This is the Worst Team in the History of Baseball!

In case, I have to explain it (and I am sure I will), that is sarcasm. Actually, the 1899 Cleveland Spiders own the worst single-season record of all time (minimum 120 games) and for all eras, finishing at 20–134. This didn’t happen much last season, but it has happened with regularity the previous five or six seasons. What didn’t happen in 2020 was that the Dodgers really never had a losing streak like the one the Dodgers are currently mired in, but when it does happen, the fans immediately turn on Dave Roberts, Andrew Friedman, and a few selected players.

Now, mind you, I do not think Andrew Friedman is perfect. He has made his share of mistakes, like right about now, I wish he had drafted Bo Bichette instead of Gavin Lux. Yes, I realize Lux can still transform into a star, but right about now, he looks lost and confused and there is no other way to spin it.

Then we hear AF being criticized for trading Flora and Kolarek. Yeah, Adam Kolarek’s 8.44 ERA would be a huge asset to this bullpen! <sarcasm alert>. Dylan Floro has always been a complementary piece in the bullpen and while his 1.42 ERA and only 1 blown save (in his only save opportunity) would be nice, the fact of the matter is that he was surplus for the Dodgers and was used in trade to get another LH pitcher, Alex Vesia. Alex is 25 and Dylan is 30. You can never have too many lefties who have 94 MPH stuff with movement. As we saw last night, Vesia’s problem is control. Some guys never get it and others get it later. Progress is not linear, but I like his stuff. Would I undo that trade if I could? Sure, based upon what happened last night, but I look at the big picture and I don’t think the Dodgers would re-do that one.

I certainly would not re-do trading Adam Kolarek, but the A’s would! The Dodgers traded him and Cody Thomas for Sheldon Noisy and Gus Varland (who has some upside, as a reliever, I think). Noisy alone may be a steal, but so far, Kolarek is a bust! Then, I hear that Roberts lost the game because he used all his pitchers. Hello! I have seen Joe Maddon, Bud Black, Bruce Bochy, Sparky Anderson, and Jim Leyland do the exact same thing… multiple times! You play to win RIGHT AT THAT MOMENT! You don’t save the bullpen in extra innings. If you can’t score that runner from 2B, you don’t deserve to win, so you use your pitchers as needed. Of course, it didn’t work last night and second-guessers are never wrong!

The results were not good last night, but I saw a lot of good things:

• I saw that Mitch White has the stuff that could put him in the closer role (maybe not today, but in time). He just needs to trust his stuff and not throw as many strikes. Of his 15 pitches, 13 were for strikes. As he gains the confidence to throw “outta’ the zone” he will be filthy. I see progress. “Vision” trumps “sight.” I think Mitch is going to play a big role in the bullpen. Alex Vesia needs to figure out how to throw more strikes, but Mitch needs to throw a few less.
• I saw Mookie Betts starting to heat up. I think he is getting healthy and gaining timing and confidence. Even a vet like Mookie can get frustrated and lose confidence when things are going badly.
• I saw Matt Beaty smiling after his two-hit night.
• I saw Jimmy Nelson look dominant… again. I think he is gaining confidence in his new role.
• I saw (again) that Victor Gonzalez can put runners on and keep them from scoring, He is the guy I would bring in with runners on base. He seems to “bear down” more when runners are on.

If you go to Statcast and look at Barrel %, Exit Velocity, Plate Discipline, XBA, and other metrics, it is easy to see that the Dodgers have been very unlucky. Their team BA is .233, but their XBA (expected BA based upon barrels, hard hit, etc.) is .253. It’s a long season and it will even out. This is still the best team in baseball with the most depth. In case you missed the article on Dodgers.com, here is what Jim Callis wrote: about the Dodgers’ prospects

Shortstop Jacob Amaya, second baseman Michael Busch, third baseman Kody Hoese and right-hander Ryan Pepiot gained enough experience and soaked up enough wisdom to make the jump to Double-A Tulsa to open 2021. Only Amaya has played in High A, and that was just for 21 games in 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic canceled the 2020 Minor League season. The other three all made their pro debuts as college draft picks in 2019, with Busch playing just 10 games before a pitch broke his right hand, Hoese getting 22 games in Low A and Pepiot making nine brief starts at that level.

Amaya sometimes gets overshadowed by players with louder tools in a deep system, but that could be on the verge of changing. He might have the best batting eye and provide the best infield defense among Dodgers farmhands, and his savvy and constant energy allow him to get the most out of his ability.

“It’s hard to really appreciate Amaya unless you go watch a five- or six-game series and see all the things he does well,” McGrath said. “He’s just a really good, complete baseball player. He gives 100 percent every single day. He has the tools to play his way to the big league and the makeup is there to bet on too.”

Outfielder Andy Pages didn’t attend the alternate site last summer, when he was just 19, but he made the most of a non-roster invitation to big league camp this spring. The progress he showed there and in Minor League Spring Training earned him an assignment to High A Great Lakes. He has never played above Rookie ball, though he led the Pioneer League in extra-base hits (43) and ranked second in homers (19), RBIs (55), total bases (153) and slugging (.651) in 2019.

While Pages stands out most with his well above-average power and arm strength, there are some most subtle attributes that enhance his profile. He’s aggressive at the plate but he’s also a student of hitting who understands the nuances of his right-handed swing. His defensive instincts boost his range in center field and may allow him to stay at the position.

“Pages’ tools are off the chart and one of the best things about him is his baseball IQ,” McGrath said. “He watches baseball all across baseball every day and shoots us videos and breaks down the swings of Mike Trout and other guys. He went into big league camp and saw Cody Bellinger and Mookie Betts and was picking up on the finer points of what they do.”

Camp standout

Busch went 31st overall in the 2019 Draft because he had one of the best combinations of hitting ability, power and patience available. All of those talents were on display in instructional league last fall, when scouts from other organizations raved about his offensive upside and were impressed by the progress he had made defensively at second base.

Mostly a first baseman and left fielder in college at North Carolina, Busch used his pandemic downtime to improve his quickness and arm strength. Both of those attributes still grade as fringy but he continues to improve at second base. He homered in big league camp off Reds right-hander Dauri Moreta, then produced a lot of loud contact while maintaining his advanced approach during Minor League Spring Training.

“We started out as hopeful about his defense and now we think there’s a good chance he can play second base,” McGrath said. “That’s a testament to the work Michael has put in. He’s spending a lot of time on the finer points of the position and not just on-boarding.

“His bat’s really taking off and his ability to see pitches gives him an advantage. I’m not sure many Minor Leaguers take better at-bats than he does.”

Alternate training site

The organization’s two best prospects, catcher Keibert Ruiz and right-hander Josiah Gray, began the spring in Major League camp before shifting to the alternate site, both of which were staged at the Camelback Ranch complex in Glendale, Ariz. They’ll begin the season at Triple-A Oklahoma City and should be able to contribute in Los Angeles this year if needed.

Ruiz, who homered in his first big league at-bat last August, is a switch-hitter with bat-to-ball skills, developing power and solid defensive upside behind the plate. Gray has an athletic delivery that produces explosive mid-90s fastballs and mid-80s sliders.

“Keibert has carried himself like a professional who’s ready to take the next step,” McGrath said. “He understands his game, especially from a catching standpoint. The way he’s commanding the field from behind the plate has been cool to see.

“JoJo understands what he does well and what areas he still needs to develop. He’s taking initiative. He wants to be the next guy up. The fastball is going to play and he’s working on his offspeed arsenal. He wants to be a frontline starter and do what it will take to get him there.”

Prospects we’ll be talking about in 2022

A seventh-round pick out of James Madison in 2019, right-hander Nick Robertson split his pro debut between two Rookie levels that summer before his development was limited to instructional league last year. Despite his lack of experience, it’s not out of the question that he could surface in Los Angeles this season.

After working at 92-94 mph in college, Robertson has added velocity and backspin to his fastball since turning pro and now has a mid-90s heater that hitters struggle to barrel. His slider has more power as well and his changeup gives him an effective third pitch. He’ll make a three-level jump to Double-A to begin 2021.

“We’ve been pumped about Robertson’s fastball for a while,” McGrath said. “It’s been 95, 96, 97 for a lot of camp, and the rise and approach angle on his fastball are great. In instructional league, he was operating on a different level than most guys there, and he held his own in big league games this spring.”

Another seventh-rounder, outfielder James Outman, has one of the best power/speed combinations in the system. Drafted out of Sacramento State in 2018, he hit 11 homers in the final month of the 2019 season after buying into changes the Dodgers wanted him to make with his left-handed swing.

The Dodgers may not have a repeat of the 2016 draft, but the farm is loaded. Ruiz could push Smith to another position. Many think Mike Busch is nearly ready, and Jo Jo Gray and Nate Robertson are strong possibilities to pitch at a Ravine near you very soon. If you use just your eyes, you might be despondent, but my vision tells me otherwise.

Finally, I hope for the best, but fear the worst for Dustin May. At any rate, he is young and will be back if it is TJ. JoJo Gray may be up sooner than later!

Steely Dan