Dodgers Fans Reveal Improved Faith in Bullpen in Latest Poll
The Dodgers begin play against the Kansas City Royals this weekend with a 42-28 record, second-best in the National League. Their six-game lead over the second-place San Diego Padres is, at least for now, comfortable.
For the most part, fans are comfortable with the direction of the team too.
In the latest edition of Dodgers Nation’s fan poll, the approval rating for every aspect of the team — bullpen, starting pitching, position players, the manager and front office — was above 50 percent.
Barely.
Fans had soured on the position players (40.4 percent) in our previous poll, but this week that figure ticked up to 51.1 percent:
Fans still expressed some discontent with Mookie Betts’ move to shortstop, and the bottom of the lineup struggling to hit its weight. At least the Dodgers’ recent acquisition of Cavan Biggio might have tempered some of the pessimism that had been boiling up.
The largest improvement in approval ratings, by far, belong to the Dodgers’ bullpen. Polling at 51.5 percent at the end of May, the bullpen has rebounded in June to a 75.6 percent approval rating.
Multiple fans mentioned the emergence of Alex Vesia as a reliable set-up man for their optimism. The outstanding return of Blake Treinen probably hasn’t hurt either:
The starting rotation is currently the Dodgers’ strongest on-field unit in the eyes of fans:
But even the Dodgers’ rotation would love the approval rating given to the team’s front office:
Meanwhile, manager Dave Roberts continues to prove that the majority of fans have his back, even if his detractors are more vocal:
Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
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