Dodgers' Early Takeaways of 2023 MLB Season
Following Wednesday's victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, the Los Angeles Dodgers improved to 10-2 in their last 12 games as they are once again looking like bona fide title contenders after a middling start to the year.
A youth movement of sorts is underway with a number of homegrown players joining the MLB roster, and outfielder James Outman was one of the biggest surprises of April. A healthy Dustin May has also provided a major boost, though the roster still has question marks, most notably at shortstop, where they are still searching for a viable replacement to Gavin Lux, who suffered a season-ending knee injury during spring training.
There is still a lot of season to be played, but with one month in the books, now is the perfect time to dig into some of the team's biggest early takeaways.
Off we go!
A Healthy Dustin May Is an X-Factor in the Starting Rotation
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When healthy, Dustin May has looked like an impact starter at times for the Dodgers, but he pitched just 53 total innings in 2021 and 2022 combined and was something of a wild card heading into the season.
With Walker Buehler still recovering from Tommy John surgery, he has stepped up in a big way alongside Clayton Kershaw and Julio Urías atop the rotation, going 4-1 with a 2.68 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in 40.1 innings over seven starts.
He doesn't miss a ton of bats, with just 6.5 strikeouts per nine innings. But he has done a good job of limiting hard contact, and his 3.47 FIP does not raise any alarms of significant regression to come.
With Noah Syndergaard off to a slow start, Tony Gonsolin missing time early, and young pitchers like Michael Grove and Gavin Stone still trying to settle into a role, May has been a major X-factor for the pitching staff.
Shortstop Will Be on the Trade-Deadline Shopping List
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The Dodgers let All-Star shortstop Trea Turner walk in free agency with the intention of shifting former top prospect Gavin Lux from second base to shortstop following his breakout 2022 season.
Instead, Lux suffered a torn right ACL during spring training that will sideline him for the entire season, leaving veterans Miguel Rojas and Chris Taylor as the in-house candidates to handle one of the most important positions on the diamond.
The fact that the Dodgers have resorted to trying Mookie Betts at shortstop for a handful of games should tell you all you need to know about how that's working out.
Speculatively speaking, Tim Anderson (CWS), Javier Báez (DET), Amed Rosario (CLE) and Paul DeJong (STL) are among the shortstops who could be available at the Aug. 1 deadline, and the Dodgers will likely be on the search for an upgrade.
How Far Will James Outman Regress?
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Six different rookies have appeared in at least one game for the Dodgers this season, and outfielder James Outman has been the best of the bunch by a wide margin. In fact, he has been arguably the most productive rookie in baseball, and it's difficult to imagine where the Dodgers would be without him.
The 25-year-old hit .294/.393/.586 with 31 doubles, 31 home runs and 106 RBI in 125 games in the upper levels of the minors last year, yet he was still not the most hyped rookie on the roster heading into the season, with that honor belonging to infielder Miguel Vargas.
However, Outman has stolen the headlines, hitting .281/.374/.578 for a 152 OPS+ with 19 extra-base hits and 23 RBI in 38 games.
He has the tools to be a solid contributor for years to come, but he's also not without his red flags. He has already started to cool off, hitting .250/.368/.469 in 38 plate appearances since the calendar flipped to May, and he has also struck out 48 times for a 32.7 percent strikeout rate this season.
The league is making adjustments. Can Outman in turn make the necessary adjustments on his end to continue making a major impact?
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and accurate through Wednesday's games.
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