Steve Webb
Of all the positions on the field, Second Base is probably the one that is the biggest open question for the Dodgers in 2021. The reason? For the first time in a while, the team is Kiké-free. Kiké Hernandez, utility man extraordinaire, pretty much held down second base for most of the 2020 season. And he did some amazing glove work at that position. In addition, Hernandez was an offensive sparkplug with some bottom-of-the-lineup power. He’ll be a challenge to replace.
To do so, we expect to see a number of players rotate through the position this year. Max Muncy, Zach McKinstry, and even Mookie Betts might see some time in 4-hole in the defense this season. But we’ll discuss those players elsewhere in our previews. Though anything could happen during the spring, we’re guessing the most likely opening day second basemen to be either Gavin Lux or Chris Taylor.
Gavin Lux (2020: .175 AVG, 3 HR, 8 RBI)
Ever since he was drafted in the first round out of high school in 2016, Gavin Lux has had “can’t miss” written all over him. Going into the 2020 season, after tearing up the minors the year before, Lux was rated the № 2 prospect in all of baseball. He absolutely raked in 2019, slashing .347/.421/.607 between double and triple-A. However, 2020 was not that kind to this kid from Wisconsin. He saw limited playing time at the big-league level, and spent most of his time honing his craft at the alternate site. The handful of times he did get to play, he often seemed overmatched at the plate. Clearly, the rookie wasn’t ready for the big time. Yet.
But 2021 is a new year, and Luxy is off to a hot start in the Grapefruit League. As I write this, his average is well north of .400 so far in Spring Training, and his OPS sits at .929. Yes, the pitching in Spring is always watered down with numerous prospects. But if Lux continues to shine in the spring, he might just win the job outright before opening day. If we can get Lux to start to perform at a high level this year, I can’t see how anybody can challenge the Dodgers for a trip back to the World Series.
Chris Taylor (2020: .270 AVG, 8 HR, 32 RBI)
If Lux is not ready to assume the mantle just quite yet, not to worry. Chris Taylor provides a more experienced hand and could very well step up and get even more appearances at second than he did last year. A shortstop in college at Virginia, Taylor has the infield pedigree to handle the second base chores more than adequately in Hernandez’s absence. Plus, his offense numbers have been very consistent in his four plus seasons with the team. You know what you’re going to get out of Chris Taylor: some decent power, good OBP, and a pretty clutch bat.
It’s his versatility that makes Taylor so valuable. The reason he got in the lineup 56 times last year is that Dave Roberts knew he could count on Taylor to provide steady defense when he wanted give other players a day off. We’ll not soon forget his thrilling walk-off strike from left field to nail Trent Grisham at home for a win against San Diego. Although, we might want to forget that it was Taylor’s boot of a routine single set up that insane Randy Arozarena play at the end of World Series Game 4. But no need to dwell on the past. Even though Taylor is not even listed on the Dodgers depth chart at 2nd on MLB.com, MLB TV has decided that Chris Taylor is the 8th best in all of baseball at the position. And hey, it’s hard to argue against Brian Kenny, right? That’s science.
So whether or not Gavin Lux is ready for the Show, the Dodgers have to be feeling pretty okay about where they’re sitting going into the season. For that reason, we feel pretty comfortable with our Dodgers Beat rating for 2nd base:
DODGERS BEAT RATING: B
