The Los Angeles Dodgers won a franchise-best 106 games en route to a seventh consecutive National League West title last season, but suffered their earliest postseason exit in four years to the eventual World Series champion Washington Nationals.
The disappointing outcome ensured the organization’s championship drought would extend to 32 years. Rather than hang their heads, the club reloaded over the offseason by adding Mookie Betts and David Price to what was already one of the deepest teams in all of baseball.
The acquisitions of Betts and Price helped solidify the Dodgers’ status as the consensus World Series favorite. Even with Price opting out, L.A. is not only projected by PECOTA to seize an unprecedented eighth straight NL West title this season, but they additionally are pegged to win the most games in all of baseball as well.
Other projection models are similarly high on the Dodgers this year, as FanGraphs believes the club has a 97.6% chance of reaching the postseason and a 19.6% chance of winning the 2020 World Series; both of which are the website’s highest projections.
Despite the heightened expectations and attention currently surrounding the organization, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is confident that his group of players will not lose focus this season, via Joel Sherman of the New York Post:
“It will not happen,” Roberts said about his team losing focus.
Over the years since being named Dodgers manager in 2015, Roberts has preached a similar message to the clubhouse. With the exception of a slow start in 2018 — some of which chalked up to a World Series hangover — the team has typically responded well to adversity.
One can assume the Dodgers will be more motivated than ever to finally get over the hump this season after it was revealed the Houston Astros electronically stole signs during their World Series run in 2017.
Many players spoke out about the scandal but also stressed turning the page and focusing on 2020. The season has taken on new twists, but the Dodgers thus far are putting their best foot forward on the field.
Roberts mindful of sprint
While Roberts has routinely preached patience over the course of a regular season, he acknowledged requiring a different mindset in 2020. “I think we have to be a little more proactive,” Roberts recently said.
“Rule of thumb for a position player, it’s kind of the 100 at-bats threshold, where you can really see where the player is at in the batter’s box. Certainly it’s going to be south of that, but I think you still have to use your eyes and see how the guy is taking at-bats, swinging at strikes, taking balls, balls off the bat, contact rate, how we’re playing as a ballclub, the defense certainly matters.
“But, yeah, you have to be a little more proactive than normal.”
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