Last night’s game was a s___t show, but Yamamoto showed why minor league starts mean nothing. He’s ready and I expect to see him go five or six innings the next time. He will be a force by the playoffs. The Dodgers intentionally erred on the side of caution for the playoffs. I also believe they are doing the same with Tyler Glasnow.
To those who say Shohei Ohtani should hit third, I call BS! He has been horrid with RISP. Keep him at leadoff. I’ll be glad when he hits Number 50 so he can quit swinging for the fences every time. Third? Please!
Alex Freeland made the 2024 MLB All-Breakout Prospect Team. Here is what they said:
“Alex Freeland, SS, Dodgers: He has rebounded from a lackluster first full pro season to become one of baseball’s best all-around shortstop prospects, a solid defender with 20-20 upside.“
–Jim Callis
I’m very busy in St. George, Utah. Maybe more tomorrow. Carry on.
MLB.com on the Dodgers Pitching Prospects
10. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers would rank even higher if right-handers River Ryan, Nick Frasso and Kyle Hurt weren’t sidelined after surgeries. Left-handers Jackson Ferris and Justin Wrobleski are their best healthy arms, while righty Edgardo Henriquez may be the best relief prospect anywhere in the Minors. Righty Hyun-Seok Jang and lefty Maddux Bruns still are figuring things out but have massive upside.
Personally, I could give a rat’s hind end about 50-50, I care less about the history and more about the wins. I get tired of seeing him hit long fly ball outs when swinging at the first pitch so much. Also, his stats for his career show he is a much better hitter, by almost 20 points in average, in the 2 slot. It is also the only slot in the batting order where he has an OPS above 1.000. So, since few value BA and OPS is king, he belongs in the 2 hole. Mookie Betts is a better hitter leading off. 50 career leadoff homers are enough evidence of that. Ohtani needs to improve his RISP numbers. So far, he sucks begonias with men in scoring position. Another thing, he strikes out way too much for a leadoff hitter.
Come on bear. You love baseball history. And 50-50 would be a shot in the arm for baseball.
What a great time to be a Dodger fan!
No matter who leads off.
Book em
Yes, I love the history of the game, but in this case, it is affecting the performance of the team in my opinion. Focusing on the one player’s accomplishments instead of the teams’ goals, well, it can upset the old apple cart pretty fast. I remember watching interviews with Maris when he was chasing the Babe. Guy was a wreck. Of course, Ohtani is a different type of player. But I still think he should not be leading off. His career stats say he is a MUCH better hitter in the 2-slot. And career stats say Mookie is a much better hitter leading off. In an organization that prides itself on using advanced stats, they are totally fanning on this one. When there is as much difference in overall performance as there is in this case, I have to believe they should be switched. Team would be better off. Book em.
I agree with you Bear.I like Mookie leading off.What a great team player. Terrible defense totally did us in last night. Keep Max in the lineup and he will get hot.Edmunds looks like a smart move.
Exactly, Mark!!!
Some believe that if Ohtani batted third or fourth he would automatically have more RBI, that is not the case, he is not very good with RISP.
There is absolutely no way I would be letting Ohtani throw a single pitch at this moment in time.
Imagine if he has a setback, that could easily happen, that would affect his elbow and his ability to hit as he has been.
Let him wait until this season and the Playoffs are done, and then start thinking about Pitching. There’s more than enough time to get ready for the 25 season.
Yamamoto was sensational considering how long he’d been out. If Glasnow can get back to his best form then we should have a great chance of going deep into October.
Tommy Edman is a great pick up, especially as we have him next season too.
Ohtani had his arm surgery about 10 days shy of a year ago. Tony Gonsolin pitched two innings last night, about 12-1/2 months after his surgery. Generally, it takes a year to recover from Tommy John surgery before you can pitch again, but it should take 15-18 months for a second Tommy John. However, Ohtani did not have “normal Tommy John Surgery.”
JP Hoonstra wrote this on X: I asked Nez Balelo directly about the surgery Shohei Ohtani had. He said it has no name – that’s how uncommon it is – and his progress so far is ahead of the typical Tommy John surgery timetable for recovery.
I also am of the opinion that Ohtani should not pitch again this year, but we really don’t know exactly what kind of surgery he had!
He has had a 2nd UCL surgery, no matter how you frame it. The outcomes aren’t usually good. There are only a few who have returned to be as good afterward as before. The so-called “internal brace” procedure is largely untested as a second surgery option. I hope that Ohtani is really good again, but the odds are against it.
I agree, and I hope he never pitches again.
On the Mookie Betts/Shohei Ohtani debate, maybe you are forgetting to look at what is best for Mookie.
Shohei has a .983 OPS batting leadoff and a .989 OPS batting 2nd.
Batting 1st, Mookie has a .892 OPS. while batting 2nd, he has a .991 OPS this year.
Leading off an inning, Shohei has a 1.062 OPS
In leading off an inning, Mookie has a .871 OPS
I have three things to say right now:
1. The Dodgers have an analytics department unrivaled in baseball (probably over 30 people in it), and they have come to the conclusion that Ohtani is a better leadoff option.
2. You only lead off a game one time per game, and Shohei has almost a .200 advantage. I don’t care if he strikes out or grounds out, or flies out – at the start of a game, an out is an out.
3. Based upon your own personal opinions, you can believe what you want to believe, and that is fine, but the statistics bear out that the Dodgers are better with Ohtani #1 and Mookie #2.
I will take a guy who has an OPS of 1.062 over a guy who has an OPS of .871 at leadoff everyday of the week and twice on Sunday.
Case closed!
So your premise is that the Dodgers know what they are doing?
You can’t argue with that and Mookie is flourishing in #2.
10:10 PM ET
Cubs (75-70)
Dodgers (86-59)
SP Jordan Wicks L
2-3 4.03 ERA
SP Bobby Miller R
2-4 7.79 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
RF Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
LF T. Hernandez R
CF Tommy Edman S
C Will Smith R
3B Max Muncy L
SS Miguel Rojas R
2B Chris Taylor R
Home Run Odds
70° Wind 9 mph Out
Teo is back! This is our best lineup
minus Gavin Lux?
Wednesday schedule
10:05 a.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Jon Duplantier) vs. Tacoma (Rob Kaminsky)
5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Jared Karros) at Wichita (Christian MacLeod)
Eric i for one and many more here enjoy reading your predictions .the ones who argue your thoughts see the world in there little glass bottle total different. After all these are your opinions which you are free to give.