Dodgers’ Kemp off to a great start

Maybe it’s just because I have Matt Kemp in my fantasy league, but I really like what he’s done so far in the season’s first week or so. Perhaps one of the best OF’s in the game, Kemp is off to a great start for LA. The Dodgers, who have struggled with throwing the ball (12th in ERA), have not had any problems with their offensive production. The boys in blue have scored 58 runs, seven more than my favorite team, the Oakland A’s. Anyway, Matt Kemp is a big part of the Dodgers’ offensive attack.

Through the season’s first nine games, Kemp is hitting .333/.362/.714 with a team leading 4 HR and 13 RBIs. As for the rest of the team, they’re hitting .301 (2nd in NL) and are second in both slugging and on-base percentage. In short, the Dodgers have no problem scoring runs and should not have any problems in the future. In order to compete and hopefully defend their division title, the Dodgers will need to pitch a lot better than they have recently. The San Francisco Giants, who have an ERA of 3.08 (3rd in NL) are putting together a very strong opening. The Giants are also hitting .295 so far this season, which has been the biggest difference for their team. Last season, the Giants were one of the worst teams offensively, but this season they’re getting getting guys on-base and scoring runs (45 runs-4th in NL). Also, Barry Zito, who has struggled ever since signing that seven-year, $126 million contract, leads the Giants in wins with two. The Giants are a better team this season, or at least they seem to be.

The Dodgers will also have to worry about the Colorado Rockies, their biggest competition, in my mind. The Dodgers pitching staff is definitely talented, and young players like Billingsley and Kershaw should only get better. But until they do and start performing on a more consistent level, Matt Kemp and the Dodgers’ offense will have to keep producing as they have been.