Cody Snavely
The 2023 MLB season has brought new rules such as bigger bases, a pitch clock, and the ban on extreme shifts, yet the Dodgers have not taken advantage of the new rules and have been exploited so far in their attempts to stop other teams who have taken advantage of the new rules.
Stealing bases
In recent memory, the Dodgers were not known as a base-stealing club. Even with players such as Mookie Betts and Trea Turner on the team the past few seasons, they have been reluctant to be aggressive on the base paths as, in the mind of many analytics, stealing bases equals a greater chance of getting out, which is fewer runs. The Dodgers have also had many power bats, such as Max Muncy and Corey Seager, that could put a ball in the seats or split the gap, so why steal bases with that power in the line-up?
Well, with the new MLB rules in 2023, there are limits to pick-off throws, and the bases are larger, which shortens the distance between 1st and 2nd. Around the league, we have already seen an increase in stolen bases compared to 2022, as more teams are taking advantage of the new rules and are relying on players’ speed and athleticism to take full shape. However, the Dodgers seem stuck in their old ways of thinking, as they’re currently ranked 29th in the league with only two stolen bases this year.
The Dodgers, who are still relying on power bats to drive runs in, have been a huge problem this year, as shown by their boom-or-bust offense in the short two weeks of play. With players such as Mookie Betts, James Outman, and even young 2nd basemen Miguel Vargas, the Dodgers need to be more aggressive on the base paths.
Putting the ball in play
The ban on the shift has opened a new opportunity for hitters around the league to be encouraged to put the ball in play, as teams on defense will have to rely on their athleticism and defensive ability to make plays. Left-handed pull hitters such as Max Muncy or David Peralta are just a few examples of hitters in our current line-up that benefit most from this. The MLB wants more action and variety of plays rather than the three that have dominated baseball since 2010: a walk, strikeout, or home run.
However, the Dodgers seem stuck as they currently have the second most strikeouts in baseball with 155 and are having difficulty manufacturing runs without using a home run. The Dodgers will need to start thinking of different hitting philosophies, as teams like the Diamondbacks have the speed and athleticism to hit a home run, steal bases, and hit with runners on.
The Dodgers need to take advantage of the new rules with no shift and start putting the ball in play because you have more of a chance of getting on base or advancing a runner than a strikeout.
Holding runners on/preventing stolen bases
Regarding the pitching and defensive side, the Dodgers have adjusted well to the pitch clock, as they are currently the only team in the MLB without a pitch clock violation on the pitcher. However, where they struggle is holding runners on and throwing runners out. While pick-off attempts are now limited, they will now rely on the pitchers getting the ball to the plate quicker and the catcher’s pop time to be elite.
Will Smith is one of the best catchers in the game and has made significant strides in his defense since his rookie year in 2019; however, in the Dodgers series in Arizona, the combination of Smith and Barnes could not hold anyone on or throw anyone out. The Dodgers currently rank dead last in opponent stolen bases per game, with an average of 1.44 stolen bases per game.
Moving forward, the Dodgers catchers and catchers will need to make adjustments to prevent these stolen bases from happening, or as we saw in the Arizona series, it will bite them.
Conclusion
While the season is still young, the Dodgers must look at what other teams have done and take advantage of the new rules, or they’ll continue to be taken advantage of.
