Mike Salas
Thoughts from this year’s Dodgers Spring Training
With Spring Training over and the Dodgers landing in Korea for their series with the Padres on March 20 and 21 (3 am PST) for both games. The Dodgers will start off playing two Korean club teams, the Kiwoom Heros on Saturday (3/17-8 pm PST) and the Korean national team on Sunday (3/18-3 am PST).
I have been going to spring training since 2012. With all the new signings by the Dodgers, I would say 2024 were the most anticipated Cactus League games since the Dodgers came to Arizona in 2009.
The Dodgers core position players on the 40-man roster performed as expected. The Betts, Ohtani, and Freeman top of the order have a very high potential to be the best one-three batting order in major league history. The question is, who is going to bat in the number four spot? Will it be Muncy, Smith, or Hernandez? According to the stats, Teoscar Hernandez put up some decent numbers: 11G, 29AB, 12H, 1HR, 4RBI, .414AVG, .621SLG, and 1.090OPS.
The outfield is solid with Outman, T Hernandez, and Heyward. The Dodgers have two utility players that Dodger fans are familiar with, Chris Taylor and Kiki Hernandez; both players can step into most positions and fill in at a high level. CT3 and Kiki are seasoned players with the Dodgers organization and know when the team needs their bat to count most with a walk-off HR, game-tying hit, or walk a hit for the win.
The infield seems a little disorganized. The Dodgers have their rock at first base with Freddie Freeman, third base will be covered by a slimmed-down Max Muncy, and behind the plate are Will Smith and Austin Barnes. During spring training, the Dodgers played musical chairs with second base and shortstop. With Gavin Lux struggling at shortstop, he was moved to second base, Mookie Betts moved to shortstop, and Rojas as the backup.
I will make this one comment: Lux has not played shortstop since his last game in AAA and was brought by the Dodgers in 2019 to play second base. Gavin needs playing time at SS, and I think it was a mistake to move him.
Pitching is going to be exciting to watch this year. Tyler Glasnow came out of the gate and inserted himself as the Dodgers’ ace. Glasnow finished spring training with 10 IP, 4H, 1ER, 0HR, 14SO, 0.70WHIP, .121 AVG, and an impressive 0.90 ERA. If the Dodgers don’t overuse Glasnow in the regular season, I think Tyler will dominate in the playoffs.
Before spring training started, I had Yoshinobu Yamamoto as the ace for the Dodgers this year. Right now, Yamamoto is the number two or three starter for the Dodgers. Once Yamamoto gets some MLB experience under his belt and makes some adjustments, I think he will give Glasnow a run for the number one spot in the rotation.
Let’s not forget that Ohtani was injured in his first two years with the Angles and, in his first full year in 2021, posted a 12.19 ERA, 10 IP, 15 H, 17 SO, .326 AVG, and 2.42 WHIP. Yoshinobu will be just fine.
The outfield is solid with Outman, T Hernandez, and Heyward. The Dodgers have two utility players that Dodger fans are familiar with, Chris Taylor and Kiki Hernandez; both players can step into most positions and fill in at a high level. CT3 and Kiki are seasoned players with the Dodgers organization and know when the team needs their bat to count most with a walk-off HR, game-tying hit, or walk-a-hit for the win.
The infield seems a little disorganized. The Dodgers have their rock at first base with Freddie Freeman, third base will be covered by a slimmed-down Max Muncy, and behind the plate are Will Smith and Austin Barnes. This spring training, the Dodgers were playing musical chairs with second base and shortstop. With Gavin Lux struggling at shortstop, he was moved to second base, Mookie Betts moved to shortstop, and Rojas as the backup.
I will make this one comment: Lux has not played shortstop since his last game in AAA and was brought by the Dodgers in 2019 to play second base. Gavin needs playing time at SS, and I think it was a mistake to move him.
Pitching is going to be exciting to watch this year. Tyler Glasnow came out of the gate and inserted himself as the Dodgers’ ace. Glasnow finished spring training with 10 IP, 4H, 1ER, 0HR, 14SO, 0.70WHIP, .121 AVG, and an impressive 0.90 ERA. If the Dodgers don’t overuse Glasnow in the regular season, I think Tyler will dominate in the playoffs.
Before spring training started, I had Yoshinobu Yamamoto as the ace for the Dodgers this year. Right now, Yamamoto is the number two or three starter for the Dodgers. Once Yamamoto gets some MLB experience under his belt and makes some adjustments, I think he will give Glasnow a run for the number one spot in the rotation. Let’s not forget that Ohtani was injured in his first two years with the Angles and, in his first full year in 2021, posted a 12.19ERA, 10IP, 15H, 17SO, .326AVG, and 2.42WHIP. Yoshinobu will be just fine.
Final thoughts
The kids came to play!!! Early on the eighth inning belonged to the Dodgers prospects, they pulled out several come back wins for the Dodgers this spring.
Names to remember,
Outfielder Andy Pages – 17AB, 8H, 2HR, 9RBI, 5SO, .471AVG, .571OBP, 1.000SLG, 1.571OPS. Strong arm and can play both corners of the outfield.
Catcher Chris Okey – 15AB, 7H, 2HR, 7RBI, 3SO, .467AVG, .467OBP, .867SLG, 1.334OPS. Strong arm and can call a good game.
Short Stop Trey Sweeney – 18AB, 5H, 1HR, 4SO, .278AVG, .381OBP, .444SLG, .825OPS. Good fielding with a strong arm.
Outfielder Drew Avans – 19AB, 7H, 0HR, 7SO, .368AVG, .480OBP, .474SLG, .954OPS. Strong arm in the outfield and has power in the bat.
Outfielder Jose Ramos – 19AB, 6H, 1HR, 5RBI, 8SO, .316AVG, .435OBP, .526SLG, .961OPS. Strong arm in the outfield, confident, and big power in the bat.
Other standouts – Outfielder Ryan Ward, third baseman Chris Owings, Catcher Hunter Feduccia, and Outfielder Josue De Paula.
The 2024 Dodgers are going to be an exciting team to watch. Will Dodger fans get heartbroken in some regular-season games? Yes, we will. Dodger fans will need to have patience the first couple of months of the season. This is a new era of Dodgers baseball, and it will take a little time to get all cylinders running in sync.
Prediction from me: The Dodgers will make the 2024 World Series and win in five games over the Astros.
For Dodgers Beat, I’m Mike Salas
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