It was a terrible pitching team that was not seen in ‘Los Angeles’. The Los Angeles Dodgers of the Major League Baseball (MLB) are performing below expectations amid chaos on the mound.
As of the 20th (Korean time), the Dodgers recorded a season record of 39 wins and 33 losses (0.542 win rate), ranking third in the National League West Division. In terms of odds alone, it is higher than the Cincinnati Reds (0.521), which ranks first in the Central District.안전놀이터
But for the Dodgers, this position is very unfamiliar. This is because since the owner group changed in 2012, it has won the district championship for 8 consecutive years since 2013, and it is a team that has been unconditionally ranked in the second place for 10 consecutive years until last year. Even though there are still more than half of the season left, it is clear that it is an awkward position.
The bat, with Freddy Freeman (34), Mookie Betts (31), and Will Smith (28), is still powerful. As of the 19th, the Dodgers are recording a team OPS of 0.775, which is the second highest in the National League after the Atlanta Braves (0.818). The team’s home runs (116) and points (389 points) are also ranked second overall in the National League, showing excellent offensive power.
But the problem was the mound. During the same period, the Dodgers’ team ERA was 4.66, higher than the league average (4.37). Under the Dodgers, there are only the New York Mets (4.68), Cincinnati (4.88), and Colorado Rockies (5.45). In other words, he has a mound that cannot even go to the middle in the National League.
Looking at the history of the club, it is shocking. According to the Los Angeles Times, an American media outlet, the Dodgers’ team ERA this year is the worst in 79 years since 1944 (4.68) when it was based in Brooklyn, New York. Since moving to Los Angeles, California in 1958, the record has not been higher.
The media said, “The Coliseum days (1958-1961 season) when the left wall was only 76m (250 feet), the time when we did not win a postseason for 15 years (1989-2003 season), and cash shortages during the Frank McCourt owner period. Even when I played (2004-2012 season), this did not happen, and I always maintained a competitive edge on the mound,” he pointed out.
If you look at personal records, the immovable ace Clayton Kershaw’s season 8-4 record with a 2.95 ERA overshadows his 35-year-old age. Tony Gonsolin (4-2, 2.92 ERA) is also struggling, but in his most recent appearance against San Francisco on the 19th, he collapsed with 7 runs and failed to prevent the team from sweeping. At least, 24-year-old rookie Bobby Miller (3-1, 2.83 ERA) is performing beyond expectations.
However, players who need to protect the starting lineup, such as Walker Buehler, Julio Urias, Dustin May, and Noah Syndergaard, are having a difficult season as they leave due to injuries. Also, his bullpen ERA is 5.04, which is last in the National League. Of course, it is difficult for the Dodgers, who are faltering in both starting and relief teams, to maintain good results.
According to the media, Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations, said, “We have built an excellent team based on excellent pitchers,” and “but now we are falling short of that.” Pitching coach Mark Pryor also pointed out that “the depth of the starting rotation is shallow.”
The number of ace-level pitchers who have passed through the Dodgers over the past 10 years has accumulated a mountain. A number of A-class starting pitchers, including Zack Greinke, Max Scherzer, and Trevor Bauer from Cy Young, as well as Ryu Hyun-jin and Maeda Kenta, supported the Dodgers mound. However, did you say ‘Kwonbul 10 years’, the Dodgers’ mound is now in decline.