Since Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman hired Dave Roberts as manager, the organization has been dogged by a perception of the front office setting daily lineups and dictating pitching changes.
“Dave Roberts’s quick hook and frequent pitching changes backfired on the Dodgers.”
This was a tweet sent by the analytics website FiveThirtyEight.com on the heels of Game 2 of the 2017 World Series. And, for better or worse, it sums up the general attitude of casual fans toward Roberts and Co.
It seems that no matter what Roberts — or any MLB manager — does, if the team fails to win it all, it’s his fault. If Grady Little leaves Pedro Martinez in too long and they lose, he gets fired. If Roberts goes to his bullpen too quickly? Social media gets the roasters ready.
But here’s what is fascinating: the narrative around Roberts and the Dodgers simply isn’t true. While many have assumed that he is too quick to pull starters from games, the numbers say the exact opposite — at least during the regular season.
In 2019, no starting pitching staff has pitched more innings than the Dodgers (499.1 through 86 starts). The Dodgers are nearly averaging a quality start every time out. Of course, it helps when your rotation has MLB’s best ERA and highest WAR.
And it’s not only this year either — last season, the Dodgers had the eighth-most innings pitched by starters.
Well, but what about the postseason?
Last year, 10 teams played in the postseason — and only two of them averaged more innings-per-start than the Dodgers. One of those teams was the Chicago Cubs, who only reached the National League Wild Card Game.
The other was the Colorado Rockies, who played just five postseason games. In 16 postseason starts, the Dodgers’ rotation averaged nearly 5.5 innings per start.
The point is this: Roberts isn’t the perfect manager (nobody is), but he is a nuanced one. If his starters warrant it, he’ll leave them out there. If the situation calls for an early hook? He’s not afraid to use it.
And so, with the Dodgers headed for what appears to be yet another NL West title (it would be their seventh in a row), the 2019 postseason should offer yet another opportunity for Roberts to manage on the big stage and bust up another narrative.
