Walker Buehler Excited for New Dodgers Era, ‘It’s a Special Time to Play Baseball in LA’
Over the last 11 years, the Los Angeles Dodgers have been one of the most successful organizations across Major League Baseball. They’ve won their division 10 times and have one World Series win in 2020.
However, the best may be yet to come.
Starting pitcher Walker Buehler, who’s been with the team his entire MLB career, thinks this new era of Dodgers baseball will be special. He spoke about it on the Just Baseball Podcast.
“It’s going to be exciting. It’s a special time to play baseball in L.A.,” Buehler said. “I think one of the best things about L.A. is the global reach, and I think if most people would have said, ‘What’s the best landing spot for those two guys; — not from a fandom perspective, but just the familiarity and the global effect — I think L.A. and New York are the two that you would have talked about. And they both chose here, and we’re really stoked about that.”
Per Just Baseball Podcast
This offseason, the Dodgers have stretched their commitment to providing winning baseball to the fans in Los Angeles by opening the checkbook and signing two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million contract. Then, they went out and traded for Santa Clarita native Tyler Glasnow, and immediately gave him a five-year extension of $136.5 million. Then they signed Ohtani’s Team Japan teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325 million deal before the new year.
There are many reasons why players should be excited to usher in this new era of Dodgers baseball. Over the years, the Dodgers have continuously led MLB in fan attendance dating back to 2013. While many fans will be attending games and the energy will be electric, the Dodgers fan base is also considered one of the most diverse fan bases in baseball as former Spanish radio host Jaime Jarrin said back in 2017 that around 45 percent of the stadium now is Latino.
Aside from having a strong Latino fan base presence, the Dodgers will likely see an increase of Japanese fans in the ballpark like the Angels did when Ohtani was playing for them.
To add more fuel to L.A.’s fan base presence, it’s likely that spotting celebrities will be even more common at games as the Dodgers have had a reputation of having them in attendance. Last year, LeBron James had an iconic moment with Mookie Betts on his bobblehead night.
Aside from the Dodgers’ strong fan base presence, let’s not forget about the fact that they bolster one of the best rosters across MLB, making them a World Series contender for the better part of the next decade.
Whether it’s Ohtani, Betts, Freddie Freeman, Yamamoto, Glasnow, Buehler or many others, this team will be filled with superstars ready to put on a show each and every night.
The Dodgers may have seen tons of success over the last decade, but their one World Series isn’t enough. The front office told Ohtani they want more, and fans and players alike can’t wait for this new era of Dodger baseball to get started.
Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
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The Dodgers need to use Busch or Vargas or use them for pitching trades. They are too good to play another season in AAA. Both could be starting on other MLB rosters.
Busch is another LHB and Dodgers already have potentially 6 other LH bats in the starting lineup. So of those 2, I’d give Vargas, a RHB a chance to make the roster. If Busch makes it 7 LHB in the starting lineup it will make it a no brainer for the opponents to bring in lefty relievers to nullify this lineup once the starting pitcher who may have been a righty is removed in mid game. Dodgers are lacking in a RH bat at this time for middle of order. Believe me, especially those rovals in our division are going to throw as many LHP at this lineup as possible. I’ve seen this happen many many times over the years.
Arenado would be just what the doctor ordered for this lineup!
Bueller is fortunate to be part of this pitching staff while coming off a TJ down year and entering a contract year. The home team competition will be ferocious.
Buehler is fortunate to be part of this pitching staff while coming off a TJ down year and entering a contract year. The home team competition will be ferocious.
Walker sounds like he will be good to go from day one. With Yamamoto, Miller, and Glasnow; he won’t have a lot of pressure to be #1 or even #2. Like we have been hearing, a low pitch count per start for the first month would put even less pressure in him. We should be excited about this coming season.