What Makes a Championship Caliber Team?
I keep hearing that it’s not the Dodgers, and I am also convinced that most fans would not be happy unless there was a first-team All-Star in every position. Early in the season, just about everyone was saying to get rid of Alex Vesia and Michael Grove. Well, how did that work…
I keep hearing that it’s not the Dodgers, and I am also convinced that most fans would not be happy unless there was a first-team All-Star in every position. Early in the season, just about everyone was saying to get rid of Alex Vesia and Michael Grove. Well, how did that work out? Eat that crow, Baby! Many of you wanted to get rid of Evan Phillips, who had his first bad outing in a blowout game yesterday. Now, it’s “Rag on Teoscar Time” as it is being said that he cannot hit RHP. Well, he is not going to platoon because that would be stupid!
It’s true he mashes LHP – he has a career .889 OPS against them, but he also has a.770 OPS against RHP. Yet, some have argued that Outman’s .665 OPS against LHP was pretty good last year! If the All-Star Game were held tomorrow (as bad of a slump as Teo has been in), he would be in the outfield. Every day, you guys bitch about something. Man, you must be miserable humans. Do your wives beat you? Life is too short for me to walk about in misery all the time. But I digress.
What makes a championship team… say, like the Rangers of 2023? The Braves and the Dodgers scored more runs, hit more home runs, had a higher OPS, had a much better ERA, had a dramatically better bullpen ERA, and won more games, but got bounced in the first round of the playoffs. The World Champion Rangers sit at 30-32 right now, while the Dodgers are 39-25. This time last year, the Rangers were 40-21 and looked great… maybe Championship Caliber. Then they stumbled at the end of the season, losing four of their last six games, including the last game, which would have clinched their division. They lost that game 1-0 after only getting four hits, and two were by rookie Evan Carter, who was called up in September and played a big role in their championship.
World Series Bullpen Hero Josh Sborz had a 5.50 ERA, and during the season, the team blew as many saves as they recorded! How does a Championship team look? The Phillies also finished 90-72 with a bullpen that blew 26 of 71 saves. Do you think the Dodgers strike out too much? They were 20th in MLB last year. The Phillies were #8. The Rangers were #14. What does a Championship Caliber Team look like? I am going to politely suggest that if you think you know in early June, you should be institutionalized. Have you ever watched the game of baseball? It’s a marathon… not a sprint. It’s a game of streaks and adjustments, and the way you start out or even what you are in mid-season does not define you. If you think otherwise, if the mortician gave you an enema, they could bury you in a shoebox! You have no clue.
I have clamored to get rid of CT3, but even he is redeemable. It’s a long season, and one little tweak can change everything. Walker has not looked great.. or good at times, but sometimes it is just changing your grip or changing where you stand on the rubber.
Yesterday, The Athletic gave their opinion on the Dodgers All-Stars (not including the pitchers) and it was as follows:
Starting SS:
Mookie Betts, Dodgers (starter)
(3.5 WAR, 8 HR, 42 R, 9 SB, 164 OPS+)
Betts has made the transition to shortstop look easy, although he’s said how hard it really is. He leads the NL in bWAR and can beat you in every way possible — with his glove, arm, speed, base running, hitting for average or power. In fact, I’m not sure there is anything he can’t beat everyone in, from bowling to golf to pool to video games.
Starting DH:
Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers (starter)
(3.1 WAR, 14 HR, 38 RBI, 14 SB, 179 OPS+)
Ohtani has a chance to be the first designated hitter to ever win an MVP Award as he’s batting .321/.390/.590 with 41 runs scored, 14 homers and 38 RBIs while swiping 14 bases in 15 attempts. He leads the NL with 138 total bases.
Betts and Ohtani were the only starters, but here are the three others on the team:
Freddie Freeman, Dodgers
(2.1 WAR, 7 HR, 35 RBI, 150 OPS+)
Freeman leads all NL first basemen with a .401 on-base percentage. He is a plus defender, for my money the most consistent first baseman in the game, and plays every day. (He leads all first basemen in games played this season.)
Teoscar Hernández, Dodgers
(1.3 WAR, 12 HR, 38 RBI, 124 OPS+)
Hernández was one of the most underrated free-agent signings of the offseason, as the Dodgers scooped him up with a one-year, $23.5 million deal. He leads all NL right fielders in doubles, home runs and RBIs.
Will Smith, Dodgers
(1.8 WAR, 9 HR, 37 RBI, 145 OPS+)
Smith is slashing .296/.363/.515 and leads all NL catchers with 16 doubles and nine home runs. He leads the majors in caught stealing rate (44 percent) and ranks in the 77th percentile in pop time.”
There are also several pitchers who are worthy of All-Star Status, so when I hear that this team is not Championship Caliber, I pay it no mind because my eyes tell me otherwise. It’s a long season, and a lot can happen. CT3 is not hitting, but Rojas, at 35, is benefiting from the rest of not starting every day. Will Pages keep it up? He slumped and adjusted. I think he will. Outman will be back and hopefully duplicate what he did last year or maybe even improve. Vargas has done nothing wrong and will be fine in LF. He is pressing in what little time he has been given, and his patience at the plate and working counts gives him a .868 OPS in a very short sample.
Now, it is on to the Yankees – this should be interesting! Personally, it is my belief that the Dodgers are much better than either the Yankees or the Phillies, and just like I predicted, Arizona would finish below .500, I am predicting that the Dodgers are a better team than either the Phillies or Yankees. The only thing that worries me is that Dave Dombrowski will gut the farm for Mason Miller. AF will bid that up… however!
I think this team is where they need to be, and all I can say is that there will be bumps in the road, but I am enjoying the ride. You should too… it’s a choice! BTW: A Championship Caliber Team is the one who wins it all… and if we could predict what will happen, we would be billionaires and take all that Vegas Sports Book Money. I don’t bet and there is a reason why!
X-CITES
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Discussion (70)
Disagree, not disagreeable
1. Apple TV worked perfectly for me; and
2. There is no Dumbass Vaccine.
Maybe if CT3 is in the box with an 0-2 Roberts needs to go out put his arms around him and whisper in his ear. It sure has worked for Yolanda Ramirez
It’s a gift! We all complain about our offense, but look at the Braves. Ouch. Overall, offense is down in mlb. OPS is below .700. So it’s just not us, in fact our numbers look pretty good compared to most teams.
I think a late pickup for the playoff run that the Dodgers could get on the cheap is Justin Turner. His job would be to pinch hit (Manny Mota). Turner is a professional hitter who skills has deminshed but he would know how to get the runner to third base or get the bat on the ball with a runner at third. He’s on a one year contract and I bet he would jump at the opportunity even in a limited but important role. I bet in late July if the Blue Jays are where they are currently, the dodgers could pick him up for a bag of baseballs.
From the Dodger’s Official Page:
LHP Clayton Kershaw (left shoulder surgery)
Expected return: Mid-to-late July
Kershaw took another significant step in the right direction on June 7, completing two simulated innings at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Kershaw touched 90 mph during the session, another positive sign for the left-hander. The Dodgers still don’t have a timetable for Kershaw’s return, but the veteran ace has progressed quicker than expected after a complicated left shoulder surgery this offseason. (Last updated: June 7)
Which podcast?
Are all these players rentals?
Tucker would definitely be my top choice of these players, but I think the Astros are only a few games out of a wild card. He’d be very expensive long terms.
A couple of advantages to Roberts: He’s a top-flight centerfielder, and he’s under contract for another 3.5 seasons at an AAV below what the Dodgers are paying Teoscar. (For this season an OF with Robert in CF, Teoscar in LF, and a Heyward/Pages platoon in RF would be strong.0
A little surprised that Lane Thomas and Taylor Ward aren’t on this list.
Blue Jays DFAd Cavin Biggio, Craig’s kid.
Rojas is much better than Kike or Taylor at this point. Doc is managing his playing time, so he doesn’t run out of gas. Right now, he is the fifth best hitter on this team with a .287 average. Shohei and Betts are both at .312 and Smith and Freddie both at .291. His OPS+ is 124. He will never be a power hitter, but as long as he is around his career number of .258 with that defense, he is a valuable asset. Feyereisen is at AAA. His ERA is almost 8. He has given up 16 runs in 14.2 innings. His ERA in LA was 6. I believe there will be moves at the deadline, and they cannot carry both Taylor and Kike if they keep playing like they are. Taylor needs to be gone. Lipcius hit his 16th homer tonight to tie teammate Ryan Ward for the team lead. Cassidy, October is a long way off, what you are seeing now, won’t be what you see then.