The Los Angeles Dodgers entered the All-Star break with a Major League-best 60-32 record and 13.5-game advantage over the second-place Colorado Rockies in the National League West standings.
To get to this point, the club relied on what has statistically been one of the most efficient starting rotations in all of baseball.
During the first half of play, the Dodgers’ starting corps accumulated 11.6 FanGraphs WAR and trail only the Washington Nationals in this category (12.4). The group additionally ranks second in ERA (3.06), FIP (3.52) and xFIP (3.59) — all while logging the most innings of any team over the first three-plus months of the regular season (536).
Let’s look back at some key contributors that helped the Dodgers achieve the level of success they have reached thus far.
Hyun-Jin Ryu: Finishing his 2017 campaign strong, Ryu opted to return to the Dodgers for a sixth season after accepting the qualifying offer extended to him last winter.
The 32-year-old has since picked up where he last left off, finishing the first half of regular season play with tremendous numbers across the board. He leads the NL in wins (10), ERA (1.73), shutouts (one), ERA+ (241), WHIP (0.91), walks per nine innings (0.8) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (9.9).
Ryu additionally posted a solid 2.88 FIP in 109 innings of work, striking out 99 batters in comparison to only 10 walks (17 starts). An early Cy Young favorite, Dave Roberts rewarded him with starting duties for the NL in the 2019 MLB All-Star Game.
Clayton Kershaw: Now in his 12th season, all of which have come with the Dodgers, Kershaw continues to get the job done with a different approach on the mound. He went 7-2 with a 3.09 ERA, 3.59 FIP and 1.05 WHIP in 99 innings of work during the first half of action (15 starts).
The three-time Cy Young Award winner struck out 91 batters against 16 walks — good for an excellent 5.7 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Kershaw earned a trip to his eighth career All-Star Game.
Kershaw opined that his inclusion to the 90th Midsummer Classic felt more rewarding than previous selections considering his battle with injuries in recent seasons.
Walker Buehler: Fresh off a dominant rookie campaign, Buehler has continued to thrive in his second full season with the Dodgers. In 17 starts, he posted a superb 8-1 record, 3.46 ERA, 2.84 FIP and 0.99 WHIP with 113 strikeouts against 14 walks over 104 innings pitched (17 starts).
Like Ryu and Kershaw, Buehler represented the Dodgers in what was his first career All-Star appearance. A longtime goal of his, Buehler was honored to be included on the NL roster.
Rich Hill: Despite seeing his first half cut short by an unfortunate flexor strain injury, Hill thrived in the limited time he was on the mound. In just 10 starts, he went 4-1 with a 2.55 ERA, 4.15 FIP and 1.11 WHIP over 53 innings pitched.
Hill is expected to be sidelined for the foreseeable future, as Roberts doesn’t envision a return until at least Sept. 1. The 39-year-old recently underwent an ultrasound on his elbow and is progressing well in his recovery.
Kenta Maeda: In the midst of his fourth season with the Dodgers, Maeda enjoyed spurts of excellence over the first three-plus months of the regular season. He posted a 7-5 record, 3.76 ERA, 4.21 FIP and 1.07 WHIP with 94 strikeouts against 31 walks in 95.2 innings pitched (17 starts).
Maeda was most efficient in mid-May when he did not allow a run in consecutive starts against the Nationals and San Diego Padres over a span of 12.2 innings pitched. He is currently in the midst of another terrific stretch, yielding just eight combined runs over his last four starts to close out the first half.
Ross Stripling: Once again embracing a swingman role, Stripling started in nine of his 23 appearances during the first half. He went 1-2 with a 3.72 ERA and 1.24 WHIP over 46 innings pitched in those outings.
Julio Urias: Though he has primarily worked out of the bullpen this season, Urias logged five starts for the Dodgers in the first half. In those appearances, he posted a 1-1 record, 3.18 ERA and 0.97 WHIP across 22.2 innings of work.
Tony Gonsolin: A top pitching prospect in the Dodgers farm system, Gonsolin made his MLB debut on June 26 against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
While the results weren’t optimal — he allowed four runs on six hits in four innings pitched — the 25-year-old enjoyed taking the mound in a Major League environment.
Gonsolin has since been sidelined with a hamstring strain during his latest stint with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
