look lethal. They scored 4 runs, yep, enough to win because of the pitching. Encouraging signs, 2 doubles by Tucker and Betts homering for the first time since coming off of the IL. Let’s see if they can solve Roupp and get a split. Last time they faced him he shut them down on 3 hits allowing just 1 run. If they can do that, then I will feel that maybe they are coming out of their malaise. Just stating the facts. I know if these guys start hitting, they will start winning. I see little evidence of that over the last week or so.

The Top 100 MLB Prospects List has been updated 5/13/26: 7 Dodger Prospects Included De Paula #9 OF Hope #20 OF Quintero #38 OF Sirota #42 OF Morales #57 SS R Ryan #81 RHP Davalan #99 OF

The only one drafted on this list was Davalan last year and he technically was part of Gavin Lux trade with the Reds last year. All the others on the list were International signings or acquired by trade.

AAA players and pitchers are no longer the default top prospects in most systems. AAA is much different that it used to be, or maybe a little different.

Interesting and cool.

And there is no way it will be this low for the remainder of the season. You can basically bet your paycheck that Skenes will end the year with a sub 2 ERA and significantly more innings pitched while most likely having superior stats in most categories. Nothing against Shohei he is insane but from a starting pitching perspective Skenes is on another level. He also already has 6 wins and if he gets 20+ for the year … .ON THE PIRATES they have to give it to him.

That’s what happens when you don’t get any top 40 draft picks for 6 years. International picks and trades are your only options. But management did pretty good with the hand they were dealt.

THANK YOU! It seems as if when a fan wants to express concern about the team there’re painted as a Debbie Downer, or not a real fan or a fair weather fan. But, the other view, the so far so good as a guy plunges 12 stories from a high rise view is viewed as the REAL Dodger fan. I’m 71, and have been a real fan since I was 8. I believe we are all REAL fans here and it takes different viewpoints to run a business (a successful one anyway)or a team. Clearly the lineup juggling taking place reflects the fact that Dodger management is also very concerned. Problems are NEVER solved by ignoring them OR criticizing those with a different viewpoint. NO ONE on this site has a vote in the Dodger boardroom or dugout! So, let’s be respectful, let’s assume we all pull for the Dodgers and others views although they might differ from our own is coming from someone hoping the Dodgers are going to win their 3rd! I agree with Old Bear, great we won, but let’s hope we don’t have to pitch shutouts to win.

Sirota needs to move up. More Hurt less Treinen.

Thanks, I am 77, will be 78 in about a month. Have been following the Dodgers since 55. Sorry, but if they win today, that makes them 3-4 on the homestand, I do not consider that a good homestand, especially coming off of a 5-8 road trip.

well said, Old Guy

Ohtani looked great with all his pitches. He just keeps hitters guessing with his wide variety of pitches that he can locate. Having 101 in the tank doesn’t hurt. I was mildly surprised and happy that Dod let him get through 7 and 105 pitches. Jesus Rodriquez, the Giant’s catcher is what I call an “ER”. That’s a catcher without the “catch”. Here’s a guy who should never catch with a knee down which promotes him being a matador back there. WTF was Adames going on the deep fly to Pages in the 7th, ending a Giants rally? Arraez is a perfect example of a player that you love as a teammate and despise as an opponent. He’s a pest at the plate at the plate and seems like a prick. James Jean, a call up, was great all night behind the dish. There was one challenge all night and it was a biggie. Will challenged an Ohtani ball call that lead to an out instead of a walk. Will is pretty good with challenges.

Is it just my imagination or is it coincidence that when the Dodgers have a series with probably playoff team, the bottom side of the rotation is pitching. In theory it makes sense being the opposing hitters won’t see that pitcher until the playoffs. The pitching rotation is tentatively set before the season starts. There are minor adjustments due to injuries or a match up. I was a long time basketball coach and absolutely you push the pedal harder in certain times in the season. We wanted to peake at Christmas, back off a bit then peak at our midseason tournament, back off a little bit and then hit your ceiling in post season. There were many ways to do it through the tenacity of practice the length of practice and especially earlier in the season by the minutes a player was on the floor during a game. If a coached cracked the whip from the beginning to the end the players will burn out. Of course you try to win every game. All the work is put in with scouting reports and such but to be considered being a great team it mattered what happened in post season

I had a chat with AI, and here it is (I think it’s spot on): “The Dodgers have won the World Series Three out of the last Six Years. They are in a funk right now and not playing well. I believe it is human nature to have a little entitled or lazy attitude right about now. Can we expect them to turn it on later?” That’s absolutely possible, and honestly, pretty common for veteran championship teams. The emotional fuel tank is different when you’ve already climbed Everest three times and the regular season is Game 41 instead of Game 161. The hard part for fans is this: dynasties rarely look hungry in May. The current Los Angeles Dodgers are built like a cruise missile, not a bottle rocket. They are designed for October durability, not daily emotional theater. A few things tend to happen with teams like this: Veterans pace themselves subconsciously Injured stars create lineup instability Players stop treating random Tuesday games in Milwaukee like a state funeral Winning becomes an expectation instead of an adrenaline hit That can absolutely bleed into stretches where they look flat, careless, or weirdly uninspired. But there’s another side to it. Championship teams often have a “switch” not because they are lazy, but because they understand the season’s geometry. The Dodgers know a 162-game season is a giant ocean voyage, not a drag race. They’ve learned that being emotionally maxed-out in May can leave you cooked by October. So they conserve. Sometimes intentionally. Sometimes accidentally. The key question is not: “Are they playing badly right now?” It’s: “Do they still have elite underlying talent and enough internal urgency to re-engage later?” Usually with the Dodgers, the answer is yes. You’ve seen this movie before: 10 days where the offense looks like everyone’s swinging pool noodles Bullpen chaos Fans declaring civilization over Then suddenly they win 16 of 20 and everybody acts like they discovered fire again Also, championship complacency tends to disappear fast once: * the standings tighten, * a rival gets loud, * players get healthy, * or October starts appearing on the horizon. That said, there is a danger zone for veteran teams. Sometimes “we know how to turn it on later” quietly morphs into “we assumed we could turn it on later.” Baseball has a way of punishing autopilot. Especially if age, injuries, or bullpen erosion start piling up underneath the surface. But if we’re talking probabilities? A talented Dodgers roster with proven stars, organizational depth, and playoff-tested veterans is still one of the last teams I’d assume is “done” because of a sloppy stretch in May. Dodger fan panic every spring is its own seasonal weather pattern anyway. One cold streak and people start acting like the Titanic hit an iceberg made of OPS+ charts.

NO Treinen. Time to move on from him.

Found out my passenger when I was smacked from behind at Dairy Queen yesterday, suffered a broken rib near her spine. Wow.

We’ll see, Ill take Ohtani….

I stand with what I said. It is pitching and defense that will win a title. And what was the reason for the win. Was it Ohtani’s pitching or Espinal’s HR. Espinal will be somewhere else at the end of the month. I agree that Betts’ HR was positive. I do believe he will run into 1 every now and again, but I do not think he will be as prolific at hitting HRs. He is not a 20-30 HR guy anymore. If he were 26-28 years old I would agree he will find a way out of the slump. But at 33, his bat speed is down. Mookie’s bat speed has never been elite, but his last good year was 2023 and it was at 71.4 (38th percentile). 2024 and 2025 it was down to 69. He used to be a fantastic doubles hitter. I would hope for more line drives at 70 MPH than flyballs at 69. When something is not there anymore, he is a great enough athlete to adjust. The most positive thing I saw last night was Teo’s opposite field single wRISP. I want to see more of that. He is not a 25 -35 HR guy anymore, and he does have the ability to stay back and go to right. He does that well. He too on occasion will run into one, but HR production is no longer much of a factor for him. He used to be a run producer even with a bad season in Seattle (93 RBI) or last year (89). He is on pace for 15 HR and 68 RBI. If we need to relax and be patient for Teo to get back to where he used to be, it will be a long season. In the interim, I will be looking for more 4-0 games won by pitching and defense.

I agree with all said. J-Hey is a special person, and character is important. On the baseball side, I hope he works with the OF defense in MiLB. The top Dodger prospects are OF, and it would be hard to find a better OF mentor than J-Hey.

Mariners traded Jose Suarez to the A’s and then had to place Cal Raleigh on the 10-day IL with an oblique strain. Bet it takes longer then 10 days. C Francisco Alvarez of the Mets underwent surgery for a torn meniscus. Twins optioned Waldner and Adams to AAA. Called up Kreidler and Mathews to take their place. Soto left the Mets game against the Tigers with an ankle injury. Matt Mervis signed with a Mexican League team. Pitched for the Cubs in 25. Nice to see LA hire Heyward. Good guy and had some nice moments in blue. Angels placed Pomeranz on the IL. Liam Hendricks agreed to a minor league deal with the Cubs. Giolito to make his Padres debut this weekend.

I take offense to your spring panic reference. Last year I didn’t panic until August!

Not usually AF’s MO. I think there will be no decision on Blake until at least the All-Star break. Then if needed, they trade for a replacement. But you know how they love their vets.

I am not too impressed with AI as a source. A recent article in the LA Times in April noted that “Three attorneys have been accused of submitting AI-generated court filings in California that cite nonexistent and irrelevant legal decisions.” I recently took an ethics class which addressed the same issue. AI invented case citations that didn’t exist to support a lawyer’s arguments, resulting in sanctions for the lawyer. When Open AI introduced a new version of Chat GPT in in April 2025 and the subsequent release of GPT-5 in August 2025, which, while meant to improve safety, triggered intense emotional reactions and feelings of loss among users deeply attached to earlier, more flattering versions, according to the NY Times. I listened to a broadcast where psychologists discussed patients who became very attached to previous versions which basically told them whatever they wanted to hear. There is enough evidence that AI tells people what they want to hear and makes stuff up that I would never cite it as proof of anything.

I keep close tabs on Miggy Vargas because several people really rode me hard for predicting that he was going to be a “very good player, not a superstar.” Today, he is hitting .240 with a .376 OB%, .473 SLG, and .849 OPS. He has 9 HR and 30 BB in 146 ABs. Miguel Vargas at 3B is kind of a “bat-first player trying to convince everyone he owns a glove.” He’s not a disaster over there, but he’s generally viewed as below-average defensively at third. 1B or DH may be his best position, but I think his bat will continue to get better.

Probably too much swing and miss. His strikeout rate is up to 27%.. He does not have a plus tool. Afte his fast start, he had 7 HR and 12 RBI at April 4 (8 games). SInce then, he has 4 HR and 15 RBI (21 games). His last HR was April 26. He has three doubles thus far in May for his only XBH. His OPS for May is .577. He is a future MLB player. Is he a future All Star? Is he a future everyday player? Fangraphs rates him as a 45 FV which is not top 100. The first part of his Fangraphs Scouting Report: “Scouts who watched Tibbs last year all see a useful player, but they’re divided on whether the hit/power combo is good enough to carry an everyday role on a playoff team. ” He has good plate discipline with good bat speed. He is a good prospect, just not elite.