The Los Angeles Dodgers are in the midst of a successful stretch that includes eight consecutive National League West titles, three pennants and a World Series win.
The club ended their championship drought last year after leading the Majors in wins and going on to take care of business during the postseason. L.A. swept the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres in the first two rounds, overcame a 3-1 deficit against the Atlanta Braves and then defeated the Tampa Bays on baseball’s biggest stage.
After a magical 2020 season, the Dodgers now look to defend their title. The club, despite seeing seven players reach free agency, will return the majority of their championship core this year.
With one of the deepest rosters and a strong Minor League pipeline, Austin Barnes believes the Dodgers are well-equipped for future success, via SportsNet LA:
“This group’s crazy talented. You can go anyway you want to look at it. The pitching, the position players, there’s a lot of talent everywhere. When you’re rolling out guys like D. May, a rookie throwing 100 mph bowling balls at you, and Graterol, and all those guys. There’s a lot of talented players on the Dodgers and there should be a lot more wins going forward.”
The Dodgers are loaded at the top of their roster with superstar-caliber players such as Mookie Betts, Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager and Clayton Kershaw, but also have an impressive supporting cast that includes Will Smith, Max Muncy and Walker Buehler, among others.
As Barnes specifically highlighted Dustin May and Brusdar Graterol, each have the potential to fill multiple roles and boast a fastball that can reach the triple digits.
May has experience in both the starting rotation and bullpen, while some believe Graterol can be a closer some day. Their versatility, like many other players on the roster, has gone a long way in helping the Dodgers find so much success over the years.
Barnes: Dodgers were determined to not let fans down in 2020 World Series
After previously falling short to the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox in the World Series, the Dodgers were determined to not suffer defeat a third time.
Barnes cited the Dodgers’ desire to not let down the fanbase as the biggest motivator in winning last year’s Fall Classic.
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