Los Angeles Dodgers: Grades for Every Player in May

Now that the Los Angeles Dodgers are on the verge of finishing the second month of what has been a rough season, let’s take a look at how each player performed individually.

Although their collective effort has come up short, there are a few players who have excelled—and of course, others who have tanked.

Let’s break it down.

Carl Crawford: B+

After jumpstarting the Dodgers’ offense with a spectacular first month with the team (4 HR 6 RBI .308 BA .388 OBP), Carl Crawford followed it up with a solid performance in May (1 HR 7 RBI .279 BA .315 OBP).

Although the Dodgers’ offense has been stagnant for most of the season, their leftfielder has been consistently putting himself in scoring position, with six extra-base hits and five stolen bases in May.

The Blue Crew has been thrilled with Crawford’s consistent contributions. 

Nick Punto: A-

Nick Punto is having himself quite a season so far.

No matter where he is placed in the field or in the lineup, the 12-year veteran utility man has shined.

Punto had the third-highest on-base percentage on the team (.357), behind power hitters Adrian Gonzalez and Andre Ethier, and also drove in the third-highest runs batted in (8) in May

On top of that, the 35-year-old is seeing the ball well, hitting .274 with 10 walks in the past month.

Skip Schumaker: A-

After an unimpressive first month as a Dodger (.139 BA .295 OBP), Skip Schumaker stepped it up big time in May, recording the third-highest batting average on the team (.291) and driving in a steady six runs.

Above all, Schumaker is putting the ball in play and had the fewest strikeouts (7) in May among the team’s regulars. 

Adrian Gonzalez: A+

Rarely does a player warrant an A+, but if anyone ever deserved it, it would be Adrian Gonzalez for his performance in May.

Many wondered if the Dodgers’ first baseman could stay hot after a terrific start to the season and he affirmed it with his blazing-hot bat.

In May, Gonzalez posted All-Star-caliber numbers of a .333 batting with a .376 on-base percentage and an astounding .571 slugging percentage.

On top of his five home runs, he drove in 23 percent of the team’s runs (20 RBI) and has consistently come up with momentum-boosting hits.

Matt Kemp: D

The upside for the Dodgers’ star centerfielder is that despite his immense struggles at the plate, he still hit .242 with a .291 on-base percentage in May, which are by no means near his career averages (.292 BA .350 OBP), but are not as brutal as fans might expect.

The tremendous downside is that Kemp struck out 35 times in 95 at-bats in May, averaging a strikeout once every three at-bats.

Whether it’s his surgically repaired shoulder that’s nagging him or simply a mental collapse, Kemp has yet to be a consistent contributor to the Dodgers’ offense. 

Andre Ethier: C

May wasn’t a horrible month for Andre Ethier, but it wasn’t an Andre Ethier-caliber month for him.

Hitting .263 with a .360 on-base percentage in a 24-game span is average, but Ethier’s power numbers are lacking, as he only hit one home run with a mere six runs batted in this month.

Much like Kemp, Ethier has yet to find his groove in the 2013 season and the Dodgers’ offense is struggling to manufacture runs because of his subpar production.

A.J. Ellis: B

Although he rarely receives recognition for his offensive contributions, A.J. Ellis had another steady month of offensive production.

In the year’s fifth month, the Dodgers’ catcher hit .275 with a laudable .354 on-base percentage, belting a home run as well with four runs batted in.

Although he may not be a principal contributor, as the Blue Crew continues to settle down and jell offensively, having the security of his bat in the lineup is key.

Juan Uribe: A-

If you didn’t closely follow the past month of Dodgers baseball you may be shocked that Juan Uribe receives anything higher than a flunking grade.

Whatever it may be, something clicked in the veteran third baseman’s head and he has finally begun to hit the ball with regularity.

In the month of flowers brought on by April showers, Uribe hit .314 with a .357 on-base percentage, making May 2013 not only his best month as a Dodger but his best month since April 2010. 

Dee Gordon: D

Dee Gordon can sure fly down the line at lightning speed but it’s all just smoke and mirrors if he can’t get on base.

A hamstring injury to Hanley Ramirez allowed the 25-year-old speedy shortstop to come back up to the big leagues but he failed to impress despite hitting well in his first week of games, even hitting his second career home run.

In May, Gordon hit .175 with a .278 on-base percentage, striking out 16 times and registering 11 hits.

Although the Dodgers still have high hopes for Gordon, the prospect of his success is slowly dwindling.

Scott Van Slyke: A

In 12 games in May, Scott Van Slyke had nine hits—all but one was an extra-base hit and four of them were home runs.

With a mere 31 at-bats, the Dodgers’ call-up third baseman knocked in nine runs, notching a .290 average with a noteworthy .353 on-base percentage.

Van Slyke’s biggest drawback?

He swings for the fences every at-bat, which results in a handful of strikeouts (8) to complement his hits. 

Luis Cruz: F

That Vin Scully was bewildered when Cruz hit a home run, his first of the month and season, is a tale of the lowly times of the Dodgers’ fan-favorite third baseman.

Cruz may have notched his first home run, but he didn’t do much else in May to resurrect himself from the recesses of a pitiful start to the season.

The 29-year-old infielder hit a measly .192 with a .222 on-base percentage, driving in a mere two runs.

Due to his subpar start, Don Mattingly only plays Cruz when he needs him in the infield and when he is in the game he hasn’t done much to redeem himself offensively.

Mark Ellis: D

The Dodgers haven’t had a large enough sample from Mark Ellis after returning from injury to make any assessments, but he hasn’t been the player he was prior to his quad injury.

In the nine games he played in May since his return, Ellis, who began the season hitting a mammoth .342 with a .363 on-base percentage, has struggled at the plate.

In 33 at-bats, Ellis has achieved only six hits, leaving him with a .182 batting average and .229 on-base percentage. 

Clayton Kershaw: A

On par with his Cy Young-worthy start to the season, Clayton Kershaw held down the fort for the Dodgers’ pitching staff with another outstanding month of outings.

Barring his most-recent outing against the Angels, in which he gave up four earned runs, the 25-year-old ace didn’t allow more than one earned run in a start in May, which translates to a 1.63 ERA.

Above his solid 30 strikeouts, Kershaw was the workhorse he’s always been on the mound in May, pitching at least seven innings in each of five starts. 

Hyun-Jin Ryu: A-

Hyun-Jin Ryu was rocked by the Giants in his first outing in May (6 IP 8 H 4 ER 2 SO), but he immediately bounced back and proved his resiliency.

After his rough outing at AT&T Park, the South Korean pitcher has only surrendered five runs in his last four starts, resulting in a 2.38 ERA for the month.

Better yet, the 26-year-old MLB rookie secured his first complete game under his belt, throwing a spectacular two-hit shutout with seven strikeouts against the power-loaded Angels. 

Chris Capuano: C-

Being penned into the starting rotation after being relegated to the bullpen hasn’t been the easiest transition for Chris Capuano—and understandably so.

Positioning himself as a crafty lefty in his first season with the Dodgers, Capuano hasn’t displayed the same command that he did last year, and batters having been making him pay for it.

In his five starts in May, the 34-year-old lefty posted a 4.76 ERA and surrendered six home runs. 

However, despite his struggles, Capuano has his share of brilliance in May, twice allowing only one run and striking out five or more batters. 

Zach Greinke: D

Returning from a collarbone injury he sustained in a brawl with the Padres’ Carlos Quentin, it’s clear that Zach Greinke is going to need some time to attain his stellar pitching again.

In three outings in May, the hard-throwing righty surrendered 10 runs and 24 hits, causing his month’s ERA to reach 6.75 and his WHIP to skyrocket to an uncharted 2.10.

The Dodgers shouldn’t worry about Greinke yet, as he will still need a few more outings to acclimate himself back to the bigs, but it certainly wasn’t pretty for the Cy Young winner this May.

Josh Beckett: F

Perhaps his injured groin, which has now landed him on the 15-day disabled list, has been bothering him all season long, but whatever the case may be, Josh Beckett has been atrocious this year.

In three starts in May, Beckett gave up nine earned runs and 17 hits in 13 innings, leaving him with a 6.23 ERA and 1.85 WHIP.

Even worse, the 12-year veteran allowed an opposing batting average of .327, which ranks him 363^rd in the MLB for May.

Below him?

Former Dodger Joe Blanton (.329 BAA), who went 1-4 in May.

Bullpen: C-

As individuals, there were some impressive performances from the Dodgers’ bullpen, mainly from the likes of lefty J.P. Howell, who posted a terrific 0.71 ERA in 12.2 innings in May.

Paco Rodriguez also flashed brilliance in May, boasting a 1.93 ERA with an awe-inspiring .100 batting average against.

Nevertheless, as a group, the Dodgers’ bullpen is simply mediocre. Set-up man Kenley Jansen (5.91 ERA .262 BAA) and closer Brandon League (5.40 ERA .344 BAA) continue to be unreliable when the team needs them most.