The Los Angeles Dodgers have had one of the most productive lineups in MLB and lead the National League in runs scored, but they have continued to struggle against left-handed pitching.
The issue seems to be a never-ending one for the Dodgers over the past few seasons no matter what lineup they put out.
This year, they are hitting .201/.298/.410 with a 95 wRC+ in 404 plate appearances against southpaws. That ranks them in the bottom 10 offenses in terms of production against lefties.
Despite the issues, the offense has produced back-to-back productive showings against left-handed starters, and Freddie Freeman believes that’s a sign of what is to come, via SportsNet LA:
“I just think in time it’s all going to work itself out. You can pick out many numbers in the first month of a season and harp on anything you want to, but over the course of 162, the guys in here don’t panic very much. They’re all going to be a tough out.”
Most of the Dodgers’ damage has come against right-handers as only 46 of their 208 runs this year are against lefties. Versus righties, the club is hitting .244/.337/.465 with a 119 wRC+, which ranks them second in the league.
Among Dodgers with a minimum of 10 plate appearances against southpaws, James Outman leads the way with a .333 batting average, while Will Smith (.278), Mookie Betts (.263), Miguel Rojas (.250) and Freeman (.224) are the only others hitting over .200.
Chris Taylor leads the team with five homers against lefties and has a 126 wRC+ against them, but that comes with a .188 average. However, he has picked up his offense as of late and that could bode well for the lineup moving forward.
Trayce Thompson, who has been given continuous platoon starts against left-handers despite his reverse splits, is hitting .065 (2-for-31) in 38 plate appearances with a 26 wRC+.
The Dodgers would benefit from adding a lefty masher for their corner outfield to replace Thompson, but the recent success of Miguel Vargas and the return of J.D. Martinez should also provide them a boost.
Freddie Freeman: Dodgers lineup and pitching in sync
The Dodgers have gone 10-2 during their last 12 games while outscoring their opponents 76-37.
After ending their road trip with a blowout win to take a series from the Milwaukee Brewers, Freeman highlighted the Dodgers lineup and pitching both performing well simultaneously, which is something they had trouble with early in the season.
Earlier this month, Freeman expressed his belief the Dodgers were finding more consistency, and winning two consecutive series on the road has surely only added to that.
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