Los Angeles Dodgers: First-Half Grades for Every Dodger

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Besides Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw, the first half of 2011 was a half to forget for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Between the ownership debacle and the beating of Giants fan Bryan Stowe, the Dodgers have had a myriad of press nightmares.

Their play on the field has not been much better, as the team currently sits in fourth place in the NL West.

Here are the first half grades for every Dodger.

SP Clayton Kershaw

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Grade: A

Clayton Kershaw is establishing himself as a true ace, and one of the best left-handed starters in baseball.

In 21 starts, Kershaw is 11-4 with a 2.72 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP in 145.2 innings.

Most incredibly, he has a 10.32 K/9. 

In a word, Kershaw is filthy.

SP Chad Billingsley

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Grade: B-

Chad Billingsley has been really inconsistent this year. 

He has shown flashes of incredible dominance, three times pitching eight or more shutout innings.

But he has also been prone to implode, having allowed four runs or more eight times in 20 starts.

It evens out to an 8-8 record and a 4.07 ERA.

Those numbers are fine for a No. 3 or 4 starter. But Los Angeles expected Billingsley to not only be a solid No. 2 starter, but be the team's second ace.

SP Ted Lilly

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Grade: C

Ted Lilly has failed to produce since his arrival in Los Angeles.

He is currently 6-10 with a 4.83 ERA, making him one of many underachieving Dodgers.

Like Billingsley, Lilly isn't terrible. But he should be much better, and is utterly failing to live up to expectations.

SP Hiroki Kuroda

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Grade: B+

Hiroki Kuroda continues to be one of the more underrated starters in the NL.

With a 3.13 ERA in 120.2 innings, Kuroda is completely undeserving of his 6-11 record.

He has a solid 3:1 K:BB ratio, but has a propensity to give up the long-ball (13 homers allowed).

Kuroda has been a great back-end of the rotation starter, and is one of LA's more dependable arms.

SP Rubby De La Rosa

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Grade: B+

Rubby De La Rosa has been solid in his first eight starts.

Though the 22-year-old starting pitcher has gone 3-4, he has struck out 49 to just 23 walks, and has a 3.73 ERA.

Where most teams have a questionable No. 5 starter, the Dodgers have a relatively reliable guy in De La Rosa. 

RP Mike MacDougal

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Grade: A-

Mike MacDougal has been the rock of Los Angeles' bullpen. 

The righty has a 1.62 ERA in 33.1 innings pitched, and has seven holds to show for it.

The only thing the 34-year-old vet could improve on is his strikeout rate per nine innings, which currently sits at 6.48.

RP Matt Guerrier

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Grade: C+

Matt Guerrier has a team-high ten holds, but you wouldn't expect it from his numbers.

His 4.04 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 5.74 K/9 all have room for improvement, especially from the guy manager Don Mattingly has turned to the most in relief.

RP Scott Elbert

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Grade: C-

Elbert wasn't a very reliable first-half reliever, having posted a 5.25 ERA before the All Star break.

He has come on strong though in the first week of the second half, with no earned runs and three strikeouts in three innings.

RP Blake Hawksworth

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Grade: B

Blake Hawksworth has been a solid right-handed reliever this season, posting a 2.87 ERA and an impressive 0.99 WHIP.

His success comes from his very strong 2.67 K:BB ratio.

Hawksworth just needs to limit the long ball—he's allowed a bullpen-high four on the year. 

RP Kenley Jansen

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Grade: B

Kenley Jansen has actually been much more solid than his 4.22 ERA suggests.

He has had three terrible outings in which he has allowed three runs or more, all in an inning or less. His ERA in his other 27 appearances is 2.38.

The owner of a strange name and even stranger motion is still just 23 years old—as he learns to limit the damage, he can develop into a top-of-the-line reliever.

RP Hong-Chih Kuo

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Grade: F

Hong-Chih Kuo has disappeared off the face of the earth.

One year removed from being one of the most dominant relievers in the majors, Kuo has a 9.26 ERA and a WHIP north of two.

The southpaw still has some work to do to right the ship.

CL Javy Guerra

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Grade: A-

Javy Guerra has been a dependable arm in the Dodgers' pen all season.

The 25-year-old rookie stepped in for an ineffective and injured Jonathan Broxton, and is six-for-six in save chances, with a 2.18 ERA.

Los Angeles should not set expectations too high though—Guerra has a relatively low strikeout rate (6.53 K/9), and allows too many base-runners (1.35 WHIP).

C Rod Barajas

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Grade: C-

Rod Barajas hasn't done much of anything in 2011.

He's hitting just over the mendoza line at .209 and has thrown out just 21% of base runners.

Barajas can't hit and has a noodle for an arm. At least he has 14 extra-base hits.

1B James Loney

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Grade: C

It's not that a .263/.310/.337 line is terrible.

Well, it is pretty bad. The average is decent, but Loney's ISO is .074, showing that he has very little pop.

You'd expect those numbers from a shortstop. A competitive team needs more than four homers from its first baseman.

SS Rafael Furcal

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Grade: F

Rafael Furcal is your classic hot-and-cold player.

In 2011, he's been pretty cold. His .171 average, two extra-base hits and only three steals leave a lot to be desired.

And he was injured (again) for over 40 games.

A bright second half could easily be in store for Furcal. But he definitely failed the first half.

3B Juan Uribe

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Grade: D

Juan Uribe has been a huge disappointment in LA this year.

A .200/.270/.300 line is not even close to what the Dodgers expected when they signed Uribe to a three-year $21 million deal.

Maybe they should send him back to the Bay Area. 

LF Tony Gwynn Jr.

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Grade: C

Tony Gwynn Jr. has taken over left field duties after Jerry Sands proved incapable of handling the starting gig.

Gwynn has shown flashes of brilliance since his debut in 2006, but has never established himself as a viable starting outfielder.

This year is no exception, as Gwynn's .262 average and .322 OBP are a little low for a leadoff hitter.

The speedy outfielder at least gives the team a bit of excitement—he's stolen 13 bases in 16 tries.

CF Matt Kemp

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Grade: A+

Matt Kemp is hitting .309, has 24 homers and 27 steals. He's on pace for just the fifth 40/40 season in baseball history. 

There's not much more you can ask of any player.

Kemp has been one of the best players in the majors, and has been nearly single-handedly keeping the Dodgers from complete oblivion.

RF Andre Ethier

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Grade: B+

Andre Ethier was tearing up the majors in April amidst his 30-game hit streak.

But he has hit .253 since the streak ended.

Ethier is having a fine season by all accounts, as his average still sits at .298. 

But as Los Angeles' star player and No. 3 hitter, Ethier is expected to shoulder the load and be a leader in the clubhouse. He has so far not quite lived up to the task. 

C Dioner Navarro

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Grade: B-

Dioner Navarro is pretty solid as far as backup catchers go.

He made two errors in the first half, and has thrown out 31% of base stealers. He has a much better arm than Barajas.

As we saw against the Giants on Wednesday though, sometimes that good arm is a curse rather than a blessing—Navarro twice air-milled Furcal at second and slung the ball into centerfield. 

With his solo shot off Lincecum, Navarro raised his average to an even .200, finally off the interstate.

Inf Jamey Carroll

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Grade: A

Nobody expected much from Jamey Carroll.

But the 37-year-old infielder filled in for an injured Rafael Furcal very admirably, hitting over .300 in the starting shortstop's absence.

With Furcal back, Carroll has been relegated back to bench duties. But for two full months, the utility infielder was one of the only things going right for Los Angeles.

1B/OF. Juan Rivera

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Grade: B+

Juan Rivera just got off the plane a little over a week ago, so he hasn't had much of a chance to contribute. He'll figure in as a backup first baseman and corner outfielder.

In 20 at-bats though, he has already managed to smack a homer and a double. 

Simply for existing as a possible replacement for an anemic James Loney, I give Rivera a B+ grade.

LF Eugenio Velez

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Grade: D

Eugenio Velez is just kind of on the Dodgers, not really getting much playing time.

He gets a D though for his atrocious drop of a fly ball last April when he was still on the Giants.

That play was so bad it rolls over to this year. 

LF Trent Oeltjen

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Grade: B

Trent Oeltjen has not had much of a chance to prove himself, as he's only gotten 35 at-bats so far in 2011.

He is from Australia though, which makes him a way better ball player.

SS Rafael Furcal

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Grade: D-

Rafael Furcal is your classic hot-and-cold player.

In 2011 so far, he's been pretty cold. His .171 average, two extra-base hits and only three steals leave a lot to be desired.

And he was injured (again) for over 40 games this year.

A bright second half could easily be in store for Furcal. But he barely earns a passing grade for the first half.

Owner Frank McCourt

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Grade: F-

The LA Dodgers could be a winning team right now if it wasn't for Frank McCourt.

They have the talent, but just can't make the right moves to put it all together.

If only there were such a thing as a pinch-owner.