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[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Law Talk: The locker room rumble at Camelback Ranch, revisited

Three years ago, a landlord/tenant dispute between the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Chicago White Sox, and the City of Glendale, Arizona, made national headlines. To wit: MLB established guidelines requiring facilities to have both male and female locker rooms, and the White Sox and Dodgers, tenants of the Camelback Ranch spring training facility, got into a dispute with their landlord, the City of Glendale, over who would pay for it. Sabers were rattled as the landlord/tenant dispute became quite public.

Initially, former writer Jake Dicker broke the story here at True Blue LA, and I wrote an investigative analysis essay that argued strongly that the City of Glendale was over a barrel of its own making on this singular issue.

The most relevant passages from that essay lay out what a slam dunk this case would have been had it escalated further:

There is an old saying in law: if you don’t have the facts [on your side], argue the law; if you don’t have the law [on your side], argue the facts; if you don’t have either, just pound the table and yell really loudly. This adage applies to the City’s position.

When this story broke, I thought that it was quite telling that the City Manager of Glendale was not arguing the terms of the contract. Moreover, the City Manager was attempting to make a moral argument in order to get the City out of its obligations as to the facility….

…But Michael, you say, the White Sox and Dodgers are only paying a dollar a year to lease this facility from the City of Glendale — how on earth is this contract fair? Shouldn’t the White Sox and Dodgers have to pay for these locker rooms out of moral fairness?

That statement is not how contracts work.…

While the White Sox and Dodgers may be the bad guys in the court of public opinion, the City of Glendale dug its own hole for this mess. Digging up is not a solution, either.

Time marched on, and like with most things from the 2023 season, the vast majority of people moved on. I did not receive a follow-up comment after several attempts with the Dodgers and Camelback Ranch, which went unanswered in 2023 and 2024. These setbacks are now moot as I can finally report on what happened next.

The City of Glendale built a locker room​

On June 13, 2023, the Glendale City Council voted to hire RSP Architects to build a women’s locker room at Camelback Ranch at the cost of $106,217. The contract itself is unremarkable; the proposed locker room was approximately 3,500 square feet, and the plan was estimated to take 28 to 34 weeks to complete.

The locker room was completed in time for the start of Spring Training 2024.

At the same meeting, the City of Glendale approved a $75,000 contract with Beacon Sports Capital Partners to serve as a consultant for 12 months to provide advice and support in the operation of Camelback Ranch.

Specifically, Beacon Sports was to review the financial statements of Camelback Ranch (the facility), determine the level of annual usage of the facility, identify any aspects of the facility not up to MLB standards, how much it will take to bring the facility into compliance, prepare an estimate to the life cycle of the facility and related equipment with the intent to project any future obligations of the City of Glendale, prepare an assessment of current and planned real estate development of the facility, and prepare a valuation methodology of the facility.

Subsequently, upon review of the minutes and agendas of the Glendale City Council from 2024 to 2026, nothing unusual stood out in the facility’s operation, aside from the April 16, 2024, discussion of difficulties with the construction of a parking garage that the city expected to generate revenue from upon completion.

As parking is currently free at Camelback Ranch, this plan clearly fell through.

In the interim, the Dodgers, through the Canopy Team firm, completed construction of the Dodgers Performance Lab in 2024, consisting of 12,000 square feet of large-market, baseball precision flex, which certainly did not hurt during the title campaigns:

Completed in 2024, the Dodgers Performance Lab added 12,000 square foot indoor lab and outdoor agility space, comprised of two instrumented batting/pitching lanes as well as complimentary office/conference/work spaces, storage areas, and technology infrastructure. Initial siting and design was a careful balance struck with players, staff, and executive leadership while construction was planned/sequenced in order to only take nine months to complete and minimize disruption to the team’s occupancy.

The design and programming of the lab is intentionally flexible as the primary occupant besides players is the Dodgers Performance Science department, who are responsible for remaining on the cutting edge in both equipment and training methods. The enabling work in the building’s design is complicated on the design side in order to remain simple and flexible into the future in operation.

Have chair will travel​

In early April 2025, lifelong Dodgers fan Yolanda Garcia filed suit in federal court for alleged injuries sustained during a March 2024 Spring Training game at Camelback Ranch.

While walking to the Dodgers’ gift shop, some stacked folding chairs on a dolly allegedly fell on Garcia, causing a laceration and eventual knee replacement surgery months later. Garcia alleged that the Director of Facility Operations publicly reprimanded the staff about the incident immediately afterwards.

Initially, Garcia filed suit in Arizona federal court against the Dodgers, the White Sox, the City of Glendale, the City of Phoenix, Maricopa County, Camelback Spring Training LLC, and other unknown entities, as is common practice. The case is ongoing, and the only defendant remaining is Camelback Spring Training LLC.

Premise liability cases are often fairly straightforward, and the facts that the case is in federal court under diversity jurisdiction (citizens of two different states with a dispute valued at more than $75,000 — a knee replacement would certainly do it) and that the case is still ongoing are unsurprising. True Blue LA will continue to monitor this lawsuit and provide updates as they become available.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-ange...cker-room-rumble-at-camelback-ranch-revisited

 

[Zedster]

The Snell news is concerning but not entirely surprising given what he put his arm through in October. After that IL stint last year and then the postseason workload, being cautious now makes sense. Better to have him at full strength by May than rush him back and risk another extended absence.

That said, the rotation depth is going to be tested early. Between Yamamoto heading to the WBC and now Snell potentially starting the season on a limited program, Roberts might be leaning on some of the younger arms more than expected in April. Hopefully Glasnow comes through the offseason in better shape.

The Friedman barstool story is pretty great though. Game 3 was absolutely brutal to watch - I can only imagine what it was like being in the front office for those 18 innings. That Varsho catch after thinking Will Smith had gone deep... yeah, I might have broken something too.

The Camelback Ranch legal stuff is interesting from a procedural standpoint. Nice to see the locker room situation finally got resolved, even if it took the city eating the cost like most of us expected. The premise liability case is pretty standard stuff - those kinds of lawsuits usually settle quietly once the insurance companies get involved.

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

A history of Dodgers brothers playing together

VERO BEACH, FL - CIRCA 1992: Pitcher Pedro Martinez #45 and brother Ramon Martinez #48 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pose together for this photo during spring training circa 1992 at Holman Stadium in Vero Beach, Florida. Pedro played for the Dodgers from 1992-93 and Ramon played for the Dodger from 1988-98. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Dodgers have River Ryan returning from 2024 Tommy John surgery, and is expected to be part of the team’s starting rotation puzzle in the 2026 season. There’s also at least a chance that he might be teammates with his brother Ryder Ryan, who was signed by the Dodgers to a minor league deal that includes a non-roster invitation to spring training.

If River and Ryder play together with the Dodgers, they’d join a select group of brothers in franchise history.

---

Ramón Martínez pitched the first 11 seasons of his 14-year career with the Dodgers (1988-1998), finished second in Cy Young Award voting one year and fifth in another. He pitched a no-hitter in 1995, and struck out 18 in a game in 1990 to match the franchise record.

We obviously know what Pedro Martínez went on to do in his Hall of Fame career, winning three Cy Young Awards after getting discarded by the Dodgers at age 22, but his one full season in Los Angeles was quite effective. The younger Martínez posted a 2.61 ERA in 65 games, and his 113 strikeouts out of the bullpen was at the time second-most in a season by a Dodgers reliever, trailing only Mike Marshall in his 108-appearance, 206-inning Cy Young campaign in 1974.

Pedro made his major league debut in September 1992, but by then Ramón’s season had already ended with a sore elbow.

Ramón Martínez in 1993 put up a 3.44 ERA in 32 starts and 211 2/3 innings, the third of his four seasons with at least 200 innings. Ramón and Pedro pitched in the same game 12 times that season, with the best one likely on July 31 at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs. Ramon allowed two runs in eight innings in his start, and the game needed 13 innings to decide. Pedro retired all six batters he faced in the final two innings, and earned the win after the Dodgers exploded for five runs in the top of the 13th.

“I didn’t take the win away from my brother–he was already out,” Pedro Martínez said, per Maryann Hudson at the Los Angeles Times. “I took it away from Chicago, not from him.”

There was also a third brother, Jesus Martínez, who also pitched in the Dodgers minor leagues from 1992-97. He reached Triple-A, but never made the majors.

---

Larry Sherry was the World Series MVP in 1959, pitching in all four Dodgers wins in the series in their second year in Los Angeles. He won two games and closed out the other two (10 years before saves became an official statistic). His older brother Norm, who like Larry was signed out of Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, did not play in that World Series.

Norm Sherry’s biggest contribution might have been the advice he gave a young, wild Sandy Koufax during spring training in 1961, telling him, “Why don’t you take something off the ball and just put it in there? Don’t try to throw it so hard. Just put it in there and let them hit it.”

The Sherry brothers overlapped for four seasons with the Dodgers (1959-62). They didn’t match up as a battery in 1959, but Norm caught Larry in 30 games from 1960-62, with Larry posting a 2.73 ERA in 52 2/3 innings with his brother behind the plate.

Norm Sherry hit 16 home runs with the Dodgers, one of them a walk-off winner on May 7, 1960 to beat Rubén Gomez and the Philadelphia Phillies. The winning pitcher was Larry Sherry, who pitched the final four innings.

From Richard Cuicchi at SABR:

After the game, Norm said, “It has to be my biggest thrill. Winning one in the majors for my brother was really something.” He added, “I knew it was hit well enough, but I was afraid it might curve foul. It was a slider inside. I wasn’t looking for anything especially. I was just trying to get a hit.”

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Paul and Lloyd Waner are probably the most accomplished brothers to ever play for the Dodgers, though the overwhelming bulk of their careers came with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Both outfielders are in the Hall of Fame, with Paul having by far the better career. At the very least, they have two of the best tandem nicknames in baseball history — Big Poison (Paul) and Little Poison (Lloyd).

Both came to the Dodgers later in their careers, 1941, 1943-44 for Paul, and 1944 for Lloyd. They played in 14 games together for Brooklyn, never both starting in the same game. Lloyd Waner drove in one run in his brief time with the Dodgers, and it came after Paul was intentionally walked to load the bases. In the ninth inning at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn on May 3, 1944 against the Boston Braves, Lloyd pinch-hit for shortstop Bill Hart with one out, and laid down a bunt single for the walk-off win.

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Steve Sax and Dave Sax were the first set of Dodgers brothers I remember from growing up, but they very rarely played together. Steve was the team’s regular second baseman for seven years, while Dave was a catcher in the organization for seven years (1978-84) who only played in the majors for Los Angeles briefly in 1982-83.

Dave Sax played in nine games for the Dodgers, all of which were also played by his brother Steve. The one time they both started the same game was June 3, 1983 at Dodger Stadium against the New York Mets. Steve led off and Dave batted eighth, but both were 0-for-4 at the plate in a 5-2 loss.

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Zack Wheat was one of the Dodgers’ great early stars in Brooklyn, and the outfielder was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1959. Wheat roamed the outfield for Brooklyn in 18 of his 19 seasons, and remains the all-time franchise leader in hits, total bases, doubles, triples, games played, and plate appearances. His brother Mack was a catcher, and played parts of five seasons (1915-19) with the Dodgers, overlapping with Zack.

The Wheat brothers played in a total of 113 games together with the Dodgers, including 69 games with both starting, the bulk of those coming in 1918-19.

Mack Wheat hit one home run in his 137 total games with the Dodgers, hit at Ebbets Field on August 7, 1918 against the Cubs. It was a three-run shot in the fourth inning off Cubs right-hander Phil Douglas that scored Zack Wheat, who reached base on an error earlier in the frame. Those three runs were all the Dodgers scored in the game, and was enough to secure a 3-2 win.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-angeles-dodgers-history-records/109354/dodgers-brothers-history

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers notes: Jackson Ferris, Ching-Hsien Ko, Austin Barnes

SPRINGFIELD, MO - JUNE 10: Jackson Ferris #10 of the Tulsa Drillers pitches during the game between the Tulsa Drillers and the Springfield Cardinals at Hammons Field on Tuesday, June 10, 2025 in Springfield, Missouri. (Photo by Shanna Stafford/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)

We’ve had a pair of top-100 prospect lists drop in each of the last two weeks, with between four and seven Dodgers included on those lists. But with those list also comes further analysis of the minor leagues, both with individual players and farm systems as a whole.

Taiwanese outfielder Ching-Hsien Ko was one of 11 prospects who just missed making the top 100 at The Athletic, with Keith Law very high on the 19-year-old who ended last season with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga: “Ko is going to end up hitting for power, though, as he’s 6-foot-3 and already north of his listed 215, with quick hands and good rhythm to the swing.”

Jackson Ferris was ranked the No. 126 prospect in baseball by Kiley McDaniel at ESPN, who praised the left-hander as one of a handful of pitchers who could someday carry a heavy major league workload. “He’ll probably need to take one more step forward in stuff or command to actually hit 200 innings in the big leagues, but the ceiling is there,” McDaniel wrote.

The Athletic and ESPN also this week ranked farm systems, with the Dodgers ranked No. 2 in the former (in the top tier along with the Milwaukee Brewers and Seattle Mariners) and rated fourth in the latter.

“They aren’t the No. 1 farm system in the sport anymore, but they are tied for first with the Rays in ‘quality depth,’ which is just the total number of prospects they have graded above 40 FV [Future Value],” McDaniel wrote at ESPN.

We’ll have more prospect talk soon as Baseball Prospectus is expected to unveil their top-101 list next week.

Battery of moves​

The Mets on Thursday signed longtime Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes to a minor league contract with a non-roster invitation to spring training, and also signed one-time Dodgers reliever Craig Kimbrel to a minors deal as well. Should Barnes reach the majors with New York, he’ll join a surprisingly large list of catchers to play for both the Dodgers and Mets.

That group includes Mike Piazza, Gary Carter, Todd Hundley, Paul Lo Duca, Sandy Alomar Jr., Rod Barajas, Gary Bennett, Henry Blanco, Chris Cannizzaro, Travis d’Arnaud, Jerry Grote, Brent Mayne, Jason Phillips, Joe Pignatano, Norm Sherry, Rick Wilkins, and Tom Wilson.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-ange...dgers-prospects-jackson-ferris-ching-hsien-ko

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers will play baseball this month

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 16: Teoscar Hernandez #37 of the Los Angeles Dodgers participates in a fielding drill during spring training workouts at Camelback Ranch on February 16, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It’s February now, which means the Dodgers will play baseball games this very month. Sure, those games won’t count, but they will be televised nonetheless, and we will get to watch as the team gradually builds up toward the season.

This will be more of a normal spring training for the Dodgers, at least in the sense that they won’t have to depart camp in Arizona with two weeks to go, in order to travel to play games in Asia like they did the last two springs. There is still the World Baseball Classic this March, but for the bulk of Dodgers roster, their time at Camelback Ranch will be more like usual years in terms of getting ready for the season.

And it sounds like the Dodgers will need a full spring training camp to give them time to build up toward March 26.

“Having the experience of being in the World Series multiple years now, understanding how important rest is — Most of the guys I’ve talked to have kind of been on the same program I’ve been on, that we haven’t started any baseball activity until the middle of January almost,” third baseman Max Muncy said on Foul Territory on Wednesday. “Some guys are still just now starting, just trying to give your body as much rest as possible, knowing that if we want to make another run to November, you’ve got to be as rested as you can to get through the summertime.”

Blake Snell expressed a similar sentiment this week, noting that he’s behind in his usual offseason throwing program after the stress of last fall’s championship run. Whether that opens up an early-season rotation chance for other pitchers remains to be seen.

Dodgers spring training camp at in Arizona technically starts on February 13 with the first official workout for pitchers and catchers, and concludes on March 21 with their final Cactus League game at Camelback Ranch against the A’s.

We’re bringing back daily questions to the site, and today’s is a broad one. What are you looking forward to the most during this Dodgers spring training camp?

Let us know in the comments below.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/daily-question/109380/dodgers-spring-training-february

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Shohei Ohtani won’t pitch in World Baseball Classic

TORONTO, ONTARIO - NOVEMBER 01: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning in game seven of the 2025 World Series at Rogers Center on November 01, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The last time Shohei Ohtani was in the World Baseball Classic, he struck out his then-Angels teammate Mike Trout to give Team Japan their third title in tournament history. Three years later, fans from around the world will only get to see half of the Ohtani experience.

After a 22 month absence from pitching on a big league mound, Ohtani tossed 47 innings in the 2025 regular season to the tune of a 2.87 ERA before tallying an additional 20 1/3 innings in the Dodgers title run. With a full offseason to prepare himself on both sides of the field, the goal for Ohtani in 2026 is to have his first full season of two-way activities in a Dodger uniform, notes Sonja Chen of MLB.com.

“I wasn’t surprised. I can’t even say I was relieved,” Roberts said. “Understanding what he did last year, what he had to go through to then how best to prepare himself for ’26 to do both — it just seemed like the right decision.”

Links​

After undergoing ankle surgery in November, the expectation for utility man Tommy Edman was that he’d be ready around the start of spring training. With just three weeks remaining until the Dodgers play their first cactus league game against the Angels, Edman provided an update to David Vassegh of AM 570 at DodgerFest on Saturday, stating that he is back to regular baseball activities and ready for the spring.

“I’m feeling good. I just started baseball activities again, so I’m feeling like I’m in a good spot going into the spring… I just very lightly started swinging and started throwing again this past week, and that’ll be ramping up as we get closer to spring. I’m really looking forward to being a baseball player again.”

The addition of outfielder Kyle Tucker gives the Dodgers one of the most complete and dangerous lineups in all of baseball, and Dave Roberts is starting to get a feel as to how the top half of the order will shape up for the 2026 season, per Jack Harris of the California Post.

Dave Roberts hasn’t decided exactly how the Dodgers’ batting order will look in the wake of Kyle Tucker’s signing, but he did drop some hints, saying Ohtani will still lead off, Betts will likely hit third, and Will Smith will hit fifth. That presumably leaves Kyle Tucker and Freeman for the Nos. 2 and 4 spots, in some order.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-...-tommy-edman-injury-update-kyle-tucker-lineup

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Insurance decisions deplete World Baseball Classic rosters

Japan starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (14) pitches against Mexico during the second inning of a semifinal game at the World Baseball Classic at loanDepot Park on Monday, March 20, 2023, in Miami. (Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas is heading into his final major league season and might have started things off by representing Venezuela in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. But like a number of players, Rojas was denied insurance coverage to be able to play in the international tournament this March.

Rojas expressed frustration at the process in talking to reporters Saturday at Dodgers Fest at Dodger Stadium over the process. From Alden González at ESPN:

“My only question is: Why is it just with our countries [in Latin America], like Venezuela, Puerto Rico, a couple Dominican players?” Rojas said. “I don’t see that happening with the United States or happening with Japan. And I’m not trying to attack anybody, or attack what’s going on … but at the end of the day, it feels like it’s just happening with the players that want to represent their country from Latin America. So, there’s a lot of things I would like to talk about with someone in control, with someone from MLB.”

On Friday, Mets star shortstop Francisco Lindor was also denied insurance to play for Puerto Rico in the WBC after offseason right elbow surgery, despite being cleared for spring training activity. Same for Astros star Jose Altuve, who won’t play for Venezuela.

“Due to the criteria for WBC insurance coverage, Jose Altuve was looking forward to participating in the WBC and representing Venezuela, but unfortunately is not eligible to do so,” the MLB Players Association said in a statement. “Jose is obviously disappointed in this result, but he is looking forward to getting to spring training and preparing himself for a successful season.”

Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich at The Athletic on Saturday outlined various details of National Financial Partners, who brokers insurance for the World Baseball Classic:

The insurance policy pays back the major-league club for a player’s salary if the player gets hurt during the WBC. Players are not at risk of losing their salaries. For approved position players, the insurance covers 100 percent of their salary for two years, sources said. For pitchers, it’s four years.

No cap exists for how much salary can be covered in total across MLB, a source said, emphasizing there is not a game of musical chairs in which one player’s insurance approval could reduce the chances of another’s.

Trips to the 60-day injured list and recent surgeries such as Lindor’s are typically disqualifying. But the insurer reviews each player’s injury history case by case.

Relevant to Rojas, who turns 37 in February, again from The Athletic:

The insurance does not cover players once they are 37, a difference from previous WBCs, sources said. That will affect some players who are close to 37, as well. Major-leaguers are likely to be denied if they turn 37 in the two-year window for position players or the four-year window for pitchers.

Probably the most notable Dodgers instance of this was with Clayton Kershaw, who in 2023 was named to the United States roster for the WBC but was denied insurance at nearly age 35, within the window of being denied insurance. Kershaw will be a part of the 2026 roster for Team USA, partly because as a retired player, there is no MLB salary to insure.

Freddie Freeman, 36 this year, also won’t play for Canada in the World Baseball Classic after participating in the tournament in both 2027 and 2023, though he said Saturday it was his choice.

Freddie Freeman said he is not playing in the WBC because of a personal situation. He said Team Canada was supportive

“I wasn’t (going to be) able to go out there and play and be in Puerto Rico (for the group stage games) and be that far from my family. I needed to be close to…

— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) January 31, 2026

Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki missed over four months on the 60-day injured list last season with a right shoulder impingement. He was unlikely to be approved for insurance per the above criteria, and told David Vassegh of KLAC AM 570 on Saturday that it was the Dodgers’ decision that Sasaki wouldn’t pitch for Japan in the WBC.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto will pitch for Japan in the World Baseball Classic, and will be joined by Shohei Ohtani, who will hit but won’t pitch during the tournament. Rosenthal and Drellich reported that Ohtani “was unlikely to be cleared to pitch, people briefed on the underwriting process said.”

Pool play for the World Baseball Classic starts on March 5. Players for Japan are expected to join the team in Tokyo for exhibition games on February 27-28 in preparation for the tournament.

UPDATE: New Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz, who suffered a season-ending injury during the 2023 World Baseball Classic, was announced on Monday as pitching for Puerto Rico.

Sound the trumpets

Edwin Díaz returns for a third #WorldBaseballClassic with Team Puerto Rico! pic.twitter.com/GRwNMik3Kt

— MLB (@MLB) February 2, 2026

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/world-baseball-classic/109404/world-baseball-classic-insurance-dodgers

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

What to expect from Tommy Edman in 2026

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 10: Tommy Edman attends the 2025 Baby2Baby Holiday Distribution presented by FRAME & Nordstrom at Dodger Stadium on December 10, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Araya Doheny/Getty Images for Baby2Baby) | Getty Images for Baby2Baby

The Dodgers were enamored with Tommy Edman long before they traded for him during the 2024 season, then extended him last winter. His versatility on the field has proved quite valuable even as he’s struggled with a right ankle injury during the last two seasons.

Even if Edman is limited to mostly one position in 2026, he remains one of the keys for the Dodgers to unlock their full potential.

Health will be paramount, even if it takes a little time for him to get going this season after ankle surgery in November. Edman during Dodgers Fest on Saturday said he’s about two and a half weeks removed from wearing a walking boot and is just now ramping up his baseball activity. What’s important is if Edman can avoid being limited by the ankle, which prevented him from playing center field often in 2025.

The ankle has limited Edman at the plate as well. He has a .280 on-base percentage in 530 plate appearances since joining the Dodgers, with an 85 wRC+. But he’s still been valuable to the tune of 2.0 WAR by both Baseball Reference and FanGraphs over that time, thanks to his versatility and plus defense. He has a 103 wRC+ during his two postseasons with Los Angeles, including winning NLCS MVP in 2024.

From 2021-23 with the St. Louis Cardinals, Edman had a 96 wRC+ averaging 150 games, 616 plate appearances, 4.0 bWAR and 3.9 fWAR.

With the Dodgers’ signing of Kyle Tucker to play right field, coupled with Teoscar Hernández in left field and Any Pages in center, Edman might not be needed to play much outfield this season. He figures to see the bulk of his time at second base, where he made 60 of his 90 starts last season. Edman in his career has amassed 28 Outs Above Average and 24 Defensive Runs Saved in his 374 games and 311 starts at second base, where he won a Gold Glove Award in 2021 with the St. Louis Cardinals.

“I love playing second. Obviously I’m very comfortable there,” Edman said on SportsNet LA on Saturday. “I haven’t had direct conversations with [manager Dave Roberts] yet. We’ll see what the roster alignment is, and I guess that I’ll be mostly playing second base. I’ll be ready wherever. That’s kind of been the theme of my career so far.”

Even if Edman doesn’t play much outfield this season, he might still see time around the diamond. Max Muncy had three long injured-list stints over the last two seasons, and over the last four seasons has hit just .165/.281/.375 with an 84 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers. The switch-hitting Edman is a career .273/.314/.495 career hitter with a 118 wRC+ against southpaws. Andy Ibáñez, who signed a one-year deal in January, should also be in the mix at third base and second base against lefties.

Edman could conceivably see time at third base plus occasionally filling in at shortstop and center field as needed, all positions he’s played before. But after playing only 134 games over the last two seasons — Edman also missed the first half of 2024 after wrist surgery — getting something resembling a fully healthy season will be key for this year.

Today’s question is how many games will Tommy Edman play in 2026?

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/daily-question/109407/tommy-edman-dodgers-2026

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers prospect to watch in 2026: Christian Zazueta

ANAHEIM, CA - JUNE 24: Detail view of baseball cap and glove belonging to Ted Lilly #29 of the Los Angeles Dodgers on the right field grass before the interleague game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on June 24, 2012 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jeff Golden/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Christian Zazueta is coming off a breakout season in 2025, posting a 2.41 ERA in 17 starts, 16 of them for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, with 81 strikeouts and 16 walks in 67 1/3 innings, his 23.8-percent strikeout-minus-walk rate tops among all Dodgers minor league pitchers with at least 50 innings last year.

The right-hander was named a California League All-Star after the season, and won Cal League pitcher of the month for allowing only six runs in his six starts in May, with 31 strikeouts against only five walks in 30 innings. His best start came on June 18 against Lake Elsinore, when Zazueta retired 15 of 16 batters faced with 10 strikeouts in his five scoreless innings.

Acquired from the New York Yankees for lefty reliever Caleb Ferguson in February 2024 — two years ago Wednesday — Zazueta last season won the Branch Rickey Award as the Dodgers minor league pitcher of the year.

Now just 21 years old, Zazueta is rising on various prospect lists this year. He was ranked the seventh-best prospect in the Dodgers system by Eric Longenhagen at FanGraphs in December, with Longhagen noting an ankle sprain and second-half workload management by the Dodgers prevented Zazueta from ranking in an even higher tier.

More from Longenhagen:

The 2026 season is his 40-man platform year, so the Dodgers have incentive to stretch him out to 110-ish innings and push him to Double-A at some point to stress test that slider against better hitters. He’s on pace to make his big league debut in 2027 as a spot starter and then establish himself as key rotation cog in the years beyond. Our grade in this instance leaves room for Zazueta’s fastball velocity and command to improve thanks to his build and athletic traits.

Zazueta was ranked 12th by Baseball America, rated 16th by Baseball Prospectus, and 17th in the system by The Athletic. Kiley McDaniel at ESPN last week ranked Zazueta as the No. 156 prospect in baseball entering 2026, 11th in the Dodgers system.

Thomas Nestico at his TJ Stats newsletter this week had high praise for the minor league right-hander, including him in the “stuff savants” category of prospects he expects to make the top 100 entering 2027.

“Christian Zazueta may be the top pitching prospect in the Dodgers system, combining strong strike throwing with electric stuff,” Nestico wrote. “His fastball sits 93-94 mph with 14 inches of [induced vertical break], a shallow -4.3° [vertical approach angle], and excellent whiff rates, while his slider and changeup round out a prototypical three-pitch starter mix.”

Zazueta made one shortened (one-inning) start for High-A Great Lakes in August to end his 2025 season, so it’s likely that’s where he starts this season.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-angeles-dodgers-prospects/109475/dodgers-christian-zazueta

 

[Zedster]

Spring training coming up is always a nice time of year. Good to see the baseball calendar getting back into motion.

That Zazueta kid sounds like he could be something special. A 23.8% K-BB rate at his age is pretty impressive, and the fact that he's climbing prospect lists after just one real breakout season says a lot. The Dodgers development machine continues to churn out interesting arms.

The WBC insurance situation is frustrating to read about, honestly. Rojas makes a fair point about the optics of which players seem to get denied most often. I get that teams need to protect their investments, but there's something that doesn't sit right about players being unable to represent their home countries in what's supposed to be a celebration of international baseball. At least Ohtani will be there hitting for Japan, even if he can't pitch.

As for the Edman question - I'd guess somewhere around 120-130 games if he stays reasonably healthy. The ankle has clearly been nagging him, and the Dodgers have enough depth that they don't need to run him out there every single day. Second base seems like the right spot for him with Tucker now in the outfield mix. That lineup is going to be absolutely stacked if everyone stays on the field.

Looking forward to seeing how Roberts slots everyone in. Ohtani leading off, Betts third, Smith fifth... that's a lot of firepower before you even get to the middle of the order.

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Who is your favorite underrated Dodger?

LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 30: A detail shot of the main entrance to Dodger Stadium prior to Game One of the National League Wild Card Series between the Cincinnati Reds and the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Star players are exciting to watch, no doubt, but baseball seasons are long, and there is plenty of time to build up an affection for just about every type of player.

Miguel Rojas is entering his 13th and final major league season, before he transitions into a front office role with the Dodgers. He’s never made an All-Star team, but was a dependable regular at shortstop for five years with the Miami Marlins before returning to Los Angeles in more of a reserve role over the last three seasons.

Rojas had done everything that’s been asked of him, including playing all over the infield and even helping tutor star Mookie Betts or then-rookie Miguel Vargas about the finer points of middle infield play. Rojas isn’t a star, but he’ll be remembered forever for his game-tying home run in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the 2025 World Series.

“It’s coming on your feed every single day. You’re seeing the homer, you’re seeing the plays, you’re seeing the whole series,” Rojas said on SportsNet LA during Dodgers Fest on Saturday. “And then the feedback from the people on the streets. When they come to you and say, ‘That was the most memorable World Series,’ ‘That was the best game I’ve ever seen,’ it’s really impactful, because you were part of something really cool in baseball. That’s a moment you will never forget.”

The home run by Rojas to me was similar to that of catcher Mike Scioscia in Game 4 of the 1988 NLCS. Down 4-2 in the ninth inning against Mets ace Dwight Gooden, the Dodgers were three outs away from a 3-1 series deficit against a 100-win team. But after a leadoff walk, Scioscia jumped on a first-pitch fastball for a game-tying home run that was so shocking even Al Michaels on ABC noted that Scioscia to that point hit only 35 home runs in his nine-year career, while Scioscia was still rounding the bases.

Rojas has 57 regular season home runs in his 12 years to date. Scioscia made two All-Star teams with the Dodgers so perhaps he doesn’t fall into the underrated or unheralded category.

Eric Karros never made an All-Star team, but is generally well-regarded as the Dodgers’ home run leader since moving to Los Angeles, and is still broadcasting games for the team on television from time to time. I’m not sure he is underrated, but maybe he is. To each their own.

There can be many reasons for having an affinity for a non-star player. Maybe it was a specific moment from a game you watched as a kid. Maybe they have a penchant for earning three-inning saves. Who knows?

Today’s question is who is your favorite underrated or unheralded Dodgers player, past or present, and why?

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/daily-question/109434/underrated-dodgers

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers spring training preview: Infield

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 28: Mookie Betts #50, Freddie Freeman #5, Max Muncy #13 and Tommy Edman #25 of the Los Angeles Dodgers look on during a Zoom Replay Review in the seventh inning of Game Four of the 2025 World Series presented by Capital One between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, October 28, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Dodgers spring training officially begins next week at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona, so let’s take a look at the roster heading into camp. We’ll start first with the infielders, the deepest (and oldest) group on the team among position players.

Dodgers infielders hit .257/.332/.422 as a group in 2025, easily outpacing the outfielders at .240/.299/.415. The team upgraded heavily in the latter in signing Kyle Tucker, while the infielders are mostly the same group in 2026.

40-man roster infielders​

• Freddie Freeman 1B
• Tommy Edman 2B/SS/3B/CF
• Mookie Betts SS
• Max Muncy 3B
• Miguel Rojas IF
• Hyeseong Kim 2B/SS/CF
• Alex Freeland SS/3B/2B

Things to watch​

Will Mookie Betts find his bat? That Betts transformed from a longtime Gold Glove-winning outfielder into a capable major league shortstop defensively was remarkable, and kept him quite valuable even as his offense waned. Betts hit .258/.326/.406 with a 104 wRC+, worsts across the board in his 12-year career, in a season that began with a stomach virus that depleted his weight in March. Betts at Dodgers Fest on Saturday talked about his offseason plan to re-find his mojo at the plate.

Tommy Edman’s ankle: Edman had right ankle surgery in November, and his readiness for opening day might be in question. But there’s hope that the season as a whole will be healthier after being bothered by the ankle over the last year and a half, and playing only 134 games combined over the last two seasons. With Tucker on board, Edman’s time will probably be mostly spent on the dirt in 2026, playing second base for the bulk of his time.

Platoon at third base? Max Muncy missed significant time with injuries over the last two seasons, starting 162 games. That left time for eight other players to combine for the other 162 starts over the hot corner in 2024-25. Since the start of 2022, Muncy against left-handed pitchers has hit .165/.281/.375 with an 84 wRC+, with seasonal OPS of .679, .642, .743, and .594 against same-handed pitchers.

This might have been a role for Andy Ibáñez, who signed a one-year deal on January 13 (before Tucker signed) to likely mash lefties, with a career 115 wRC+ against southpaws. But he was designated for assignment on Tuesday. Miguel Rojas, who has a 121 wRC+ against lefties over the last two seasons, started 20 games at third base in 2025.

What role for Hyeseong Kim? The signee out of the KBO last season was exceptional defensively at second base but was overmatched at the plate down the stretch, ending at .280/.314/.385 with a 95 wRC+ and 30.6-percent strikeout rate after a hot start. Kim’s best opportunity at playing time probably rests in the fact that the ages of those above him on the depth chart are 36, 31, 33, 35, and 37 years old.

Welcome back, Kiké? It seemed highly likely that human security blanket Kiké Hernández would return once again to the Dodgers eventually this offseason. But with Ibáñez now out, a Hernández return seems even more inevitable. He might miss time at the beginning of the season after left elbow surgery in November, but as long as he’s healthy ready by October it’ll be fine. Hernández signed with the Dodgers on or after the first day of spring training camp in each of the last two seasons, if you’re wondering about the timing.

W-B-Seeya: Kim is the lone Dodgers infielder headed to the World Baseball Classic, which will keep him out of spring camp for at least two weeks or so. He’ll represent Korea in the WBC, which begins pool play in Tokyo on March 5.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-angeles-dodgers-news-notes/109486/dodgers-spring-training-infield

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Shohei Ohtani and Dodgers home run history

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 31: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers talks to the fans during Dodger Fest at Dodger Stadium on January 31, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Shohei Ohtani signed the largest contract in baseball history at the time in December 2023, and in his first two years in Los Angeles has won two championships, won two MVP awards, and set two Dodgers single-season home run records.

Ohtani’s 54 home runs in 2024 were five more than Shawn Green’s previous franchise mark set 22 years prior. Then in 2025, Ohtani added one more to his total, to date the only player in MLB history to hit exactly 55 home runs in a season.

That brings us to another Dodgers record that is well within reach for Ohtani in 2026.

Most home runs in a 3-year span, Dodgers​

• Duke Snider (1954-56) 125
• Duke Snider (1955-57) 125
• Duke Snider (1953-55) 124
• Shawn Green (2000-02) 115
• Gary Sheffield (1999-2001) 113
• Cody Bellinger (2017-19) 111
• Shawn Green (2001-03) 110
• Shohei Ohtani (2024-25) 109

Only four Dodgers — covering seven total spans — have hit more home runs in a three-year span than Ohtani hit in his first two seasons.

He’s already 31st in Dodgers history with his 109 home runs, and he’s only played two years for them.

Ohtani needs only 17 home runs in 2026 to set a Dodgers records for most homers in a three-year span. If he has another year anywhere close to his last two seasons, more rarefied air is in play.

Six Dodgers have three or more consecutive seasons of 30 or more home runs: Gil Hodges five years (1950-54), Duke Snider five years (1953-57), Mike Piazza (1995-97), Eric Karros (1995-97), Raúl Mondesi (1997-99), and Gary Sheffield (1999-2001).

Snider, who hit at least 40 home runs in five straight years from 1953-57, is the only Dodger with more than two seasons of 40 home runs.

Ohtani hit 46, 34, and 44 home runs in his final three years with the Angels, giving him 233 home runs over the last five seasons, an average of just shy of 47 per year. His projections for this season are in that same area:

• ZiPS: 52 home runs
• OOPSY: 50 HR
• THE BAT: 47 HR
• Marcel: 44 HR
• Steamer: 44 HR

Today’s question is how many home runs with Shohei Ohtani hit in 2026?

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/daily-question/109494/shohei-ohtani-dodgers-home-run-history

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers spring training plans in 2026?

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - JANUARY 07: A general aerial view of Camelback Ranch on January 07, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. The stadium is the spring training home of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox. (Photo by Kirby Lee/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Spring training officially starts next week, with Dodgers pitchers and catchers holding their first workout at Camelback Ranch in Arizona on Friday, February 13, and the first full-squad workout on February 17.

Backfield workouts are open to fans, though there are some areas that are more out of reach to the public. A more traditional fan experience begins with the Dodgers’ Cactus League schedule starting on Saturday, February 21 in Tempe against the Angels. The Dodgers’ first game at Camelback Ranch is Monday, February 23 against the Mariners.

With no trip overseas to begin the regular season more than a week early, the Dodgers will have a more traditional spring training this season, with the Arizona portion of their camp running for a little more than five weeks, through March 21.

My first trip to spring training was in 2006, when the Dodgers still trained at Vero Beach. At my old job, we had a conference in Miami, and I flew out a day early to drive to see Holman Stadium for the first time, a great way to spend my 30th birthday. My one regret is that I didn’t take more time to roam the grounds at Vero Beach. I didn’t have a ton of time, and after a red-eye flight and two-plus-hour drive to the stadium I was more tired than I expected.

I’ve been to Camelback Ranch quite a bit, as their first year there coincided with my first season writing about the team, and have quite a few fond memories of going to Arizona.

Today’s question is are you going to spring training this year?

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/daily-question/109521/dodgers-spring-training-plans

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Clayton Kershaw dominates in first playoff outing as a Cy Young winner

Oct 3, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) reacts after the third inning against the Atlanta Braves of game one of the National League divisional series playoff baseball game at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Repetition is the root of commonality, but there was actually a time when the Dodgers weren’t seen as the prohibitive favorites heading into every playoff series. The stage was quite different back in 2013. Largely propelled by first-year impactful performances from Yasiel Puig and Zack Greinke, a Dodgers squad without the depth we’ve grown accustomed to returned to the postseason for the first time in four years to play a 96-win Braves team. After a playoff hiatus towards the end of the Brian Cox tenure, Atlanta was making the postseason for the third time in the last four years and was the more experienced team.

One big advantage the Dodgers had over the Braves in that particular series was in the form of high-end starting pitching. While Atlanta had a very successful campaign with the likes of Julio Teheran, Mike Minor, and Kris Medlen — the latter faced Clayton Kershaw in Game 1. Los Angeles had two established aces and a number three in Hyun Jin-Ryu that rivaled any team in that period. Now, the depth after those three was very shaky, which led Kershaw to start Game 4 on short rest even though Los Angeles had the lead in the series, but that’s getting ahead of ourselves.

Back then, when pitchers still hit, the Braves only trailed the Rockies in slugging percentage among National League teams, finishing the year at .402. Those numbers were a bit worse against southpaws, which made sense given how lefty-heavy that Braves team was at the top, with the likes of Freddie Freeman, Jason Heyward, and Brian McCann.

On the road, against a tough opponent, and at the height of his powers, coming off what would be crowned his second Cy Young win in the last three years, Kershaw dominated in a manner that we don’t even see from the aces these days, pushed well beyond the currently acceptable levels, finishing his outing with a whopping 124 pitches.

Setting the tone early, Kershaw finished the opening frame with bookend strikeouts against Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman, utilizing that patented down-and-away slider to lefties to punch out Heyward and then blowing a heater by Freeman. Back then, the Kershaw had an easy 95-mph heater he could turn to, something he had to adapt to being without for the second half of his career.

Scoring in every inning between the second and fourth, the Dodgers took a commanding 5-0 lead that felt insurmountable with Kershaw on the mound, particularly with a couple of shutdown frames in the second and third. Trailing 5-1, the Braves had an opportunity to get back into things with Andrelton Simmons up, two on and two out, but once again, that slider bailed him out. Kershaw threw a down-and-in breaking ball to the Braves’ shortstop, who couldn’t help but swing on top of it, thus ending the threat.

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Kershaw would leave that game with 12 punchouts, which would remain his career high in the postseason for many years until a marvelous eight-inning performance against the Brewers in 2020, in which he recorded 13 Ks, eventually helping the Dodgers win their first championship that year.

Starting a trend that would remain for the better part of Kershaw’s prime, the Dodgers’ ace was called upon to pitch on three days rest in Game 4 of this series, as the Dodgers hoped to avoid having to go back to Atlanta for a Game 5. Holding his own as he would routinely do in such instances, Kershaw tossed six strong with two unearned runs in a game ultimately decided in the late innings by a Juan Uribe go-ahead homer.

That Dodgers team faltered in the NLCS, but for where it was in its contention window, it had a decent run, and if it even got as far as the NLCS, it owed a lot of it to Kershaw, who played a humongous role in this series against an equally strong Braves team.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-rewind/109387/clayton-kershaw-dodgers-2013-nlds

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Ben Rortvedt back with Dodgers, who DFA Anthony Banda

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 18: Anthony Banda #43 talks with Ben Rortvedt #47 of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the eighth inning of play against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on September 18, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The long and winding road of the Ben Rortvedt offseason boomerang has returned once again to Los Angeles. The Dodgers claimed the catcher off waivers from the Reds, the inverse of what happened way back on November 12. To make room for Rortvedt on the 40-man roster, pitcher Anthony Banda was designated for assignment.

Cincinnati designated Rortvedt for assignment on Tuesday when they finalized a one-year deal for slugger Eugenio Suárez.

Rortvedt has played in the majors of four of the last five seasons (2021, 2023-25) for the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, and Dodgers. Los Angeles acquired the catcher in a three-team trade on July 31, when Rortvedt was off the 40-man roster.

With injuries to both Will Smith and Dalton Rushing in September, Rortvedt not only found his way back to the majors but also started 15 of the Dodgers’ final 21 regular season games behind the plate. He also started the first four postseason games for Los Angeles until Smith was ready to return from a broken hand, and Rortvedt remained active for the entirety of the postseason.

Rortvedt signed a $1.25 million deal for 2026 in November to avoid salary arbitration, and per the collective bargaining agreement all such deals for arbitration-eligible players outside of a hearing are guaranteed.

Rortvedt is out of minor league options, having used options from 2021-23, so the Dodgers will be in the same boat with him as before if Smith and Rushing are both healthy and active come opening day, as expected. The Dodgers tried to get Rortvedt through waivers in November, hoping to keep him around as catching depth off the 40-man roster, before the Reds claimed him.

Banda also avoided salary arbitration this winter, signing a one-year, $1.625 million contract in January. Banda is used to bouncing around, having pitched for seven major league teams in his first seven seasons before finding some semblance of stability in the Dodgers bullpen.

The veteran Banda is also out of options, though that didn’t hinder him from sticking around and pitching in important games over the last two seasons.

In 2024-25 in Los Angeles, Banda had a 3.14 ERA and 3.46 xERA in 119 games, with 111 strikeouts and 52 walks in 114 2/3 innings, his best two seasons by ERA, games, innings, and strikeouts. The left-hander was a workhorse in the last two postseason, pitching in 17 of the Dodgers’ 33 games.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-roster/109639/ben-rortvedt-anthony-banda-dodgers

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Athletics claim Andy Ibáñez off waivers from Dodgers

Sep 20, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Detroit Tigers second baseman Andy Ibanez (77) hits a run-scoring single in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Andy Ibáñez experience with the Dodgers lasted all of 24 days. The A’s claimed the veteran infielder off waivers on Friday, just three days after Ibáñez was bumped off the 40-man roster in Los Angeles.

Ibáñez was designated for assignment on Tuesday when the Dodgers claimed outfielder Michael Siani in one of his many waiver transactions this winter.

The Dodgers signed Ibáñez to a one-year, $1.2 million contract on January 13, more than a week before they landed Kyle Tucker. While that might not seem as relevant considering Tucker is an outfielder and Ibáñez is an infielder, adding Tucker essentially gives the Dodgers three mostly-everyday outfielders, which probably means utility man Tommy Edman spending more time on the infield instead of going back and forth between second base and center field.

That meant fewer opportunities for Ibáñez, who has played mostly second and third base throughout his career.

There might be more opportunities for playing time in Sacramento, though the A’s this winter also traded for Jeff McNeil and have an infield that already includes first baseman Nick Kurtz and shortstop Jacob Wilson, along with Zack Gelof, who is coming off surgery late last season.

Ibáñez in parts of five seasons with the Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers is a .254/.305/.389 hitter with a 92 wRC+, including .280/.327/.452 with a 115 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers. He turns 33 in April.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-roster/109624/andy-ibanez-waivers-athletics-dodgers

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Clayton Kershaw outlasts Daniel Murphy to stave off elimination

Oct 13, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) reacts after the seventh inning against the New York Mets in game four of the NLDS at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Looking back at the 2015 season, you can’t help but think of what was probably the greatest Cy Young battle in the modern era, as Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, and Jake Arrieta delivered a memorable three-way race, with the award going to the Cubs’ ace. Greinke and Kershaw were the heart and soul of that Dodgers pitching staff, with Greinke making a run at the scoreless innings record still held by Orel Hershiser and Kershaw putting up his only 300-strikeout campaign, the first one baseball had seen since Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling both did it in 2002.

Across their tenure as a one-two punch at the top of the Dodgers’ rotation, Kershaw and Greinke had probably their worst supporting cast that year, with them combining to accumulate 16.1 of the 18.1 bWAR the Dodgers staff had as a whole. Those two and the Dodgers’ staff as a whole met their match in an exciting five-game NLDS against the young and exciting Mets, but in Game 4, Kershaw reminded everyone who was the best in the business.

The upside of having two so dominant arms, particularly in the NLDS, was that if you showed the willingness to pitch one of them on short rest, you could have the two covering four out of the five starts of the series — that’s exactly what the Dodgers did. Finding themselves with their backs against the wall, trailing the series 2-1 and on the road, the Dodgers sent out Kershaw to start Game 4 in Queens, hoping to stay alive to give Greinke the ball back home.

A notorious Met killer in his career, Kershaw had fond memories of his last visit to New York, previously throwing a complete-game shutout against the Mets in 2015—part of an incredible run of form that saw him throw four straight scoreless appearances of eight innings or more. On the flip side, he had just been outdueled by Jacob deGrom in game 1 of this series, putting the Dodgers in this position of a must-win game just to stay alive. Kershaw’s Game 1 line was solid, as the sole blemish on his record through six frames had been a solo shot to Daniel Murphy. After a walk to Curtis Granderson loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, his third walk of that frame, Pedro Báez replaced him only to give up a couple of runs in what turned out to be a 3-1 loss with deGrom dominating on the other side of it.

While the individual numbers and the subsequent loss were disappointing, Kershaw did pitch well that night, including securing 11 strikeouts, and with a little more efficiency, he’d be able to limit a Mets offense riding on the backs of a Daniel Murphy’s hot stretch that did go down in Mets history. More importantly, he faced Steven Matz in Game 4 and not deGrom, who alongside Kershaw became the first duo of starters to both strike out 11 or more batters in a postseason game.

If we can point to Báez, perhaps letting Kershaw down by allowing those two pivotal insurance runs to score in Game 1, for as dominant as Kershaw was on short rest in Game 4, the outlook might’ve been completely different if not for Justin Turner. The Dodgers’ starting third baseman not only got one of the biggest hits of the game in a 3-1 win, with a double that drove in two, but the final out came on a terrific defensive play from him. Wilmer Flores was up with one on and two out in the seventh, and grounded one to third base that was headed down the line if not for a terrific diving stop from Turner.

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The storylines are written, and then the narrative gets put in to fit whatever happens. This opportunity for the Mets came about in large part because Kershaw mishandled what would’ve inevitably been a tough play to throw out Cespedes on a squibbler towards third. Had the Mets seized this chance, the idea that that play had rattled Kershaw would’ve been in everyone’s minds, true or otherwise, but it didn’t happen. Kershaw got Travis d’Arnaud and Lucas Duda before Turner helped him out with Flores, as we saw above.

Much like in Game 1, Murphy was the biggest problem for Kershaw, as the Mets’ second baseman, previously not known for his power output, was that October hitting like Chase Utley in the 2009 World Series. The Mets’ only run off Kershaw came on a Murphy solo blast in the fourth, turning on a high-heater that caught too much of the plate.

Murphy alone couldn’t beat Kershaw, who managed to keep Yoenis Cespedes and other dangerous Mets hitters quiet throughout the evening.

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Already then, dealing with questions about his postseason performances, coming into that game having lost his last five postseason starts, four of them against the Cardinals, Kershaw completed seven magnificent frames on three days of rest, a little shy of 100 pitches. History doesn’t remember that performance too much because the Dodgers went on to lose Game 5 at home in a brutal fashion, but that doesn’t erase what was done—even back then, performances of that caliber on short rest had long stopped being a regular occurrence, further enhancing the magnitude of this accomplishment.

In fact, Kershaw’s ability and confidence to start on short rest played a role in the decision to have him start Game 1 over Zack Greinke, as the possibility of a short-rest start was acknowledged right from the get-go. One could argue that Kershaw would’ve started Game 1 regardless, as both he and Greinke put up massive seasons; that differentiator between the two certainly helped make the decision easier.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-ange...ords/109350/clayton-kershaw-dodgers-2015-nlds

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

More Dodgers prospect rankings galore

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 31: River Ryan of the Los Angeles Dodgers is interviewed at Dodger Stadium on January 31, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Baseball America rated the Dodgers to have the 13th-best farm system in baseball. Not only is that lower than some other publications ranked Los Angeles this year — second at The Athletic, fourth at ESPN — that’s also rare in recent BA history. It’s the first time the Dodgers’ haven’t been ranked in the top 10 farm systems since 2014, thanks in part to some injuries and also a pitching prospect corps relatively light compared to years past.

“If that seems like an anomaly, it’s because it is,” Josh Norris wrote. “The 2026 season marks the first time since 2001 that BA’s preseason Top 100 has not included a Dodgers pitching prospect.”

Jackson Ferris was among the 10 players just outside the top 100 at Baseball America. Of the five main national outlets to unveil a prospect ranking, River Ryan is the only one to show up on a top-100 list, ranked No. 55 by Keith Law at The Athletic.

Alex Freeland wasn’t included among the five Dodgers in the top 101 prospects at Baseball Prospectus this week, but he was listed Thursday as one of 10 prospects who just missed being included.

“He’s turned himself into a pretty good shortstop, can play all over the infield, and should be around an average hitter,” Jeffrey Paternostro wrote. “It’s not exciting, but it is effective.”

Freeland was also ranked the 87th-best prospect at The Athletic, and was ranked 103rd by ESPN.

Baseball Prospectus on Friday rated the Dodgers as the top farm system in baseball based on tremendous prospect depth.

“if you are the kind of person whose knees shake every time you see a hitting prospect’s z-contact drop below 83% in the minors, this is not going to be the system for you,” Paternostro wrote. “But just about every prospect here hits the ball very hard, and enough of them will keep doing it that the decade-plus of success might just stretch into two.”

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-links/109543/dodgers-prospect-rankings-2026