The Los Angeles Dodgers got off to a rough start to the 2018 season, battling through some key injuries in the first month and a half which resulted in them being 10 games below .500 at 16-26 in the middle of May.
They were able to weather the storm though, and have since become one of the best teams in all of baseball, taking over first place in the National League West in pursuit of their sixth straight division title.
While many people were critical of the Dodgers at the beginning of the season, thinking 2018 just wasn’t their year, former Dodgers executive and current Atlanta Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos was not among that crowd.
Working closely with president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and his staff the last couple of years, Anthopolous knew that they would be able to weather the storm, via Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times:
“No doubt about it. I expect to see them in the playoffs,” he said. “I know how that front office runs. I know how good they are and how smart they are and how prepared they are. I’d never bet against those guys.”
Anthopoulos, who served as the Dodgers’ vice president of baseball operations from 2016-17, departed the club over the offseason after being named new general manager of the Braves following the lifetime ban of John Coppolella.
He has done a nice job in Atlanta as their young talent is playing better than anyone could have expected, resulting in them also currently being in the mix for a postseason spot.
The Dodgers have gotten the better of the Braves so far in their four-game series at SunTrust Park, which will be something to keep an eye on if the two teams end up meeting down the line in October.
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