It is unrealistic to expect a team with not one player batting over .300 to compete for a division title. Moreover, even the top hitters have not been consistent.
The pattern so far is they get hot and bring their average up to .290 then they cool off and their average declines 10 or 20 points. Further, with the exception of Gonzalez, Seager and Thompson, no one else on the team has hit well at all.
The Dodgers hoped that Yasiel Puig would finally have a bounce-back season, but it hasn’t materialized and he’s now on the disabled list because of another hamstring injury.
Prior to going down, Puig was hitting .237/.283/.360 over 53 games. Pederson is hitting only .226, though his .323 on-base percentage and .445 slugging are encouraging. Everyone remembers the Pederson who had monster start last season but trailed off so dramatically leading into and after the All-Star break.
Yasmani Grandal is another player the Dodgers were counting on to return to form this season, but so far he has been close to a disaster. He’s batting an abysmal .190 and despite assertions he’s improving health-wise, very much appears limited by injuries.
Grandal does rank seventh on the team with a .310 on-base percentage. His backup and former starter A.J. Ellis has played sparingly and primarily when Clayton Kershaw is on the hill. Ellis has never been much of an offensive threat, but this year he is hitting a lowly .205/.309/.277.
Justin Turner has also been a disappointment thus far. He bats in the middle of the lineup and was counted on to hit for average and for power. However, he owns a .335 slugging percentage and has hit just eight doubles and four home runs in 57 games.
Utley is another cause for concern as he’s regressed since an impressive start as the Dodgers’ leadoff batter. Pitching or no pitching, the Dodgers cannot compete for a division title, or a World Series, without improved hitting across the board.
Puig may not be a safe bet considering his chronic hamstring problems persist, but Turner, Pederson, Grandal, Utley and Howie Kendrick have to raise their averages dramatically for the Dodgers to remain competitive with the Giants.
The Dodgers also need to see Gonzalez, Seager and Thompson remain consistent and continue to serve as the driving force.
