The Alex Wood Dilemma

Andrew Miller is a 6’7” left hander from Gainesville, FL and attended University of North Carolina. He was drafted in the first round by the Detroit Tigers in 2006.  Miller was called up later that year and made his ML debut on August 30, 2006.  From 2007-2010, he bounced up and down from the MiLB to MLB (Det/Fla).  While he did have some very good starts, he never established himself as a reliable starter, and moved back and forth as a starter to the bullpen.  In December 2010, Miller was non-tendered by Florida, and Terry Francona convinced Miller to sign with Boston because he saw a flaw in Miller’s delivery.  Miller started the year in Pawtucket and was recalled June 2011.  In 2012, he again started the season in the minors, and when recalled this time by Boston, he was assigned permanently to the bullpen where he has remained, and starred.

 

Alex Wood is a 6’4” left hander from Charlotte, NC and attended the University of Georgia. He was drafted in the second round by the Atlanta Braves in 2012.  Wood made his ML debut on May 30, 2013. He moved down and was recalled one additional time in 2013, and was up to stay on July 25, 2013.

 

Both are relatively tall left handers from the south, who later went on to become high draft choices.  Wood went to high school in North Carolina, and Miller went to college in North Carolina.  While Wood has started his career with better results than Miller as a starting pitcher, neither one has overcome doubts about being full-time starters.  Both have had some injury concerns but have overcome them.  After six years, Miller was permanently moved to reliever and has not looked back. When Miller finally stuck as a reliever, his K/BB ratio started to improve, and so did his ERA.  In 2013, Miller had a career best ERA of 2.64, and has been under 2.04 ever since.  Miller is now back with Francona in Cleveland, and pitching superbly.

 

In 2014, Wood started the year in the Braves rotation, and pitched very well.  He lost three games, 2-1 and 1-0 twice, including 1 complete game.  He pitched into the 7th and 8th inning in the other two losses.  He went to the bullpen on May 9, and returned to the rotation on June 25.  He ended the year with a very respectable 171.2 IP and 2.78 ERA as a 23 year old.  In 2015, he was traded to the Dodgers in a blockbuster three team deal.  He has had a good/not so good start to his Dodger career as a starting pitcher.  His 2016 season was derailed due to elbow debridement surgery.  When Wood returned in 2016, he moved into the bullpen where he was excellent having pitched 4 games in September for 4 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 4 K.

 

Thus far in 2017, Wood has been in the rotation and bullpen.  He has been both okay and outstanding in his 3 starts, but has been nearly perfect in his two relief appearances…5.1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 BB, 4 K. Wood can be an effective starting pitcher for LAD, but he can be a force in the bullpen in high leverage situations.  Is it time for Alex to follow the path laid out by Andrew Miller, and become a standout in the pen?

Minor League

OKC – Lost  a pair of 2-1 games to the Omaha Storm Chasers.  Justin Masterson pitched game 1 – 6 IP/5 H/1 R/3 BB/6 K – 2.16 ERA.  The sole Dodger run came from Willie Calhoun’s 2nd HR of 2017.  Steve Geltz gave up 4 consecutive hits for the walk off win.

Jair Jurrjens pitched game 2: 6.0 IP/4 H/1 R/1 BB/10 K – 2.51 ERA. Adam Liberatore pitched 2 innings giving up 1 BB with 4 K.  Jacob Rhame had 1 IP with 1 BB and 2 K. Brandon Morrow gave up the walk off HR in the 11th.

Roster move – 2B Max Muncy signed a minor league contract on 04/28/17.

Tulsa – Lost 7-6 to Northwest Arkansas.  Scott Barlow went 6 IP/4 h/3 R/2 BB/7 K/2 HR – 3.57 ERA.  Newly promoted reliever Chris Powell pitched 2 innings, giving up 1 unearned run on 2 hits, 0 BB, and 2 K.  OF Jacob Scavuzzo had 2 hits including in 2nd HR.

RC – The Quakes lost their 2nd walk-off game in a row; this one 2-1. Walker Buehler started and went 3.2 innings with 65 pitches.  He gave up 3 H/ 1 R/ 2 BB/ 8 K.  Joc Pederson and Josh Ravin both played in their 1st rehab game.  Ravin pitched 1 inning giving up 1 hit with 1 strike out.  Joc finished the night 0-2 with 1 BB/1 K.

This article has 71 Comments

  1. As I read that, what really jumped out to me is Alex Wood’s current value. While I like him in the Andrew Miller role, the fact is he could be worth a lot as a trade piece for a RH hitter. Teams are always looking for starting pitching and the Dodgers are loaded with it.

    To me Ryan Braun is still the biggest difference maker. What could we get with a package of Wood, Pederson and Calhoun? Think 3 or 4 way deal….

    I want a big RH bat in LF. I want Pederson gone… maybe Puig too!

    1. I came to the same conclusion about Alex and his value. But I selfishly wanted to ignore it, and chose to exclude my thoughts. Like you are with Grandal, and Bums is with Joc, Alex Wood is a favorite of mine (always has been), and he probably has the greatest trade value of any Dodger not named Kershaw, Seager, and Bellinger. Pederson and Grandal undoubtedly also have high trade values associated with them, which makes them vulnerable as well. Not so much Puig. I do not want to see Wood moved, but I am a Dodger fan first, so if it improves the team, I can accept it. We have all seen favorites of ours moved for what was thought of as the best for the team.
      .
      Braun is the biggest difference maker available right now. But I do question his arm issues, which he admits does have an impact on his swing. I also am considerate of Quas’ feelings of Braun as a person. I am a little biased since I knew Ryan from his youth ball days, and watched him play quite a bit at Granada Hills High (where I lived). He was a good kid when I knew him. More than a handful of player personnel and former players have said that my son could have been an established ML player had he taken PEDs. When he was moving up, dozens of players were known to be on PEDs, and my son refused. So I get the anger at Braun, especially as he lied and handled the entire situation. But my understanding is that he is not a bad clubhouse guy with the Brewers. Whether he would be with the Dodgers would be determined based on who was included in the trade, and how he addresses the players (especially the veterans) when he joins the team.
      .
      I have no problem whatsoever of Puig moving on. I do not care if he hits .350 and 50 HRs for his new team. He will never do that as a Dodger. Has he matured and changed his approach? I would say yes. But he is not the prolific RH bat the Dodgers need. What is emblematic with the Dodgers for me occurred in the 2nd inning in last night’s game, with Bellinger leading off with a double and having Puig fly out and Utley K before Kershaw had to deliver the single to get Bellinger in.

      1. Rudy Byrd: “Are there no better options than Braun out there?”
        .
        I think it’s VERY important to remember, “there is more than one way to skin a cat”. The “are no better options” thinking got us the “trade”. I know there are different opinions on the trade, but from a baseball perspective the $40M committed to Gonzalez and Crawford would have given us alot of options. How would another ace have worked?
        .
        Right Now, Braun would be nice, but the PRICE has to be considered. Is he the only option? NO!! How about another lefty slugger that hits both lefties and righties? How about another stud starter? There is lots of options, including a 33 yr old outfielder owed $100M with arm problems. How about putting someone like Moustakas at 1st base and Bellinger somewhere else. Remember it’s all about the cost, I’m confident FAZ won’t forget this. Not necessary for any dope fiend moves yet.
        .
        Speaking of dope fiend moves, how about Granada Hills High? I attended Granada Hills High back in the sixties, lots of drugs even then. I can see the temptation of PEDs to Braun, having been raised in that culture. Always Compete’s son was special to be able to “just say no”.

  2. If I were Cody Bellinger and Dave Roberts told me I was going back to AAA, I would punch him in the face!

    They can’t send Bellinger back!

    The Cubs 1B had 10 RBI Sunday. A-Gon has 10 RBI on the season. STOP THE INSANITY!

    They can’t send Taylor back either.

    DL Gonzo, Option SVS, Figure it out. Leave Cody and Chris on the roster. Get rid of the dead wood.

    1. Mark

      When Roberts said that, I didn’t take it like Roberts, was saying anything definite, about Cody.

      He was just saying the regular spiel, that he has to say.

      I don’t think Cody is going back down, like some think.

      Roberts needs to make Agone see, that he is hurting the team, by not going out, and trying to see, if he can get better.

    2. Cody needs to stay. 8-25 with 2 HR and double. Also 5 walks and 2 bunts against the shift! Good baseball instincts. He was quoted as saying he bunted because they gave it to him (shift) and he needed to be on base to bring tying run to plate. Unlikely HR would not have helped. Not bad for a rookie. Hope Joc was watching. Don’t understand why more players don’t bunt against the shift.

      Concur with DL A-Gon and options SVS with Gutierrez and Joc coming back.

  3. Totally agree Mark – a lot of dead wood on this roster that is screaming for some legitimate bats. Why send down guys that are hitting and keep the dead wood. Seems to be the Dodger way though. Loosing patience with Puig – will the guy ever hit, he’s starting to look a lot like Pederson: good defense, very little offense.

  4. Yeah, What’s not to like about 26 yrs old Alex Wood these days. 2.29 ERA and an OUTSTANDING .97 WHIP.
    .
    As Mark says, his trade value should be very high right now. And Dodger are deep in starting pitching, but that starting pitching isn’t without questions, Ryu, Maeda, Hill, McCarthy, etc. Looks like FAZ enjoys all the options they currently possess. Although, they have shown us who they would like to trade among starting pitching, Kazmir and McCarthy. McCarthy is cooperating with 3 quality starts out of 5. Kazmir, get better soon!!
    .
    Gonna be some interesting roster moves coming up soon. Gotta believe SVSs time has come. Hate to say it, but Utley looks like he is about done also, wouldn’t mind to somehow keep him around as a coach and a possible fill-in later, if necessary. Also looks like Gonzalez MUST go on the DL to see if he is injured or old. But, what do WE really know? I guess we have to trust the experts, they have the inside poop. But to my untrained eye it looks like “out with the old and in with the new”!!

  5. Let me see if I get this straight.
    ~
    Miller and Wood are both Southern, college graduates who throw with their left hand.
    ~
    Ergo, they must be qualified for the same role on a baseball team?
    ~
    Has Wood’s delivery given anyone hope that he can pitch in short relief? It hasn’t for me. Has Wood ever been used in high-leverage short relief situations at any level? College, minor, high-school, pick-up?
    ~
    Maybe the Dodgers should find another failed Starting Pitcher named Miller and turn him into a high-leverage specialist. I mean, they’ll both have the same last name.

    1. Boy, you cut right through to my true point. Cannot get anything by you. Yeah, all southern left-handers should be multi inning relievers. When Madison Bumgarner comes back, that is where he should go as well.
      .
      Or, perhaps my point was that Andrew Miller was a non-descript starting pitcher, who did not find his niche until Terry Francona believed he could be a high leverage reliever. It still took him two years from that point in his career before he finally established himself. Alex Wood may be facing the same situation. He ended last year in the bullpen due to an injury but did very well in his four relief appearances. He started out this year as a reliever and was forced to the starting rotation due to injuries. Doc Roberts and FAZ will soon need to make a decision as to what to ultimately do with Wood…start or relieve. Francona pushed Miller to the pen where he has excelled, will Roberts and FAZ do the same? Wood has been a better starting pitcher than Miller was, therefore it does not seem a stretch to think that with time, he could master the multi inning high leverage relief role as well. Will he be better in that role than as a starter? Maybe. Maybe not. Will he be comparable to Miller? Maybe. Maybe not. The southern lefty thing was just a nice starting off comparison. Glad you over-read that.
      .
      As far as another Miller goes, thanks for the idea. I will email Zaidi to see if he can look into going after Shelby Miller when he comes back from TJ surgery and putting him in the bullpen as well. Great idea!!! I will make sure to give you credit.

      1. No AC,

        There was no conditional “maybe. Maybe not” in your article. Here are your exact words:
        ~BEGIN PASTE~
        Wood can be an effective starting pitcher for LAD, but he can be a force in the bullpen in high leverage situations.
        ~END PASTE~
        It’s not just you and this article AC, I remember reading some Dodger fans in the off-season wondering if Puig could be the long term solution at 3B. Now, I’m not sure of any high profile OF to 3B analogs, but changing positions and changing roles is not just a plug and play endevor. Some people work poorly on short rest, some arms don’t recover. Some pitching motions are high-effort.
        ~
        As I originally responded. There’s no evidence that Wood’s arm can handle being a mediocre short term reliever. There’s no proof he will thrive in high-leverage situations. And you may even know this, as there’s no citing of any similarities between him and Miller, except that they are both tall, Southern. college graduates.
        ~
        I think Shelby Miller’s cost for acquisition would be very low right now. Don’t think he’ll ever be a reliever, but if he costs nothing I’d explore getting him.

        1. You’re right. I said CAN be instead of MAY be. I thought that they may be (can be) interchangeable, but perhaps not.
          .
          You are also right that there is no evidence that Wood can be (maybe) a high leverage reliever. On the flip side, there is no evidence that he cannot be. There was no evidence that Miller could be a high leverage reliever before he moved to the pen. He was DFA’d by the Marlins. There was nothing in his career that pointed to where he is now. There was just a belief from Terry Francona. There was no evidence that Kenley Jansen could be moved from catcher to become an $80M closer. Sometimes players hit a crossroad where a decision needs to be made. The open question is, is Wood getting closer to that crossroad decision? I have no clue, but as he is one of my favorite players, I hope whatever it is it will be with the Dodgers.

          1. Well, now we’re on the same page.
            ~
            I like Wood a lot. I like his ability to avoid hard contact.
            ~
            My main thing is that you just cannot create these analogies. If it worked for player A, why not try it with player B. The Dodgers staff has access to troves and mountains of data and reports that we don’t, let’s trust them to make baseball decisions. Especially those as substantial as changing a player’s role fundamentally.

    2. C’mon Bluto, I woke up on the wrong side of the bed too……I don’t think it has a right side. The read above though, was a pleasant direction for starting this day and we all love parallels……well, usually not the best way to make future choices but everybody does. Speaking of parallels, Thursday will be my father’s birthday (all celebrations occur on parallel dates) and I’ll be thinking of him on that day. Yes it’s strange to celebrate a day that my father would be another year older if he was alive. And again, it’s hard to celebrate my birthday after my day died in my arms on my 49th parallel. I could go on and on about parallels ( oops! it’s all I seem to do) and the major impact they have on every one of us.

      About them Dodgers,…. I think I saw the prettiest bunt of all times last night! Yep Cody’s making a mess inside the heads of management. What I think I saw in the kid last night was he’s not reached fluid yet. When he does watch out! He’s only beginning to discover what he’s made of. Oops! I’m stuck in parallel stupid! Sorry.

        1. Quas

          I noticed!

          Bluto doesn’t mean any harm, he is just, a very literal guy!

  6. Nice post today AC! There are similarities between Miller and Wood that are eerie. He has high trade value but also high value to the Dodgers. Same for Pederson but there are a couple guys who could replace Joc in Cody and Verdugo. I think the Dodgers could and would package them but don’t think they necessarily will. They do need a RH bat and the best prospects are 2 years away. Dickson would be an upgrade over SVS today!

    Interesting that the Dodgers minor leagues lost 3 games 2-1 and in all 3 the starter pitched well and gave up 1 run but it was too much. You can’t always pitch a shutout! Kind of like the Big Club.

    So Ryu hurt himself sliding into second trying to break up a double play, sure maybe. The new 10 DL can give some teams an edge and the Dodgers will and should exploit it. The 6 man soon becomes a 7 man rotation with Hill’s return and they all can benefit from periodic rest due to injuries or performance. No one yet has any arm issues. I hope they don’t trot Kazmir out there without a rehab stint where he shows command and velocity. He’s the guy they would like to trade but hard to do when he throws 85.

    Speaking of 85 that’s where Cueto was sitting most of the night and yet he made it work. The Dodgers hitters helped him out swinging at balls at their feet but give him credit. He threw 6 straight change ups to Utley one at bat and got away with it. He’s a pitcher not just a thrower.

    1. Vegas

      What Cueto did to Utley, is what Kershaw doesn’t do.

      Kershaw tends to never throw anything but a fastball, when he is down on the count.

      He needs to change it up, more.

      And Kershaw is around the plate to much, because he doesn’t want to walk anyone.

      And he will be more vulnerable to hitters, because of that, along with him almost always, throwing a fastball, when he is behind, on the count.

      I wish he would change that up more, because he tends to throw fastball after fastball, in the post season, when he gets in trouble too.

      He has already given up 6 HRs, this year.

      And he only gave up 8 HRs, all last year.

  7. Roberts made a comment after Kershaw’s last start that when it’s his turn, it’s a must win game because of the other problems with 2-5. Well, he lost last night to the f’n giants, so a losing streak is on the line tonight. 66 sucks. Period. Between him and Pederson, the team can only talk a good game. Get rid of both and move on. I hate the giants.

    1. Lol! It ain’t easy being me either, Bobby 17. I’m sure glad I don’t live up where you’re at.

  8. Somebody said why don’t Pederson do what bellinger did and bunt to beat the shift. I will tell you why because he can’t bunt and by the way he can’t hit either. Big time power but no contact. I think he tries hard but is overmatched. I would Trade him if possible.

    1. That was me.

      Concur, can’t do something you can’t do. I was on the Joc bandwagon when he came up but need to see more improvement to get back on

      See below, SVS to OKC. will be interesting to see how outfield sorts out as players come back from DL.

  9. Los Angeles Dodgers‏Verified account
    Today, the #Dodgers reinstated Franklin Gutierrez from the 10-day DL and optioned Scott Van Slyke to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

    1. I have been one of Buehler’s biggest supporters, but this does seem odd to me. I do think he is deserving, and I do not believe that he will be over-matched. Walker has not gone more than 3.2 IP in any of his 5 starts. I guess they can pull him after 3.2 IP just as easy at AA as they have at A+. IMO, Dennis Santana is also very deserving of a promotion, and I also do not believe that Mitchell White would be overwhelmed at AA.
      .
      Bottom line, this is great news for Walker Buehler, and because of the timing, I would guess that this may not be his last 2017 promotion.
      .
      I have not seen all of the transactions yet. So now will there be a demotion (perhaps Isaac Anderson), or a promotion (perhaps Devin Smelzer)? AJ Alexy goes today for Great Lakes. I think this would be a huge jump for either Alexy or May, but Smelzer is a possibility.

      1. I think it’s possible Buehler gets two more promotions this year…

        TWO!

        Not predicting it, but it’s possible.

        Santana should be going to AA too!

        1. It will be interesting to see which youngsters put themselves in position to help the Dodgers pen down the stretch.

          1. And with Beuhler throwing 3-4 ip at a time, he could be great bullpen help 2nd half of the year if he keeps it up in AA

  10. line up:

    Hernandez CF
    Seager SS
    Turner 3B
    Gutierrez LF
    Taylor 2B
    Puig RF
    Barnes C
    Bellinger 1B
    Wood P

  11. One more piece of the puzzle with SVS sent down for Franklin. Cody can give AGon a day off and maybe Taylor can slide over there. The Dodgers make moves almost every day now. Buehler with 27 K’s in 16 innings? Yikes! Next up is Joc and what do they do with Bellinger? If not him then Toles could go down and I like his speed. Even with his recent hot streak he is only hitting .240. And when Forsythe is ready what to do with Taylor? He deserves it more than Utley right now. Or the famous 10 day DL to keep the hottest bats awhile longer? I kind of like the mystery and intrigue.

    1. I think A-Gon resting his elbow for 10 days or so may be the next move when Joc returns.

      Not sure how 2b sorts out when Forsythe returns but will have to see if someone gets hurt (Utley does play hard to he might suffer a contusion sliding into second)

    2. Vegas

      Are you aware that Toles is tied for second in RBIs on this team with Puig?

      And he is tied for the lead in HRs, with both Puig and Corey?

      And Toles has not started, and played in almost every game, like Puig has.

      Puig has had 28 more plate appearances, then Toles has.

      And Puig was not hitting at the top of the line up, like Toles has.

      Puig did most of his damage, hitting in the eigth position.

      And it is a lot different getting a couple at bats, at the end of a game, then started and playing everyday like Puig has done this year.

      And Toles did hit 300 last year, after he joined the team.

  12. Long overdue optioning van slyke. I think his injuries may have done him in. Maybe playing everyday he can gain some confidence and get back to where he was a couple of years ago when he did mash lefties. Wait a minute wade Miley is in the American League so it may be tougher than I thought. I don’t know how much longer they can watch utley hit below a .100 when we are desperate for offense.

  13. Yeah bobby I hate the giants to. It’s frustrating you are on a 4 game winning streak while the giants can’t beat anybody but us, kershaw on the mound, 2run homer right out of the box. Kershaw had 0-2 count on their 22 year old and let him off the hook. Then to hear kershaw saying give the giants credit they had a good game plan. “Bull”” over a 100 pitches in 6 innings he once again came up small in a big game. He is nowhere near as dominant as a year ago prior to injury I hope he is not still injured. With belt out of the lineup posey and pence were the only 2 who could hurt you so naturally he serves up a home run ball to both. He keeps giving up the home runs so if he is healthy maybe he just hasn’t hit his stride yet. I know this game is hard but to see our streak end with our ace on the mound at home against the giants I had to vent.

  14. I hope Gutierrez will do what he was hired to do. Do not hold your breath. Pederson needs to pick it up when he comes back. If Joc cannot bunt that is his fault. All he needs to do is practice. I am willing to give Joc and Puig till the end of July to prove they belong.

    Bellinger and Toles are starting to look pretty good to me.

  15. Joc needs to pick up the offense but no one else can run them down in the outfield like he can. If he learns to bunt and shorten up after two strikes we need him. Glad to see SVS get sent down as he’s totally lost at the plate. Hard call on Utley, but first year as a utility player could take a little more time to adjust.

    1. Billy,

      Glad to have you back. For the rest, Bill Russell has been a fixture here for a long time until the last year or so. Now he’s back and he’s a great asset for us all.

      Thanks Bill!

  16. MJ, I like Toles but someone is going down when Joc comes back. If not Andrew then it’s Bellinger. I like Joc and the other 2 better than Gutierrez by a lot but they want a RH bat. The right move might be to tell Utley and AGon “hey, you’re hurt!” They both seem like they would take one for the team, and someone else might get hurt or go cold. Meanwhile Bellinger gets a start against a leftie and if he proves he can do that why send him down?

    I really think Kershaw had an off night against a team that’s seen him a lot, but he has not hit his stride yet either. Wood is out to prove his last start is who he is and can make a loud statement tonight. It’s about time the bats explode! The lineup looks a lot different without AGon and Grandal clogging up the middle. There is speed everywhere except the 4 hole and he’s not a turtle.

  17. Alex Wood looks like a guy who is trying to pace himself to go more innings. I like him in the pen.

    Alex, you have been reassigned. Back to the pen. Rich Hill is coming…

  18. If Bellinger continues and they send him down, FAZ should be sent to the asylum.

    1. He ain’t going down!

      This is a new era.

      What happens to Adrian?

      Matt Moore used to own us. No Moore!

  19. Joc can’t do any of that either. Joc or Agon one has to sit and Cody needs to play.

    1. Hey you were right. Injuries opened the door and he’s kicked that door down. I figured September unless there was a crap ton of injuries. Now with Gonzalez’s decline happening even faster than you could have predicted, Gonzalez must go. He needs to go on the DL. The Dodgers need to sit him down and remind him of the ultimate goal and convince him to swallow his pride and get healthy.

      Utley has become a guess hitter the last two years. He uses his experience to cheat on fastballs when he thinks he’s getting them. Last night Cueto made him look silly with changeups. Later in the game, Utley watched a fastball go right past him because he was guessing changeup.

      I like Adrian, if he gets healthy he should have value elsewhere but after watching Cody run, but I’m tired of watching Gonzalez clog up the bases.

  20. Right now there are 5 guys I love to see bat. They are Toles, Seager, Turner, Taylor and Bellinger.

    1. Idahoal

      I like watching everyone of those players, too.

      It bothers me that they are always making excuses for Puig, when he is up to bat.

      1. Mark

        I guess I feel that way, because they have been given so many chances, that other players, don’t get.

  21. Well, I don’t think that Wood has much in common with Miller. He has more in common with Moore. Both are lefties with reasonably good stuff (Wood’s is better) who have trouble maintaining a release point. They get wild – sometime over the plate.

    We were ready to anoint Wood as the next big thing in the rotation – he has had 1 good start in 4. He’s probably better back in the ‘pen.

    How does Bellinger not stay in the big leagues?

    Puig is out of sync up there right now. He needs to work things out (again).

    Pederson is more fundamentally sound than Toles is right now, at least in the field. He does the swing and miss thing way too often, but that is the way that the Dodgers are built.

    League average K% is 21.5% Pederson is 30.5% and is the worst on the team. Grandal is 3rd worst at 23.9% (Forsyth is 2nd worst at 29.6%.) The best? Turner at 9.7%.

    1. We were ready to anoint Wood as the next big thing in the rotation –

      Not me. I think he belongs in the pen.

    2. Rick

      OPS in saber metrics, make certain hitters, look like they provide more offense, then they really do.

      The main thing that bothers me about Joc, is that he almost never shortens his swing, when he should, with two strikes.

      And that isn’t something he hasn’t learned, it is a choice with him.

      If sabers would really put the right value on walks and strike outs, these all or nothing hitters, wouldn’t have high OPS’s.

      I don’t think Joc is going anywhere.

      I just think this will all work out in ways, we can’t see now.

      This crowded Dodger outfield, almost always, seems to work its way out, where no big moves, are really needed.

  22. Wood had a rough night, 4 ER in 5 IP with 8 K’s but will likely get the win. He probably gets one more start before Hill or Ryu are ready to return.

    Bellinger is growing before our eyes and is a natural. If he stays up he gets Rookie of the Year. He is smooth at 1B and has backed off the plate a bit and seems to foul off tough pitches. His base clearing triple to left was a great swing. He seems to be able to handle lefties better than Joc or Agon and right up there with Seager.

    Kike made a horrible throw home, falling down to get extra on it and watching it sail wide. Also watching was Wood who forgot to back up the play allowing an extra run to score. He does not have a CF arm but at least get it online and hit the cutoff.

    Do you think AGon would have beat the throw to 2B on Puig’s hard hit ground ball? Taylor did on a close play and got Puig a hit out of it. Puig later got a clutch hit to RF to drive in 2 and Taylor worked 3 walks and made a nice play in the field to rob Posey. I love seeing a speedier lineup!

  23. Puig with a 3rd hit and 4th RBI tonight, all hard ground balls. If he gets on track watch out! Agon off the bench smokes a ball to RF for an RBI with Puig scoring from second easily. If Agon was on second he would have been held up or thrown out. 13-5 after 6 innings.

    1. Puig has had more hits taken away from him on good defensive plays than anyone on the team. He deserved a few seeing eye singles. His low .BABIP couldn’t continue at that pace. People need to understand this ne swing by is a process. Dave needs to stop clogging up the batter order with G & G in the middle.

  24. I also believe Wood belongs in the pen. He has been great. Small sample, but he has looked good so far.

    Puig hits the ball hard, but always on the ground. If he does hit the ball in the air he could be tough. Some of his ground balls got through the infield this evening.

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