What Makes the Dodgers Such A Great Team

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If you look at the odds from Sportsbooks for 2020, the Yankees seem like the runaway favorites. However, while the totals might favour the New York team, Los Angeles are a constant threat. This is so much the case that CBS Sports claim that the Dodgers are a “juggernaut” and predict they will be the “National League’s top seed”.

What is it that makes the Dodgers such a great team in 2020? Here we explore the strengths of the Franchise and why pundits are seeing them as clear winners this season.

Power

There is no doubting that the Los Angeles Dodgers have a powerful lineup that would intimidate any other franchise. Although the individual strength of players is not enough to bring success, the depth of talent and power can mean the difference between a World S Series win or not.

The stats are brutal. The Dodgers lead the Exit Velocity stat, with a close to 90mph speed. They have the impressive hard-hit percentage of nearly 45% – which probably accounts for the 107 home runs. In short, these Dodgers’ players hit the ball hard. 

While this brute force is impressive, the Dodgers are also able to use this power strategically. There is no point hitting big straight into the hands of the out field. You need to launch the ball precisely so that you maximise the run-scoring potential. Arguably, most people could launch themselves at a ball with brutish power and not care where the ball goes. However, true power is hitting it hard and with precision. You need to play the angles to be able to optimise success – and this is why the power in the Dodgers lineup is so impressive.

Depth

Let’s explore that idea of depth of talent a little more. The Dodgers’ Bullpen is awe-inspiring with its sheer breadth of talent. While the season format for 2020 throws up the possibility of all sorts of unpredictability, the Dodgers lineup offers the most certainty for dominance.

We could go on for hours about the players and giving using their talent to add value to our argument. However, really all we need to do is look at the one-two punch of Kershaw and Buehler, which is on song. Both pitchers are firing at their highest speeds and Buehler on his own looks like he could blow his way through the opposition.

However, a 2020 World Series often takes a little bit of stardust. There needs to be that stand out player that strikes fear in the opposition. Let’s introduce Mookie Betts to the debate about the dominance of the LA Dodgers. Almost definitely a genuine Most Valuable Player (MVP) contender – Betts has that aura about him to step up and do something unimaginable to push his team to the championship title.  There is, of course, the 11 home runs – which is a special stat for the LA fans – but there is also the stellar defense he offers. 

What is great for the Dodgers is that he is a personality that can influence the clubhouse. He has that character to rouse the passions of the team and raise levels of performance across the group.

It is also worth noting that Kenley Jansen, who had a dreadful season in 2019, has also returned to the highest levels. Sometimes a World Series is won because all the stars align and your top stars reach their full potential at the same time. 

Discipline

When you can see the ball so easily and you can hit it so hard, it would be tempting to hit at everything. You would be a little arrogant right. Sure, it’s a bad ball but I can take it and put it out of the ground. Well, such hubris often brings humiliation and the sign of a great team is the one with the discipline to leave that bad ball well alone. 

The team has a swing rate of 26.3% for those outside the strike zone – the lowest in the league – by far. Then, look to the offensive players. Total up their value overall and the lineup for the Dodgers comes in at 153 – the next team is 145 – such a massive dominance.

Clever business

Then, you look to the business done during trades. The work done to build the current squad of players makes it clear that there is no area that needs to be strengthened. As there are such doubts about whether trades could even happen during the pandemic, this lack of weak spots makes Dodgers a genuine favourite for the championship. If anything, the Dodgers have too much talent and it will take some strong management to handle the egos. 

Look to Tony Gonsolin – a starter pitcher for most teams with that impressive level of talent. However, he has been optioned to the alternative training camp and is only now joining the Dodgers for the playoffs. How many other teams would love this problem?