Roger Arrieta
Dodgers Preview: Infield for 2017 Dodgers
Now that the dust has settled on the recent Los Angeles Dodgers offseason moves let’s take a look at what the infield will possibly look like as we head into Spring Training.
With a new season upon us the Dodgers are going in with some familiar faces and some fresh ones as well. The Dodger faithful are hoping this is the unit that can help lead this team past their recent playoff struggles.
Here’s a closer look.
Adrian Gonzalez, First Base
Since his arrival to the Dodgers after the McCourt fallout in 2012, Gonzalez has been a cornerstone. With a .285 batting average, 18 home runs, and 90 RBI’s last season according to BBREF.com, its safe to say he’s not going anywhere. His on-base-percentage continues to be steady as it comes, reliable, at .349 last season and .350 before that.
Let’s not forget Gonzalez continues to be one of the leaders on this team, as well as a fixture with the Latino community in Los Angeles. While his power has faded with age (home run numbers last 4 seasons 18, 28, 27, and 22) there’s little doubt “A-Gon” will have to worry about his at-bats or playing time any time soon.
Logan Forsythe, Second Base
As the new face in the infield we can expect to see plenty of Forsythe this season. Even though he’ll have reliable veteran Enrique Hernandez behind him, Forsythe figures to get the bulk of the action.
After batting .264 with 20 home runs and 52 runs batted in with the Rays, he’ll definitely bring an offensive boost. Need more proof? You only have to look at his batting average which has been trending upward the last two seasons, .281 and .264 as opposed to .223 and .214 previous to that.
Corey Seager, Shortstop
After much hype Seager is certainly looking like the next Dodgers superstar, and he’s has the numbers to back it up.
In his first full season with the Dodgers, Seager batted .308 with 26 home runs and 72 runs batted in, which is not bad for a rookie. With an excellent on-base percentage of .365 Seager will be seeking to continue to grow in his second full campaign.
Justin Turner, Third Base
The red-bearded Turner is returning to the Dodgers this season and Dodgers fans look forward to seeing their third basemen continue to be reliable as ever.
A quick look at last year’s numbers we can see why he’s earned that reputation: 27 home runs and 90 runs batted while hitting a .275 average is more than respectable as he certainly earned his newly signed contract.
Collectively this will be a very intriguing unit to keep an eye on as Spring Training commences. Also lets not forget about Chris Taylor, Rob Segedin, and the aforementioned Hernandez who all will be vying for at-bats. As the 2017 season commences Dodger fans can rejoice going into this season with one of the most well-rounded infield units in baseball.
