Will Dodgers’ Hitting Issues in Postseason Plague Them Once Again in 2024?
As the Los Angeles Dodgers get ready for the National League Division Series this coming weekend, they are reminded of their past playoff failures. Los Angeles has been bounced out in the first round of the postseason in each of the last two playoffs, both times at the hands of division rivals.
However, this time around, the Dodgers have some new blood. Both superstar Shohei Ohtani and outfielder Teoscar Hernández will be playing in their first playoff games with Los Angeles.
Ohtani has never taken the field in the postseason while Hernández has played in four games as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays. Even with the talented newcomers, the fear of the same old issues coming back to haunt the Dodgers exists in fans’ collective consciousness.
Los Angeles has had hitting problems in the playoffs over its past two appearances.
In 2022, the Dodgers entered the playoffs as the best situational hitting team in the league. But against the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles went 5 for 34 with runners in scoring position.
Last year, the Dodgers went 4 for 17 against the Arizona Diamondbacks in a series that ended in a three-game sweep. Stars Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman highlighted the struggles last postseason, combining to go 1 for 21 in the series against Arizona.
Luckily for Los Angeles, the second half of this season saw a massive uptick at the plate.
In the first half of the season, Los Angeles ranked in the bottom half of the league in batting average (.250) and OPS (.740) with runners in scoring position. But a second-half shift saw the Dodgers jump to the top of baseball in both categories.
If the Dodgers can carry their momentum on offense into the postseason, they should be just fine. While the pitching is a problem, mainly due to injuries, Los Angeles has to feel as good about their chances against opposing pitchers as any playoff team
They will go forward with a starting rotation of Jack Flaherty, the likely Game 1 starter. Rookie Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Walker Buehler, and Landon Knack are expected to round out the rotation.
Tyler Glasnow, Gavin Stone, and Clayton Kershaw are all out due to various injuries, with Kershaw having a slim chance to return if Los Angeles goes far in the postseason. The Dodgers may need their offense to help carry them through the playoffs.
Photo Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
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