Five Areas The Dodgers Need To Improve Upon in 2015

Stephen Romano of fansided.com recently wrote an article about the five reasons why he thinks the Dodgers will win the World Series in 2015. It’s a lovely article of course, and I hope to god that he’s right and we’re all raising that beautiful World Series trophy at Dodger Stadium where it belongs. But we all know that hoping and what actually happens are two different things.

The main reason Stephen spouts about the Dodgers winning it all is “talent”. You know that’s what everyone has been saying for the last three years now. Talent!!! The Dodgers have talent! Don’t you know guys?

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"The talent they have compiled in the last few years, combined with their stellar regular season play seems like a recipe for a winning, playoff team."

Yeah we know they had talent, but it takes more than just talent to win. It takes focus, discipline, and confidence. It takes teamwork. Despite their hordes of talent the Dodgers still tanked in the playoffs for the second consecutive year. More work needs to be done.

Here’s where Stephen makes a mistake….

"Instead, the Dodgers have struggled to win year after year, not being able to reach the final stage."

Um no. They haven’t struggled to win year after year. They’ve struggled to win in the playoffs. They won 92 games in 2013, and 94 in 2014. They captured consecutive division titles for just the second time since 1977-1978. They can win in the regular season, no problem. They just fold up like a beach chair once they reach the postseason.

"This year should be different for the Dodgers; it has to be different. Somehow, they’ve improved their roster, a roster stocked with talent and superstars. They’ve added position players, as well as pitchers to give them that bump they need in the playoffs."

We’ve heard this rhetoric before. “This is the year”, and “it has to be different”. I hope it’s different and they actually win a championship. However I believe that not touting “World Series or bust” before a single pitch is thrown should be helpful for our sanity. The Dodgers should at least make the playoffs again this year, but let’s wait to see how things turn out first before we start giving another “World Series or bust” statement in February.

"They face challenges this year like always: some are the same and some are different. The San Diego Padres—as we all know—have completely revamped their entire roster. Having the Padres in their division will be tough, but on paper, they are still the better team."

I can certainly understand the Padre’s desire to be relevant for the first time in a decade, but can some of these writers stop talking about them like they’re a World Series contender? Give me a break here. Yes they’ve improved their offense considerably from what it was. They’re still not going to finish with a better record than the Dodgers and Giants. They don’t scare anyone. I think defeating the Giants is a much larger challenge.

We all know Matt Kemp is as rusty as a nail found on the floor of the garage. While he is supremely talented, he’s got arthritis in both hips and rustiness in every part of his body. Don’t except him to play in more than 120 games. And that’s pushing it. Will Middlebrooks is young and talented, but couldn’t stay healthy in Boston last year. Wil Myers hit .222 for Tampa Bay. It seems reasonable that the Padres could improve by 5-7 wins in 2015, but anything more is pushing it. I can see them being fringy competitive, possibly for a wild card spot, but they’re not better than the Dodgers and Giants. After all is said and done, they’re probably going to finish in third place. Again!

Stephen’s article sites his five reasons for the Dodgers winning a World Series being pitching, up the middle defense, Andrew Friedman, and manager Don Mattingly. Those are all good reasons. However here’s my take on what the real reasons would be if the Dodgers win the World Series this season.

1. Scoring Late in games

There was nothing more infuriating then the Dodgers no-show offense from the seventh inning on. The Dodgers put up great offensive numbers in 2014, but much of it was a bit of a mirage. They were one of the best scoring clubs in Baseball, but if you look behind the scenes, you’ll find out that they did virtually 80% of their scoring in the first six innings.

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While the Dodgers scored 718 runs in 2014, only 207 of them were from the seventh inning or later. The club batted just .242 in the final three frames of the game. That ranked them fifteenth in MLB. In the eighth inning or later the Dodgers batted .232 (ranked 20). In the bottom of the ninth, the Dodgers batted just .215 with a .601 OPS. If the Dodgers were behind by even a lone run once the seventh inning started, it was over.

Those late innings were marred by poor plate approaches, routine outs, and low confidence. If the Dodgers want to get anywhere in 2015, they have to score runs late in games. Nothing else is more important than this.

2. Holding Leads (Bullpen)

To no surprise the Dodgers need a more reliable bullpen in 2015. The club’s relief corps was like a dumpster fire last year. The Dodgers ranked 23 in MLB in relief ERA and the bullpen lost 24 games while giving up 222 runs and allowing 206 free passes. They couldn’t hold leads, and couldn’t throw strikes. The bullpen has since been completely overhauled by Andre Friedman and the Dodger brain trust.

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Out are guys like Brian Wilson, Jamey Wright, and Chris Perez. In are new solid additions Chris Hatcher, Joel Peralta, and Adam Liberatore. Juan Nicasio can provide the same swingman role as Paul Maholm who signed with the Reds.

Those guys will join holdovers Kenley Jansen, and J.P. Howell to form what should be an improved bullpen. Throw in a second lefty like Paco Rodriguez, and you might have something there. I guess it can’t get any worse than last year right? Right?! I pray that it can’t because I can’t take anymore torture dished out from the box of pain.

3. Improved Health

Again here’s a very common theme that seems to repeat itself year after year. The Dodgers just can’t seem to stay healthy, no matter what they do. But an infusion of players with better injury histories may help. Jimmy Rollins and Howie Kendrick have both stayed reasonably healthy throughout their careers, as has catcher Yasmani Grandal.

However we can’t have another repeat season of Mash. Chad Billingsley, Ross Stripling, Chris Withrow, and Stephen Fife all blew out their arms last year. Despite pitching a no-hitter, Josh Beckett couldn’t stay healthy because of a hip injury either and finally had to retire.

Matt Kemp had his usual myriad of injuries. Carl Crawford somehow mustered up 105 games. Which is a minor miracle of its own. A.J. Ellis had knee surgery. Juan Uribe missed time because of a tight hamstring.

Chris Perez tore his ankle. Zack Greinke had a sore elbow. Hyun-jin Ryu pulled his glute muscle, and had a sore shoulder. Brian Wilson’s arm imploded. The most devastating injury of all was the pulled teres muscle in Clayton Kershaw’s shoulder that forced him to miss a month to begin the season.

Healthy clubs stand a better chance of winning championships.

4. Get better offensive production from catcher

Here’s a good one. The Dodgers need better offense from the catcher position. I know A.J. was hurt last year and Drew Butera was utterly incompetent at hitting. Still, the Dodgers got zero, and I mean zero offense from catcher.

Major League clubs don’t have to have their backstops hitting like Mike Piazza, but not having them hit under the Mendoza line is all I ask.

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A.J. Ellis hit .191 in 2014, while Butera batted .188. Tim Federowicz hit .113. The Dodger catchers ranked dead last in the majors in offense last year. They batted a combined .181 with a .544 OPS and just seven home runs. Not only that, but they had a .283 OBP and just 98 hits. The worst in all of Baseball.

That’s probably another huge driving force behind the brain trust acquiring Yasmani Grandal in the Kemp trade. Grandal is a switch-hitting catcher that can swing the bat. Getting his offense behind the plate is a huge improvement over the guys that were there last year.

Like I said, the Dodger catchers don’t have to hit like Johnny Bench. However they do have to at least be league average, or not terrible. Not having the catcher position be a black hole of outs will be a big help to the offense.

5. Get off to better starts

I don’t know why Don Mattingly’s Dodgers get off to such horrendous starts to the season. I realize it’s how you finish and not how you start. But it would behoove the club to not have to dig themselves out of a 10.5 game hole in late May.

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For whatever the reason the club just can’t play respectably in the first two months of the season. In 2013 the Dodgers were 23-31 on June 1, and eventually fell to last place and 9.5 games out of first place. Of course an incredible 42-8 run helps tremendously. But you can’t have those types of runs every season.

In 2014, the Dodgers were 9.5 games out of first place by early June. In that season they had a well timed hot streak in mid-summer again which thankfully coincided with a San Francisco June swoon. So it all worked out in that regard.

I’m not asking for much here though. Just don’t sink into last place, and don’t fall 10 games behind by June. Stay within ear shot of first place. Having to make up fewer games later in the season will make things a lot easier on the Dodgers, and all of us as well.

It might also help Don Mattingy’s hair from turning completely grey by season’s end.

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These are the real five things the Dodgers need to improve upon in order to win a World Series in 2015. Remember they have no problems winning in the regular season. However the postseason is a completely different animal. As we’ve seen over the last two seasons. You could win 100+ games in the regular season and still fall short in the playoffs, or reach the precipice of the World Series and then choke.

Let’s hope that 2015 is different with a different mix of players and some improvements in the five areas above. Because I tell you what guys, if I have to watch another Giants or Cardinals Championship again I may just blow my brains out.