Editorials

Trending Up, Trending Down: Dodgers’ First Half Of 2015 Season

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

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Wrapping up the first half of the season with a 51-39 record, the Los Angeles Dodgers hope to carry that same success into the months that lie ahead. Looking back at the past three and a half months, there have been surprises — both good and bad, with much optimism as the rest of the season plays out.



Let’s analyze which players excelled and struggled, and those who are primed to breakout with the All-Star break now behind us.

First Half Disappointments

Jimmy Rollins: When the Dodgers acquired Rollins last offseason, it was understood he wouldn’t replace Hanley Ramirez’s bat in the lineup. However, it’s safe to say the club didn’t expect his offense to be this meager.

While Rollins has played respectable defense at shortstop, his slash line of .213/.266/.338 is hardly the production they expected from him. Luckily, the veteran shortstop has posted better offensive numbers in the second half for his career (.782 OPS in 4,302 plate appearances compared to a first half OPS of .717 in 5,548 PAs).

Brandon McCarthy: In the first season of a four-year contract, McCarthy pitched to a disappointing 5.87 ERA and 6.16 FIP in just 23 innings before undergoing Tommy John surgery on the last day of April.

Despite the disastrous year, it would be simply unfair to deem him a “bust” at this point. The signing made sense at the time and nobody could’ve predicted this injury. After the recovery and rehab process, he’ll have an opportunity to be a factor in next season’s rotation.

Chris Hatcher: After posting a solid 3.38 ERA and 2.56 FIP in 2014, the Dodgers acquired Hatcher from the Miami Marlins in the Dee Gordon trade and hoped he would bridge the gap to Kenley Jansen this season. Needless to say, that’s not how things have played out to this point.

In 18.1 innings pitched, Hatcher has recorded a 6.38 ERA and 1.58 WHIP, but his 3.19 FIP offers some encouragement. Once he is activated from the 15-day disabled list, he will have a chance to redeem himself.

CONTINUE READING: First Half MVPs

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Staff Writer

Staff Writer features content written by our site editors along with our staff of contributing writers. Thank you for your readership.

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