Dodgers’ Lineup Still Not Better Than Atlanta Braves’, Says Former General Manager
Team A just set a record for the highest slugging percentage ever in a single season, and might lose only one of its starting nine.
Team B has committed more than $1 billion in future money to free agents this offseason, using much of that record sum to upgrade its weakest lineup links after nearly matching the run-scoring output of Team A in 2023.
In case you couldn’t guess, Team B is the Los Angeles Dodgers. Team A is the Atlanta Braves. And picking which team has the better lineup going into 2024 has been one of the juicier storylines of the off-season.
Former New York Mets general manager Steve Phillips believes the Braves — who have yet to re-sign starting left fielder Eddie Rosario or backup outfielder Kevin Pillar, both free agents — still have a better lineup than the Dodgers, who have used the winter to upgrade at DH (Shohei Ohtani), left field (Teoscar Hernández), second base (Mookie Betts’ new position), and shortstop (where Gavin Lux is returning after missing all of 2023).
“This lineup is not quite Atlanta, but it’s getting closer.”
— Steve Phillips, via MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM
While Ohtani will not be in the Dodgers’ starting rotation while he recovers from offseason elbow surgery, he will still be in the starting lineup as the everyday designated hitter. Hernandez, Betts, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith will join Ohtani in what will be one of the most feared lineups in baseball.
Phillips did go on to applaud the Dodgers lineup, offering that their lineup will be “explosive”.
“The Dodgers add another big bat. This bat in that lineup is going to be phenomenal. They are loaded right now.”
Per Steve Phillips Sirius XM MLB Network Radio
There are two sides to every debate. Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain recently offered that Betts, Ohtani and Freeman could potentially go down as the best 1-2-3 hitters in the history of Major League Baseball.
“Mookie, Ohtani, and Freddie, they have the chance to be the greatest 1-2-3 in Major League Baseball history. If you look at their numbers last season, Mookie had a 167 weighted runs created plus, Freeman, a 163 weighted runs created plus. Ohtani, a 180 weighted runs created plus. If you look at that right there, there’s only been 19 times in (MLB) history where you have had three players on the same team with a weighted runs created plus of 150 or higher.”
— Doug McKain via the Dodgers Nation YouTube channel
Raise the WRC+ threshold to 160, and only five teams in baseball history have ever had three players producing at 60 percent above league average.
Do the Dodgers’ top three hitters give them enough to compete with the Braves’ depth? Can Atlanta reproduce what it did in 2023 if Rosario signs elsewhere for 2024? Will both teams be healthy enough eight months from now to make the debate valid?
These are great questions to ponder as the 2024 season approaches. Game on.
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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Steve Phillips couldn’t find his rear end with both hands and a flashlight. That is why he is a FORMER GENERAL MANAGER and has been for many years.
Here’s the way I see it..
C – Smith vs Murphy/D’Arnaud – push
1B – Freddie vs Olson – push
2B – Mookie vs Albies – Mookie
3B – Muncy vs Riley – Riley
SS – Lux vs Arcia – Arcia right now. But I think it will be Lux by October.
LF – Hernández vs Kelenic – Hernandez
CF – Outman vs Harris – Harris
RF – Acuna vs it doesn’t matter it’s Acuna by a mile.
DH – Ohtani vs Ozuna – Ohtani by a mile
It’s close but I’d still probably say Steve Phillips (who I can’t stand and clearly hates the Dodgers) is right for now. I think Ohtani not pitching and hitting in front of Freddie is going to lead to one of the best offensive seasons ever and I think Hernandez will get back to his 2020/21 Silver Slugger form in this lineup. And I think Lux is going to shock some people. The big questions to me are Outman and what do we get from RF? Does Outman progress or have a sophomore slump? Right now you have to give it to the Braves but I believe that by the end of the season the Dodgers will have one of the best offensive seasons ever.
Considering the Braves outscored the Dodgers by 37 runs last season. I do not understand the comparisons to the 27 Yankees. Especially since the Dodgers bottom 4 of the line up was MIA in the 2/3rds of the year. It wasn’t until the trade deadline that the Dodgers brought in better Professional hitters, did they click and dominate the West. The only hole in the lineup now is Barnes. The Braves do have the advantage in Stolen Bases, but will the hit 300+ homers in a season again, or have every player have a career year again? That’s debatable. I believe the teams lineups are much closer than everyone believes, 1-9.
Three things a championship team needs. 1. an experienced, reliable, healthy starting rotation that includes a minimum of 3 top end starters. 2. a solid, experienced bullpen that includes a top end closer. 3. a hitting line-up that has solid, consistent All Star hitters, and key support from the 5-9 spots, as well as bench depth.
The saying, “you can never have enough pitching” holds true in the game of baseball, and while LA, on paper, has the makings of an outstanding starting staff, there are a number of question marks that could swing the high expectations to disappointing results.
Walker Buehler’s return date is a question mark, and will he be as effective as he once was? Yoshinobu Yamamoto has great hype potential, but he’s never pitched in an MLB game. Tyler Glasnow is another highly thought of pitcher, with great potential, but has yet to show reliability over a 162 game schedule. Bobby Miller needs to develop control, and other ‘out pitches’, since most every MLB hitter can hit 100 mph fast balls.
What’s left is a 2nd year pitcher with plus stuff potential, Emmet Sheehjan, and a broken shoulder lefty named Clayton Kershaw…IF he decides to return as a DODGER later this season.
As it stands, the present Dodger staff, consisting of FIVE Right-handers, in my mind, is NOT solid, reliable, healthy, and experienced enough to win a World Series championship.
Front-office honchos, Andrew Friedman and his boss Stan Kasten, got owner, Marc Wolter, to spend on the ONE and ONLY true experienced, reliable, two-way player, the inimitable Shohei Ohtani, but remember, he’s not 100% healthy coming off right elbow surgery 4 months ago.
Bottom line, the Dodgers need more experienced, reliable, healthy, front line starting pitching, and if they don’t get it (e.g. LEFTY Snell), the season may be a bust!
The Dodger bullpen is also a confusing situation. What is Friedman waiting for, a bargain basement price on proven closer, Josh Hader? Pay him the freaking money because Evan Phillips looked like he was not ready for prime time, “closer pressure,” last year. Injured returnees might help, but Ferguson, Vesia, the ONLY Pen Leftys, are iffy at best (trade bait?). As it stands, LA’s Bullpen is still a work in progress that NEEDS a Proven stabilizer. His name is Josh Hader!
We’ve said it before. The Dodger line-up was good last year, but TWO top of the order hitters cannot sustain winning a World Series championship. Fat Max Muncy will hit some dingers, and collect RBI’S, but his defense, and BA, are pathetic. His name should be front and center as “trade bait.” Lux is a question mark at short coming off surgery, especially with his erratic “rag arm.” Outman is serviceable, and hopefully improves in all phases (less K’s), but we shall see. Heyward is a GREAT defensive right fielder, but can he produce at the plate? Will Smith is a defensive liability-he can’t block errant pitches, and cannot throw runners out stealing. He’s a mediocre “pitch caller,” and has some ‘pop’ as a hitter. But he should not hit in the 4-5 hole. More like the 6-7 hole. Hernandez has power, and HR/RBI stats to hit clean-up, but still is a hopeful “wait and see.”
The Dodger bench, with Taylor, Margot, and Rojas, is not exactly full of depth. This area needs some adds. Perhaps Kike re-signs, but who’s reliable off the pine outside of those 3 players mentioned?
Overall, I believe there’s more that needs to be done by LA’s front office. Arizona is now a tough out, but LA will be slight favorites to win the West IF the above-mentioned concerns materialize favorably for them. If not, Dodger Nation will have to wait for 2-Way OHTANI, and other adds in 2025!
This team just won a ton of games this past few years. Everything they have done has improved them. Obviously you are not a fan of the Dodgers and that is why it is so easy for you to tear them and put them down.
I’m with you.
I’m not a Dodgers fan I’m a baseball fan and he was a little critical but at the same time he made some valid points it’s the little faults that make or break the season and if you’re a die-hard fan you don’t see the the little things as clearly so I think you ought to read his comments again the Dodgers have the second best team in baseball so it is hard to find any fault but they’re there just like they are with the Braves
The Dodgers won a 100 games last year and the pitching and Hitting has been upgraded big time. 110 wins plus a WS Championship is what I expect. The Braves can’t even beat the Phillies let along the super team that the Dodgers now have.
My Dodgers will see your Braves in late Sept/early Oct. Better be ready.
Besides statically the greatest 1-3 in baseball
When you add rbi machine on OB% Muncy, power of Hernandez then best hitting catcher in baseball Will Smith, potential all star Outman (if he can layoff certain pitches) and Lux who will be most likely hitting over .280. Then you just need a pitching staff that averages a 4.00 era because this team will average 6 to 7 runs a game.
I still think Dodgers will have a better chance in 2025 than in 2024 (scary to think Juan Soto really wants to play for the Dodgers).
Of course you have to play the games. Padres superteam didn’t even make the playoff.
But we can all agree it will be fun to root for or against the Dodgers