When the Los Angeles Dodgers traded both Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp last offseason, many presumed it would open up more playing time for top prospect Alex Verdugo.
The Dodgers wound up signing center fielder A.J. Pollock to a four-year contract though, and with Cody Bellinger and Joc Pederson both getting off to hot starts this season, Verdugo hasn’t been given the opportunity to have a starting role just yet.
That figures to change moving forward, as Pollock is undergoing surgery to remove a screw from his right elbow. The Dodgers have not released a timetable, but it’s reasonable to expect Pollock will miss at least one month.
Prior to that becoming a reality, Verdugo made it clear that while he considers himself capable of playing on a daily basis, his focus is with the Dodgers’ overarching goal of winning a World Series, via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
“I see myself playing every day. Whether this year, next year, I don’t care. I see myself as an everyday player, and I carry myself that way. There’s no frustrations with it right now. We got this thing where we’re all-in on this team, on this journey to the World Series. Right now, I start sporadically. I’m all-in for this team.”
What the 22-year-old has done is make the most of the opportunities he has gotten. In 31 games (15 starts), Verdugo is hitting .342/.368/.616 with four doubles, two triples, four home runs and 16 RBI.
Verdugo produced at every Minor League level before earning himself a spot on the Dodgers’ Opening Day roster. Nevertheless it is mildly surprising to see how well he has performed at the Major League level.
The Dodgers have had three straight National League Rookie of the Year candidates with Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger each winning the award unanimously in 2016 and 2017, respectively, and then Walker Buehler coming in third in 2018.
If Verdugo continues his high level of play then he could be in the mix for the award this season.
