For some players, spring training does matter. There are players fighting for the last spot on the bench, the lost slot in the bullpen.
But for the most part, spring training has little consequence on how a team is going to perform in the regular season.
With that in mind, here’s a look at who’s hot and who’s not for the Dodgers in spring training.
The Dodgers, on a whole, are not very hot so far. They have a 1-3-4 record as of Friday. One win in spring training is not a good sign. But it is not as alarming as the four ties. If that is any indication how meaningless spring training games are, it’s that column.
The three losses, however, do reveal a glaring hole on this Dodgers team as Opening Day approaches.
It has no bullpen.
Kenley Jansen is gone. The Dodgers have no closer as a result. And the rest of the bullpen is scrambling to figure out what each pitcher’s role is.
There are plenty of questions about the bullpen. Who is the closer? Who’s the set-up guy? Who will come in for long-relief stretches? And how much are the Dodgers going to rely on the bullpen to start the season? This is a team that loves to use bullpen games to keep the starters fresh and in their routines. Which pitchers are going to be in the rotation and which ones are going to be relegated to bullpen starts?
The pitching staff needs work. That much is clear.
The hitters? Well, it’s kind of a mixed bag at this point.
Newcomer Freddie Freeman is settling in comfortably. He is hitting .375, hit his first home run for the Dodgers in Friday’s game against the San Diego Padres, and is 3-for-8 in the first week of spring training.
Mookie Betts, on the other hand, is not having a productive spring training. He has yet to get a hit, has only played one game, and is 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. It’s probably nothing to worry about though.
Trea Turner is turning in a nice spring training, batting .333 and is 5-for-15 as of Friday.
Justin Turner has yet to turn the corner on spring training. He is hitting .154 and is 2-for-13 as of Friday.
Other Dodgers who are struggling in spring training are Max Muncy, 1-for-6 and batting .167, and Cody Bellinger, 3-for-15 and batting .200.
Edwin Rios and Jake Lamb are making strong spring training statements to be on the Opening Day roster. Rios is hitting .625 with a home run and four RBIs in four games. Lamb is hitting .375 (6-for-16) with a home run and a 1.063 OPS in six games.
If they stay hot, they will be on the big league roster when the season starts.
Dave Roberts
The Dodgers made another move to extend manager Dave Roberts’ tenure with the team. He and the team agreed to a three-year extension.
Roberts has his share of critics. There is a certain sector of fans who call for him to be fired every year.
Roberts has been the manager of the Dodgers since 2016 when he took over for Don Mattingly. Roberts has a 542-329 record, a .622 winning percentage. He has the best record in baseball over the last six seasons. Dodgers fans are not going to find a better manager than that.
He has led the Dodgers to five National League West titles, won a franchise record 106 games and finished in second place in the NL West last year, won three National League pennants and a World Series.
And he recently said he expects the 2022 Dodgers to win the World Series again this year.
It’s hard to argue with that kind of record and confidence.
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