The Los Angeles Dodgers have one of the best offenses in baseball, but they’ve also been in an extended slump as a group that has cost them a significant lead in the National League West.
Overall this year, the Dodgers have the third-most runs baseball and second-highest on-base plus slugging percentage. But since the start of June, the Dodgers rank 18th in runs scored and 19th in OPS.
Since the start of July, the Dodgers have the 28th OPS, and it’s resulted in the third-fewest runs in that stretch as one of three teams yet to reach 100 runs scored since then.
Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernández, Andy Pages, Tommy Edman and Freddie Freeman have all struggled over that stretch. Although, Freeman seems to be breaking out of it.
Despite the offensive issues, the Dodgers remained mostly quiet at the trade deadline, adding only Alex Call — a quality fourth outfielder — to their group of position players. The front office is making a bet on the talent level the group has to turn things around, which would be better than any trade the Dodgers could have made.
It’s a belief that resonates with Freeman.
“I think five or six months ago in Spring Training, we were talking about how great of a team we have,” he said. “We still have that great of a team. Obviously some of us haven’t played as well, so it’s on us to get going. A few of us are getting going right now, and I think we’re going to be just fine going forward.”
Now that the trade deadline is behind them, the Dodgers roster is mostly set. They will add some players back from the injured list, and they’ll face some decisions to make on their roster.
But the majority of the team the Dodgers will take into October is clear, and they’re relying on their superstars to be superstars. But in the meantime, there’s one thing Freeman hopes for as they close out the final two months of the year.
“Everyone stay healthy,” Freeman said. “That’s our key. We know we have a really good team, so if we can just stay on the field, we’ll be just fine going into October.”
The Dodgers have seen it first hand in previous seasons how little regular season success correlates to October. They’ve had years when they’ve ran through the regular season only to be swept in the NL Division Series. Last year the regular season was a struggle, and the Dodgers ended up winning the World Series.
As long as the Dodgers play their best baseball in October and remain healthy, they’re going to be a tough team to beat.
Freeman wants offense to help Yamamoto
Yoshinobu Yamamoto has looked the part of an MLB ace, but the Dodgers have struggled to give him consistent run support. The right-hander has gone 10-7 as a result of the poor offense, and Freeman hopes they can help him out more.
“Yoshi has been great,” Freeman said. “I’m sure he wanted to get the one more out to get six innings. He wants to go as deep as he possibly can.
“He’s been doing it all year. Ever since he came back from his shoulder injury last year, he’s looked like the guy we thought we were getting. It’s huge for us to go every five or six days and have that, and Blake Snell is back, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei, Kersh, Emmet Sheehan.
“What we envisioned a few months ago is starting to come around. Now it’s on our offense to come up with them.”
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