To say the Los Angeles Dodgers enjoyed a successful first half of the 2017 season would be an understatement. The club went into the All-Star Break with the best record in baseball at 61-29 and leading the Majors with a plus-163 run differential.
While the pitching was superb, the Dodgers have been one of the better hitting teams as well, ranking second in total fWAR (19.5) and third in wRC+ (110).
Let’s look back at some notable performances from the first half, good and bad, and how they fared among each other.
Disappointments
Adrian Gonzalez: Battling recurring back issues since the beginning of the season, Gonzalez only appeared in 49 games during the first half of 2017, slashing .255/.304/.339 with 11 doubles and one home run in 182 trips to the plate.
Gonzalez uncharacteristically struggled to drive the ball with power, and as a result, posted career-lows in ISO (.085), wOBA (.279) and fWAR (-0.8).
The veteran first baseman was placed on the 10-day disabled list in mid-June with a herniated disc in his back and he may not return until August. Gonzalez only recent began taking swings.
Standouts
Cody Bellinger: Just 70 games into his career, Bellinger is already leaving a mark on the sport with his powerful swing.
The rookie opened up the season with Triple-A Oklahoma City and only received a promotion because of an abundance of injuries to the Dodgers’ outfield depth.
Bellinger instantly took the league by storm and earned himself a permanent spot on the team’s 25-man roster.
In 292 plate appearances, the 21-year old hit .261/.342/.619 with 25 home runs, 15 doubles and 58 runs batted in. Bellinger became the fastest player in MLB history to reach 21 career home runs and five multi-homer games — doing so in just 51 games.
Along with his offensive capabilities, Bellinger has displayed valuable defensive versatility by seeing action in the outfield corners, in addition to his natural position at first base.
To cap off an incredible first half, Bellinger participated in the Home Run Derby and advanced to the semifinals before being eliminated by New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge. He also became the youngest positional player in Dodgers history to take part in an All-Star Game.
CONTINUE READING: More Standouts and Naming First-Half MVP
Yasmani Grandal: The switch-hitter continues to establish himself as one of the game’s best all-around catchers.
In 280 plate appearances during the first half, Grandal batted .267/.319/.469 with 11 home runs and a career high-tying 19 doubles. That’s good for a 109 wRC+.
Among qualified catchers, Grandal ranked second in home runs and Fangraphs’ WAR (2.1) all the while improving as a hitter from the right side of the batter’s box.
Although Grandal has allowed the most passed balls in the league, he once again checks in as an elite pitch framer per Stat Corner, with an 11.3 runs above average mark — second-best in the Majors behind Atlanta’s Tyler Flowers.
Joc Pederson: Despite struggling early on and missing some time for a concussion, Pederson bounced back and managed to put up above-league average numbers.
The center fielder batted .241 with an excellent .361 on-base percentage and .466 slugging percentage in 208 plate appearances, clubbing 12 doubles and nine home runs to boot.
Among Dodgers players with at least 200 plate appearances, Pederson’s 12.5 walk percentage ranks third and his 122 wRC+ checks in as the fourth-best mark on the team.
Yasiel Puig: Moving down in the batting order appears to have benefited Puig, who’s in the midst of his best offensive season since 2014.
In 324 plate appearances, he hit .251/.324/.453 with 16 homers — the most Puig’s ever hit in a first half and the second-most on the club behind Bellinger.
Along with his resurgent power, Puig’s defense in right field continued to improve as well. He committed just one error and posted an 18.5 UZR/150 in 690.2 defensive innings.
Corey Seager: The 2016 National League Rookie of the Year is on pace for an even better sophomore campaign.
Seager batted .298/.395/.502 with 22 doubles and 13 home runs in 349 plate appearances during the first half, earning a second consecutive All-Star nod. Among qualified shortstops, Seager ranks second in FanGraphs’ WAR (3.6) and third in wRC+ (139) and home runs.
MVP
Justin Turner: Since inking a Minor League contract with Los Angeles prior to the 2014 season, Turner has evolved as one of the best hitters in all of baseball.
Though he missed some time earlier in the season with a right hamstring strain, Turner is still hitting .377 — the highest batting average in Dodgers history to close out a first half — with a 1.066 on-base plus slugging percentage.
He’s tied with Washington’s Anthony Rendon for the best WAR (FanGraphs) in the National League at 4.1 and ranks first in wRC+ at 183.
After initially being snubbed of an All-Star selection, Turner was elected to the game via Fan Vote and received a record 20.8 million votes. Turner logged one at-bat while playing an inning at third base on Tuesday night.