With their victory over the San Francisco Giants this week, the Los Angeles Dodgers became the first team to reach 20 wins this season. If the past three years are any indication, they should win the World Series in the fall, as the first team to that benchmark has done so.
The Dodgers boast one of the league’s deepest and most talented offenses, led by early MVP favorite and triple crown leader Cody Bellinger, who seems to be in the midst of a breakout into superstardom. Additionally, the team’s pitching staff has stabilized lately thanks to the returns of starters Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill and Hyun-Jin Ryu from injury.
It comes as little surprise, then, that other teams are noticing. In a poll of 25 anonymous front office executives from around MLB, 11 voted for the Dodgers as the best team in baseball over the first month of the season.
The Dodgers were the only National League team to receive votes. The remainder of the votes were split among the Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees.
Executives who voted for the Dodgers did not just consider what they have done already in 2019, but what they have the potential to continue accomplishing, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com:
The Dodgers received nearly half of the votes thanks to a “balanced,” “well-rounded” and “deep” roster.
“Their depth makes them so tough to beat over 162,” an NL assistant GM said. “Despite losing six in a row already this year, and not having Clayton Kershaw for the first couple of weeks, here we are at the end of April and they have the best record in the NL.”
“I think they represent ‘team’ better than the others that are winning,” an AL executive said. “It’s exciting baseball; young talent, veteran pitching, strong bullpen and something to prove after falling the last two years.”
However, two executives also acknowledged that the Astros could be just as good as the Dodgers, noting their similarly deep lineup and the presence of aces Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander.
While the Dodgers are on the right trajectory, there’s room for them to be even better. Justin Turner has yet to truly get going at the plate and Corey Seager is still working to find his rhythm in returning from Tommy John and hip surgeries.
