2020 Dodgers season preview: Is this finally the year?
The Los Angeles Dodgers enter the shortened season as a World Series favorite after acquiring Mookie Betts in a blockbuster trade.
While adding Betts was huge, the starting rotation has question marks after 2019 ERA leader Hyun-Jin Ryu departed in free agency, Kenta Maeda was traded, and David Price, who was acquired from the Boston Red Sox along with Betts, opted out of the 2020 campaign.
Still, this may be L.A.'s best chance to claim its first World Series title since 1988 after losing two of the last three Fall Classics.
2020 Breakdown
2019 record: 106-56 (1st in NL West)
Payroll: $221,336,499
Projected record: 38-22 (1st)
World Series odds: +350
3-year trend: 2017 (1st); 2018 (1st); 2019 (1st)
Key addition: Mookie Betts
Key subtraction: Hyun-Jin Ryu
Highest projected WAR: Cody Bellinger (2.2)
X-factor: Kenley Jansen
Prospect to watch: Brusdar Graterol
Winter report card: A
Projected Lineup
| Order | Player | Pos. | Proj. WAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mookie Betts | RF | 2.2 |
| 2 | Max Muncy (L) | 1B | 0.9 |
| 3 | Justin Turner | 3B | 1.3 |
| 4 | Cody Bellinger (L) | CF | 2.2 |
| 5 | Corey Seager (L) | SS | 1.4 |
| 6. | A.J. Pollock | LF | 0.4 |
| 7 | Joc Pederson (L) | DH | 0.8 |
| 8 | Will Smith | C | 0.7 |
| 9 | Chris Taylor | 2B | 0.3 |
Bench
| Player | Position | Proj. WAR |
|---|---|---|
| Austin Barnes | C | 0.5 |
| Matt Beaty (L) | IF/OF | 0.1 |
| Enrique Hernandez | IF/OF | 0.4 |
| Edwin Rios (L) | IF/OF | 0.0 |
| Terrance Gore | OF | 0.0 |
*Bold indicates player acquired during offseason
There wasn't a better offensive team in the NL last season by WAR than the Dodgers, and that was before the Betts addition. Following Betts with Muncy (70 homers the past two seasons), Turner (.397 OBP since 2017), and Bellinger (the reigning NL MVP) gives L.A. one of the most feared top four in baseball. Pederson should continue to rake against righties, and Seager - who hit 44 doubles last season - is no slouch at the dish, either.
Rotation
| Pitcher | Throws | Proj. ERA |
|---|---|---|
| Clayton Kershaw | L | 3.67 |
| Ross Stripling | R | 4.07 |
| Alex Wood | L | 4.26 |
| Julio Urias | L | 4.10 |
| Walker Buehler | R | 3.57 |
While Ryu, Maeda, and Price are major losses for the rotation, the Dodgers' best two pitchers should remain one of the best pairings in baseball. Kershaw may not log the same innings he used to, but he's still capable of shutting down the best lineups, while Buehler is one of the game's most electric rising star - even if he's being handled with care at the back end of the rotation and piggybacked by Dustin May. After them, it's anyone's guess. Wood was effective in his initial stint with the Dodgers before being limited by back issues in Cincinnati last year, Stripling has something to prove after nearly being traded, and Urias is still looking to live up to his potential.
Bullpen
| Pitcher | Throws | Proj. ERA |
|---|---|---|
| Kenley Jansen | R | 4.02 |
| Joe Kelly | R | 3.57 |
| Blake Treinen | R | 3.60 |
| Pedro Baez | R | 4.42 |
| Caleb Ferguson | L | 3.61 |
| Brusdar Graterol | R | 3.62 |
| Dennis Santana | R | 4.51 |
| Dylan Floro | R | 4.08 |
| Adam Kolarek | L | 3.64 |
| Scott Alexander | L | 3.51 |
| Jake McGee | L | 4.93 |
As good as the Dodgers' bullpen looked on paper last season, it could have been better. Jansen recorded the worst numbers of his career while recovering from heart surgery, and Kelly was an absolute mess for the first two months of the campaign before turning things around. If those two can pitch like the best versions of themselves and former All-Star closer Treinen can emulate some of his past success, innings seven through nine will be a nightmare for opposing teams.
Key injuries/Absences
| Player | Position | Absence |
|---|---|---|
| David Price | SP | Opted out of season |
| Jimmy Nelson | SP | Back surgery |
| Keibert Ruiz | C | Undisclosed |
(Projected WAR/ERA source: FanGraphs)