The New Paradigm

Posted By on July 7, 2023

I am not going to belabor this point, but most of us grew up in an era where batting average was king. Von Joshua, who was a Dodger for a few years, had a ten-year major league career with a .273 Batting Average (BA), which is not too bad. However, his On-Base Percentage (OBP) was .306, and his On Base Plus Slugging (OPS) was .686. Actually, a new stat that many rely on is OPS+. OPS+ takes a player’s on-base plus slugging percentage and normalizes the number across the entire league. It accounts for external factors like ballparks.

OPS plus and WRC can be used interchangeably. They are both based off the offensive environment. 100 is always average, and they scale the same. OPS+, ort “adjusted OPS”, is a closely related statistic. OPS+ is OPS adjusted for the park and the league in which the player played, but not for fielding position. An OPS+ of 100 is defined to be the league average. An OPS+ of 150 or more is excellent and 125 very good, while an OPS+ of 75 or below is poor.

Why am I talking all this jibberish, you may wonder? Well, Andrew Friedman and many other of the New Generation Baseball Ops Guys, use these statistics as a better measure of how valuable a player is. You can consider BA, but they regard it as just a “thing.” OPS+ is King for our purposes, although I a sure that teams like the Dodgers have their own statistics and algorithms to value a player.

WAR is useful as is wRC+. Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+) measures how a player’s wRC compares with the league average after controlling for park effects.  The league average for position players is 100, and every point above 100 is a percentage point above the league average. For example, a 125 wRC+ means a player created 25% more runs than a league-average hitter would have in the same number of plate appearances. Similarly, every point below 100 is a percentage point below the league average, so a 80 wRC+ means a player created 20% fewer runs than the league average.

wRC+ is easier to find, so I am going to start using it over OPS+ to measure the statistical value of a player. Therefore, it should be no surprise that Shohei Ohtani is the best player in baseball, according to wRC+. He is at 177. Ronald Acuna, Jr. is 2nd at 168. Freddie Freeman is #5 with a 152, and Mookie Bets is at #7 with a 150. If you are 150 or above, you are definitely a “SUPERSTAR.” Welcome back, Mookie! Will Smith is #13 with a 140. Surprisingly, JD Martinez is at 119, which is good, not great. Max Muncy, so far, is at 114.

James Outman is at 103. Jason Heyward is at 125, and David Peralta is at 102 (and climbing). Miguel Vargas is at 84 (and falling). Trea Turner is at 85! CT3 is at 94, and Miguel Rojas is at 55. Of course, this is purely an offensive stat, so Rojas’s defensive value is not considered, but a strong case could be made that Mookie Betts is the Dodgers’ best option at SS. By the way, for all of you who wanted Toim Anderson, his wRC+ is 49. He is dog dog-doo right about now.

Max Muncy is #11 on the list of third baseman, but the leader, Issac Paredes is at 147, and Jose Ramirez is at 132. Matt Chapman is at 122. Max Muncy was at 162 in 2018, 133 in 2019, and 139 in 2021. The Dodgers believe that he will return to that 130+ wRC+ which is why they will continue to hit him in the middle of the lineup. The Dodger’s problems are not as offensive as much as they are pitching. Their patience with Miguel Vargas has to be growing thin, but remember that last season, Bellinger, Turner, and Muncy were all underperforming by a large margin and they stuck with them. So, it would not surprise me if they stayed with Miguel until after the All-Star Break. However, the leash is short!

Dodger Nuze

  • Welcome Back, Julio Urias – It’s good to see you finally show up – now let’s ride!
  • If Daniel Hudson makes it back, it will be in September. Don’t count on him, but he is the real deal!
  • Noah Syndergaard will be back soon. If he does, it means that Mark Prior and the Dodger believe he can be effective. Past performance is not indicative of future possibilities.
  • Clayton Kershaw will likely be on the IL, just a little over the minimum time. Expect him back the week of the 17th.
  • Shelby Miller should be back before August – he is sorely missed in the bullpen.
  • Reliever Meter: The Dodgers Bullpen is up not nb#23 with a 4.43 ERA (and climbing).
  • The Dodgers are 2nd in HR (behind ATL) and 4th in Runs Scored.
  • Write this down: The Braves’ offense will sputter in the second half!
  • The Dodgers are a half-game out of first place. The D-Bags are a good team, but they will slow down the second half. Too much inexperience and too little depth.
  • The Key to the Dodgers’ Offense is Miguel Vargas, but let’s not forget Michael Busch and Devin Mann. If he fails, they should get a chance.
  • Max Muncy is looking much better at 3B and he has been working at getting better.
  • Busch had a 3-Run HR last night!
  • Gus Varland, who was returned to the Dodgers in Rule 5 has been excellent out of the bullpen.
  • Tulsa got smoked 8-2. That’s what happens when you walk 13 batters!
  • Kyle Hurt won’t move up until he can quit walking so many batters.
  • Maddux Bruns (GL) went five innings and allowed one hit while striking out nine and walking four. If he can cut down on his walks, he will be lethal. He is averaging more than one walk per inning!
  • One final thing: I do not panic, and neither will Andrew Friedman. If he does nothing, I will be just fine!

This article has 100 Comments

  1. Agree on Vargas. Yes, he is the key to the Dodgers (postseason) offense. If he would begin to hit as expected it would make this lineup even deeper.
    Bruns is armed with some of the best pure stuff of any Dodger LHP since Clayton .
    If the Dodgers should engage in a big trade or two I am sure the other team will insist on him being part of a potential trade .

    I would hate to give him up.

    Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    1. “Vargas is the key to the offense.”
      Seriously? Since when?
      Care to offer any supporting evidence?
      In the first month of the season, the keys were Outman and Muncy. One was the Rookie of the Month, the other powered to the ML lead in HRs. Since then it’s been Mookie, Freddie, Will and JDM. Heyward and Peralta have stepped forward too–and Vargas, sad to say, has stepped back.
      On the lineup card he should bat 9th. (If it makes him feel and bat better, we can call him “the second leadoff hitter.”)
      Mookie’s emergence as a legitimate SS option makes this the best “win-now” lineup the Dodgers can currently field:
      Mookie SS
      Freddie 1B
      Will C
      Muncy 3b
      JDM DH
      Peralta LF
      Heyward RF
      Outman CF
      Vargas 2B
      If the Dodgers grab the lead, as they should, Roberts can shift after the 6th or 7th inning into a defensive mode, with the other Miguel in at SS and Mookie moving to 2B. (Does anybody here think Vargas is a better defender than Mookie?)
      Assuming that Chris Taylor comes back healthy, this lineup will be shuffled. Perhaps Taylor starts at SS and Mookie at 2B, moving Vargas to the bench, if not OKC.
      Sometimes I get the impression that folks here underestimate the excellence of Mookie and Freddie. Both are on HOF trajectories. This season, both could be top five finishers in NL MVP balloting, perhaps even 2-3 behind Acuana. Right now they are tied with each other in runs scored at 68 and RBIs at 57. For Mookie, that’s 57 RBIs out of the leadoff spot.
      So if Vargas, batting 9th, gets on base, there’s a good chance that Mookie or Freddie will drive him in.

  2. Landon Knack is on the Taxi squad and might get a start this weekend. D-Backs outfielder Corbin Carroll was injured on a swing in last night’s game. Looks like a shoulder issue and it could be season-ending. Mets swept the D-Backs and have won four in a row, They are the Dodgers first opponent after the All-Star break when they go on a three city road trip to New York, Baltimore and Texas before coming home to face Toronto, Cincinnati and Oakland.

    1. Tough schedule for the Dodger after the ASG. will say a lot about the team and what they will do come the trade deadline. I still say the Nr. 1 target should be a bona fide closer. Would help with our season long woes giving up late runs that lose games plus it would guard against starters not being able to give us a lot of innings. Shortens the game with the new closer, Phillpss, Graterol, Ferguson and hopefully Hudson and/or treinen . That formula has been very successful in the past for some WS winners. Royals and Braves come to mind as some examples over the last years.
      I am all for Knack getting a start today or tomorrow. Pen needs as much rest as they can get. Start Knack and havve Grove ready should he run into trouble.

      Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      1. I think Phillips is ready for the closer’s job. Just don’t pitch him three games in a row. Of all the closers (and he is not yet anointed as one), he has one of the lowest BABIP’s (better than Bedner) and the same as Ryan Pressley. His last bad outing (3 days in a row) drove his ERA up to 2.57, but in 35 IP, he has allowed 21 H, 9 BB, and struck out 41. His BA Against is .175 and his WHIP is 0.86. The guy you trade for may not be as good as Evan. He’s ready!

        Save that Prospect Collateral for a Gopod Starter… if you can. Also, Shelby Miller has been clutch… although he walks too many.

        1. I agree that Phillpps is ready for a closer role. No argument from me.
          But bringing in a gu like Bednar (or some other closer) you can keep Phillpps in his previous role as guy who comes in to put out a fire . Then you still have your closer for the 9th (or vice versa).
          Plus you get another high leverage guy to make life easier if the starter exits earlier than expected.As I said the more high leverage bullpen pieces you have that much better. Especially in the post season.

          Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

          1. A bona-fide closer from who? If the teams that are basically out of the race are the only ones selling, which closer do you want? 6 closers have more than 20 saves. Mark is right about one thing, Phillips has the lowest WHIP of any reliever in either league except for Pressley of the Astros who is at 0.83 to Phillips 0.86. Only two closers have no blown saves, Kimbrel and Estevez of the Angels. Yeah, the same guy who was pitching for the Rockies last year. Bednar has one. Of the teams out of the race basically here are your options, Johnson-Rockies, 1-4 13 saves 2 blown saves and a 6.29 ERA. Lange from the Tigers. 12 saves. Scott Barlow of the Royals has 10 saves but an inflated ERA>face it, none of the top guys are going to be available for trade. Pirates not trading Bednar unless they lose a ton of game before the deadline. But as long as they are withing striking distance of the Brewers, they aren’t trading anyone good.

          2. “the more high leverage bullpen pieces you have that much better. Especially in the post season.”

            Another good comment/point dodgerram.

      2. “That formula has been very successful in the past for some WS winners.”

        I use to preach that formula a lot here. I still believe it too. Good comment/point dodgerram.

      3. I expect the Dodgers to win the West by a few games in part because I’ve read that the Dodgers actually have one of the weakest second-half schedules. Not sure if it’s true, but that’s what I’ve read.
        Then again, this Dodger team often seem to play down to the competition.
        I am less worried about the BP than I am about SP even though Urias looks like he’s back to being good Julio,\.
        I assume that Kershaw will come back healthy. He and Urias give us a good 1-2 for the playoffs. Miller and Sheehan may or may not progress. Gonsolin? Thor? Pretty shaky.
        So who is on AF’s shopping list?
        BTW, ain’t it grand that Mark has proclaimed that Mookie is once again a SUPERSTAR!!!
        Mookie must be thrilled
        Stroman is having the best season, but Giolito strikes me as a good long-term fit. I wouldn’t rule out Beiber. Of course AF may consider any SP merely a rental if the off-season priority is Ohtani.
        And I don’t see why he wouldn’t be.

        1. If you want to play this game, I can play it too.:

          Is your ass jealous of the amount of shit that comes out of your mouth?

  3. To what extent will the new rules regarding holding runners on/ stealing bases affect analytics? For example, someone who gets a base hit and steals second has effectively hit a double. Yet with regards to OPS, the hitter does not get any benefit. I wonder if a stat, call it OPSeffective would better quantify the role speed now plays in the game.

    2. Good question. As far as I know, baserunning is still not factored into OPS (it used to be), OPS+,or wRC+. You can do it on your own.

      https://community.fangraphs.com/why-is-there-no-version-of-wrc-including-baserunning/

      As a matter of habit I always now look at wRC+ on Fangraphs as the first offensive stat I check. I grew up looking at batting average in the box score. OPS+ is virtually identical, but I just don’t find myself looking at Baseball Reference all that much. I like the layout of Fangraphs. I look at it constantly.

      To me, it comes the closest to be that one offensive stat to rule them all, but as is mentioned, it doesn’t factor in baserunning and its contribution to total offensive run creation.

      I have more confidence in wRC+ as a metric than I do pitching metrics such as FIP. I had many arguments about B&P about this. He derided the stat, and me for using it. I think it’s useful to look at it in context, but I don’t rely on it as much as I do wRC+ for assessing offense.

      1. One thing that can’t be quantified in batting average is how many more opportunities you gave your teammates to drive in runs.( Example ). Man on second , a base hit at least puts him on third ,sac fly can drive him in. A walk does not give you the same opportunity yet OBP is the same

    3. WRC+ incorporates stolen bases as well as caught stealing.

      Also WAR includes an overall base running component which I believe takes into account stolen bases as well as extra bases taken such as going from first to third on a single. WAR also has a fielding component that is not part of WRC+ or OPS.

    2. I seriously doubt he will be pitching for us much this year. He will be joining his other two buddies- Buehler and May- for some solace.

  5. It will be interesting to see what it takes to get Bieber and if AF is willing to match it. After last seasons blah at the deadline, I’m ready to be shocked by AF this year. We have a lot of prospect capital to use or lose eventually

    2. I can’t really predict anything from AF with any confidence, but the Dodgers were very conservative last year at the deadline. Presumably the Dodgers were all in on winning a WS and AF even said they Dodgers were going to be “pigs.”

      I think we all accept this is a transition year. I don’t anticipate the Dodgers doing anything that’s going to add to the CBT ledger, nor overpaying with prospects. It’s really a seller’s market this year. AF is a former Wall Street guy and analyst at Bear Stearns. He doesn’t overpay during unfavorable market conditions.

      I’d have more enthusiasm for Vargas if he at least had a good defensive foundation. I think they put him at 2nd instead of Muncy to try to hide his defensive shortcomings – and he’s been mediocre there based on the stats and Doc’s own words. I don’t think he’s worked out so far. It’s half a season. We’ll see, but he might wind up being a pretty mediocre MLB player. Carrol has been injured and cooled off some, but a couple of weeks ago he was my pick to be both ROY and MVP, which would have been a first for a NL player. Acuna seems to be running away with the MVP so far.

      1. Then read this:

        Mike Digiovanna of The LA Times wrote an excellent piece a few days ago:

        https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2023-06-28/rookie-miguel-vargas-second-base-hitting

        Miguel Vargas makes strides at second base for Dodgers, but at what cost at the plate?

        They talk about his progress at 2B defensively:

        “Vargas’ eyes light up when asked if the work he is putting in with Ebel is paying off — ”Yeah, yeah, 100%,” he said with a grin — but a strange thing happened on the way to the 23-year-old becoming a more proficient defender at a position he made only 27 starts at in five minor league seasons:

        He suddenly forgot how to hit, which is the skill that got the Cuban native to the big leagues in the first place.

        “It’s a mental break more so than anything,” Roberts said. “I had a great conversation with him [on Sunday] to kind of ease his mind, to let him know our confidence in him hasn’t wavered. I think for me, it’s just going back to what he does really well, and that’s to get hits.

        “If we can kind of simplify it to that, to swing at good pitches and not try to do too much, to not have to be a carrier [of the offense] and slug, just to get hits, I think things will start to turn. But I’m really proud of the fact that the defense hasn’t been compromised.”

          1. I know, but I seldom put much stock in defensive metrics, and Vargas is an outlier because he is tall and gangly, but he is a very solid 2B.

            Defensive metrics still are very subjective.

            Look at Mookie Betts – They have him as doo doo.

      2. Actually, I think he was put on second to hide Muncy’s defensive shortcomings because of the banning of the shift

    3. Beiber has lost 3 MPH on his fastball in the past 2-3 years. He’s a TJ in waiting! Just No!

    4. Bieber has lost some of his velocity and he is not pitching as well as he has in the past. Opponents are hitting almost .250 against him. His BB to K ratio is not very good. He is controllable for two more years, so he would not come cheap.

      1. How much velo has Kershaw lost over the years?
        Seems pretty common with star pitchers. Young Frank Tanana was called “Fast Frankie” when he played second fiddle to the Ryan Express, but injuries forced him to reinvent his game. He pitched another decade or so with more success than failure.
        The loss in velo raises legitimate questions, but Beiber was never a power pitcher like Thor. More of a finesse guy. Stroman and Giolito seem like safer bets.

  7. Anyone on the Mets we might be interested in? Maybe they could work out a deal on the road trip?

    1. Mets have won 5 in a row, if they take the series down in SD they may feel they are in this thing. I personally dont think they are….not sure who Id take. JV maybe….but I aint giving up much.

  8. One thing that bothers me a little here is the assumption that any team with a losing record is automatically a seller. Today, we’re talking about the Mets selling. Cohen has a spent money like a drunken sailor to put together a successful franchise. A half a season of mediocrity is not going to put them in rebuilding mode.

    I don’t think the Cardinals are going to be sellers. They’re having a terrible year, but there was an expectation that they were going to be good, and they were a playoff team last year. I don’t think they’re going to give up and sell Arrenado or Goldshcmidt.

    A team that’s selling is a team that is in true rebuilding mode. The Nationals were in rebuilding mode when they traded the Dodgers Scherzer and TT.

    1. Exactly.

      There is seemingly no upper-bound on assumptions made on this blog/board.

    2. There’s a difference between being a seller and doing a total sell off.

      If the Mets or Cards are still floundering around the 20th or 25th, you’ll probably see them trying to move a number of guys who will be free agents after this season. Doesn’t mean they’ll dismantle the whole team.

      As you mentioned the Cards have been good and were expected to be good this year so aren’t likely to be selling off Goldschmidt or Arenado because they’ll want them around going forward.

      On the other hand, the White Sox have never accomplished much with all of those up and coming prospects. They might be tempted to just tear the whole thing down and start over.

      1. Other than Houston, when was the time an MLB team actually tore the whole thing down?

        Did Cinci? Do the As qualify as they never had anything to tear down?

        1. Cinci may not have done a full tear down but it was enough of one that their fans knew they wouldn’t see the playoffs for a few years.

          How about Baltimore?

        2. I think a lot of teams do it to varying degrees. Maybe not a full blown fire sale, but selling and reloading happens all the time. If a successful team thinks the window has closed or is closing with it’s existing assets, then they’ll sell off assets to get new ones. Off the top of my head, after the Cubs won in 2016, they began to decline with their existing stars, so Bryant and Rizzo were sold off.

          Baltimore was good for a bit during the Machado era, sold off assets, got some good draft picks, and are now successful and building around Adley Rutschman and that Grayson Rodriguez.

          Arizona let Goldschmidt go, tanked for a while, got some good draft picks and have some good prospects, and now they have a pretty decent team of young players.

          Tampa Bay is constantly selling off their good players for a maximum return. It works for them.

          1. Yes. yes. Of course.

            I was more wondering when the last blatant firesale was. Astros style. I guess it was Baltimore? But other than Machado who did they off-load. Maybe the Nats, with letting Rendon, Turner and Scherzer go. But they kept Strausberg intentionally.

            I dunno, I’ll investigate.

          2. Hmm. I don’t know when his most recent serious injury manifested, but maybe Strasbourg is still there b/c his injury + insanely high price makes him worth basically nothing in trade value.

            I remember the Dodgers were mentioned in trade talks for Gerrit Cole, who was a leftover from the last Phillies WS team. They had a bunch of older players they were unloading after their winning window had closed. Who was that overpaid 1rst baseman they had? I don’t even know if they were able to trade him. His number tanked and he was getting paid $$$$.

          3. dpatch, I think the first baseman you’re referring to is probably Ryan Howard, but Cole never pitched for the Phillies. Pirates, Astros, Yankees.

            Ah, wait a minute, I think the pitcher you were thinking of was Cole Hamels. You were right about the Cole part of it.

          4. Yes!! Cole Hamels! … and Ryan Howard!

            I remember that What’s-His-Name GM of the Phils for asking for Joc, Julio Urias and Seager for him.

      2. Right. The classics “sellers” are teams like the A’s, Royals, Rockies and White Sox that have zero chance at the playoffs and need a major overhaul. If the White Sox put Luis Robert on the market, he’d get a big return–and the Dodgers should be in the mix.
        A team like the Cards can trade from their OF and middle INF depth to upgrade their pitching. No need for a rebuild. The Dodgers might find a good piece from these guys.
        The Reds are on fire now but they have youthful infield depth with De La Cruz, McClain and India, recent ROY India. The super-hot O’s have young stud infielders and might be willing to part with guys not named Henderson or Holliday.

  9. DODGERS MINOR LEAGUE NEWS
    Dodgers minors: Maddux Bruns, Michael Busch, pitchers of the month

    Thursday scores
    Albuquerque 9, Oklahoma City 7
    Wichita 8, Tulsa 2
    Great Lakes 2, Dayton 1 (11 innings)
    Inland Empire 5, Rancho Cucamonga 4

    Friday schedule
    4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Kendall Williams) at Dayton (Chris McElvain)
    5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Matt Andriese) vs. Albuquerque (Peter Lambert)
    5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Nick Nastrini) vs. Wichita (Marco Raya)
    6:35 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Payton Martin) at Inland Empire (Matt Albright)

  10. Eric, Why do you keep going down this dead-end path? You don’t need Mark or Bear to validate your opinions. You have your’s and they have theirs. Just post them and move on and avoid this silly I’m right and your wrong stuff. Or, I am right more time than them. If you think they are bullies, then just ignore them.
    just sayin’

        1. No you don’t, and constantly trying nail yourself to a cross and playing a victim is a terrible life strategy.

          No doubt you’ll use my comment above to reinforce your notion that the world is against you.

          Don’t.

    2. It has nothing to do with opinions it’s about all the smart ass attitudes directed at me. This conversation should end right now because of that first sentence.

      1. Can someone please delete that post of mine?

        I don’t think it adds any value and I think I don’t like what I wrote.

        I’m not posting it here, because it’s a bit much but it seems Bauer dropped his lawsuit against Molly Knight.

      2. I think mine came across as a little rough, too. Not sure if they were helpful, but they were meant to be. No delete function.

  11. Not to change the subject, but the Mets are not going to be sellers regardless. Cohen says that sends a bad message to fans, players, and other prospective free agents!

    The Cards are not going to trade Aernado or Goldschmidt – PERIOD! They will try and trade Jack Flaherty who has pitched better of late… but is a Free Agent and his arm could fall off. He would be worth a couple of lower prospects.

  12. I expect the Dodgers to win the West by a few games in part because I’ve read that the Dodgers actually have one of the weakest second-half schedules. Not sure if it’s true, but that’s what I’ve read.
    Then again, this Dodger team often seem to play down to the competition.
    I am less worried about the BP than I am about SP even though Urias looks like he’s back to being good Julio,\.
    I assume that Kershaw will come back healthy. He and Urias give us a good 1-2 for the playoffs. Miller and Sheehan may or may not progress. Gonsolin? Thor? Pretty shaky.
    So who is on AF’s shopping list?
    Stroman is having the best season, but Giolito strikes me as a good long-term fit. I wouldn’t rule out Beiber. Of course AF may consider any SP merely a rental if the off-season priority is Ohtani.
    And I don’t see why he wouldn’t be.

  13. 10:10 PM ET

    Angels (45-44)
    Dodgers (49-38)

    SP Griffin Canning R
    6-3 4.29 ERA
    SP Tony Gonsolin R
    4-3 3.69 ERA

    Confirmed Lineup
    2B Mookie Betts R
    1B F. Freeman L
    C Will Smith R
    3B Max Muncy L
    DH J. Martinez R
    LF D. Peralta L
    RF J. Heyward L
    CF James Outman L
    SS Miguel Rojas R

  14. Didn’t the Cubs have a full on tear down in the years leading up to their WS win?

    I remember them and Houston competing for the worst record for a few seasons.

    Did the Raven fall off his perch?

  15. So Mookie at 2B and Vargas on the bench.
    Methinks that Roberts loves how Mookie enables him to play both Heyward and Peralta and enable weaker hitters to sit. One recent day, he moved Mookie back to RF, played Heyward in CF and sat Outman. (I think this was just before his 2 HR game. Perhaps he should do it again.)
    When we look at stats like Wins Against Replacement, I can’t imagine it calculates the extra value of Mookie’s versatility. But here we see a struggling rookie with an OPS replaced by a hot-hitting veteran. Acuna will probably win the MVP–he’s a beast having a monster year– but Mookie’s value far exceeds his statistical performance. How many five-tool players can play such a variety of positions? ….

    BTW, I share Mark’s surprise that JDM is only a few points ahead of Max in WAR.
    But as I’ve pointed out before, if you accept the adage “a walk is as good as a hit,” it makes sense. JDM is worthy all-star, but he strikes out a lot and doesn’t walk much. (Outman has more Ks, but his BB/K ratio is better than JDM’s.) Max’s BA is more than 50 points lower than JDM’s but his OPB is about 30 points higher. Fittingly, given the batting order, Max has more runs, 46 to 41, while JDM has more RBIs, 59 to 51.
    They are tied in HRs at 20, meaning that both are on pace to hit more that 35. Nice. The HR totals are all the more impressive since Max has missed 17 games and JDM has missed 16.
    Ultimately, though, I give Max the edge in value. Somebody has to play 3B, and it won’t be JDM.

  16. Bellinger hit a bomb at Yankee stadium in tonight’s Cubs/Yanks game. He would sure be an intriguing trade deadline option. I know a RH hitter is more of the need. Just a thought. Lot of buyers not many sellers it appears.

    1. The Yankees could use Belli more than we could.
      And I’m sure he’d love to play there since his Dad did.

      1. Yeah that right field porch in Yankee stadium fits him just fine. I bet Cody was jacked up when he hit that for his dad who donned the Yankee pinstripes for a few years.

      1. Bellinger looks great at the plate. It looks like he may have bought into making changes. His balance is way better. His swing is shorter to the ball and more controlled. His pesky head bob is now about 1/3 what it was with the Dodgers. Without the head drop, and better posture, he can catch up to a high fastball quicker and isn’t tardy. And he doesn’t have to swing from his ass every time.
        I like what I see. I don’t know it the Cubs staff is responsible for the improvement or if Belli decided to start listening. His whole demeanor looks to have changed with a fresh start. It’s nice to see him playing like he’s having fun again.

        1. Yep. Too much talent to just go in the tank like that. But I also think being a couple of years removed from the broken leg and other issues he had has made a difference too.

  17. Giolito shall be. We already has to be worry about diminished velo in Gonzo ( let’s see if he can top 91 tonite ) to bring Beiber.

    1. From what I’ve read the worry isn’t the velocity with Gonsolin, but the slider.

  19. It was asked how much velocity Kershaw has lost over the years when Beiber was suggested and it was reported that he had lost 2-3 MPH in the past 2-3 years on his fastball.

    Here’s Kershaw’s Fastball in 2015: 94.3 MPH

    Here’s Kershaw’s Fastball in 2023 : 91.2 MPH

    3 MPH is 9 years!

    1. That is average on his fastball right? I have seen him hit 93 on the gun this year. But he doesn’t do it all the time.

    2. Incomplete data re Kersh What was the velo in all the intervening years?
      Or maybe you think regression is linear.

  20. So what is DeLuca doing here if he isn’t starting against lefties. Peralta and Heyward are not the answer against left handed pitching. We need a RH outfield bat.

    1. He is a rookie with good AAA stats. He will get some chances, but only if a lefty starts, they are not going to pull those guys when a left reliever comes in unless it is late in the game.

  21. Turned on game late and thought Anderson started tonight. My bad. Tho still need a RH outfield bat. Peralta and Heyward are Barnes like against lefties.

    1. They put Anderson in the pen starting the other day. Peralta has 12 at bats against lefties this year and is hitting .333 against them prior to the at bats he had against Anderson tonight. Heyward only has 9 at bats before tonight with no hits. Pretty sure if they faced them all of the time the splits would be different. Outman is hitting .263 against lefties. Mincy is hitting .136 against lefties. Freeman is hitting .307 with 9 of his homers off of left handed pitching. Mookie .270, JD is only hitting .232 off of lefties. Most of his damage has been against RHP only 3 of his homers off of lefties. Smith is at .260 against LHP. Barnes does no hit anyone.

      1. If Taylor was healthy, he’d be playing against lefties. Big splits.
        I noticed that JDM had reverse splits, though not as pronounced as Trayce’s. (I wonder if we’ll see him again before the season is over.)
        Ohtani, by the way, is agnostic. Lefties, righties–he clobbers both.

      2. Anyone wanting to start a playoff game against a lefty with Peralta and Heyward as your corner outfielders please raise your hand

        1. And I wouldn’t be all that excited about Taylor and DeLuca as an alternative. Along with Outman that just says 9 outs per game in October.

  23. Maybe tonight went a ways toward convincing Ohtani that things would be really nice farther up the freeway.
    I hope Freddie and Mookie smiled and struck up conversations with him while he was on the bases. 🙂

    1. Yep, there’s even a photo of Mookie and Shohei chatting.
      He wants to play with a winner, right? And that’s nine straight Dodger wins over the Halos.
      Gotta feel for the Angels, though, with Trout getting hurt at exactly the wrong time.

      1. We made a big play to land Ohtani when he came over.

        We sent Kershaw and a load of Execs to woo him but he opted to go play for a Club that was light years away from contending and. allegedly not so much in the “Bright Lights”.

        Maybe this is who he is, maybe he’s more comfortable with less pressure to succeed.
        His pal Mike Trout is the same. Ample opportunity to move to a Contender but happy to play safe and play one Post Season match in his career.

        Not everyone enjoys the big stage.

        https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/la-sp-dodgers-angels-ohtani-20180307-story.html

        Just seen this – I thought I’d got it about right. JT and CT3 went along as well.

          1. That was the issue back then. I can’t believe that if a player wanted to compete in October that he would choose the Angels. Trout is on the downside of his career and they have little help coming up in their system. Dead man walking! If the Angels have any clue they have to trade him now!

  25. Well hopefully the Pirates will get a win tomorrow just to allow us the chance to step into the division lead. It would just be better the sooner even though I’m certain it’ll happen very shortly. All that money San Diego spent only made them lesser of a team, at least so far. Think they’ll be sellers? Who’d want their mistakes. I am almost shocked they’ve done so badly I have to admit but I never had them in front of us. So GOOO DODGERS!!! and Pirates too! (for tomorrow)

  26. Maybe not platooning all the time or at least the threat of it eases bellies mind! He ain’t coming back to the dodgers! With all the things Mookie does , how is he not a superstar? All I’ve heard for the last few years is Juan Soto is a megastar. I’ll take Mookie 7 days a week! Bring giolita here Friedman!

    1. Mookie i putting up Superstar Numbers THIS year. He did not ion the past two years! He was very good, but not a superstar.

      1. Aside from 2021, please review the MVP voting for Mookie. You can’t just rely on OPS, you have to also include his gold glove defense and his WAR.

    1. Mookie…..
      331 average (39 for 118) and 1.072 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in 31 games at second base and shortstop and a 243 average (51 for 210) and .864 OPS in 53 games in right field.

      1. That speaks volumes… except for the fact that early in the season, when he was slumping, is when he played the most in RF.

        The question is: Did he get more engaged by playing in the infield?

        Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

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