Editorials

Dodgers Postseason: How LA’s 2020 Playoff Team Was Built

It seems like every time October comes around, the whispers of the Dodgers having bought their Division titles resurface as a way to belittle the team’s success. Such is the life of a perennial winner like the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Regardless of what others may say, this team is heavily built on home-grown talent from the minor leagues to every aspect of their major league roster. The trade for Mookie Betts this past offseason did nothing to help calm these comments, but how does the rest of the roster stack up against the claims?



Let’s take a dive into the Dodgers’ projected NLDS roster and see how this team was built.

Projected NLDS 28-Man Roster

Homegrown Talent – Dodgers Draft Picks and INT FA (15)

  • Walker Buehler
  • Clayton Kershaw
  • Tony Gonsolin
  • Dustin May
  • Julio Urías
  • Kenley Jansen
  • Pedro Baez
  • Victor González
  • Will Smith
  • Keibert Ruiz
  • Corey Seager
  • Edwin Ríos
  • Matt Beaty
  • Joc Pederson
  • Cody Bellinger

Acquired in Free Agency (6)

  • Blake Treinen
  • Jake McGee
  • Joe Kelly
  • Max Muncy
  • Justin Turner
  • A.J. Pollock

Trade (7)

  • Mookie Betts
  • Chris Taylor
  • Enrique Hernández
  • Adam Kolarek
  • Brusdar Graterol
  • Austin Barnes
  • Dylan Floro

Analysis

As you can clearly see, over half of the expected Division Series roster has been brought up through the organization. Players like Turner, Muncy, and Chris Taylor almost feel like home-grown talent as well after being disregarded by their former clubs and finding a new home and new energy here in Los Angeles.

As for the Padres, if you were wondering, their postseason roster has a total of 3 (!) homegrown players. Moreover, 19 players came to the club via trade.

For all of the people that like to downplay the Dodgers’ success these past 8 years, let this serve as a reminder that the best team in baseball did not reach this point purely out of their wallets. Money can buy a lot of things, but culture and development are built from the ground up.

NEXT: Globe Life Field, Which Team Benefits More?

Daniel Palma

Daniel is an avid sports fan who loves his hometown teams. If he's not watching baseball, you can find him playing or coaching. No matter what, he'll always root for the Boys in Blue!

One Comment

  1. Exactly the most financially stable way to build a baseball team is through the Farm System.Stan Kasten proved that in Atlanta and the Dodgers, St Louis and many others have done that throughout their history.
    The Dodgers will continue to be elite for many years as they spend their money predominantly on the Farm System which includes coaching and building a culture.

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