The Dodgers will most likely have the NL MVP this year. Ohtani had a historic season. His only real competition came from Francisco Lindor during the Mets push to the playoffs. 54 homers, 130 driven in, 59 stolen bases. Just an unreal season. And he hasn’t even pitched yet. If he does get the award, he will be the 13th Dodger so honored. Campanella is the only multiple MVP winner in Dodger history. He won 3, 51-53-55. Brooklyn winners, Jake Daubert, 1913, Dazzy Vance, 1923, Dolph Camilli, 1941, Jackie Robinson, 1949, and Don Newcombe, 1956. LA winners, Wills 62, Koufax 63, Garvey 74, Gibson 88, Kershaw, 2014 and Bellinger 2019.
The awards season is always fun to watch and speculate on who will take home the various awards. Outside of Ohtani, the Dodgers do not have many candidates for any of the major awards. This is mainly due to the number of injuries the team had to deal with throughout the season. As a result, none of their pitchers piled up sufficient innings and stats to be considered for the Cy Young or Rolaids relief award.
The Dodgers got the big prize, the World Series win, this is the one trophy the fans feel like they are a part of. But just for fun, I am going to look back on some of the winners in Dodger history. One category they lead in by a bunch is Rookie of the Year. They also had a stretch where they had four consecutive ROYs, and then another when they had five in a row. They also had the first ever ROY, Jackie Robinson, and now the award is named for him. They also had four of the first seven ROYs. Robinson, Newcombe, Black and Gilliam.
LA’s first ROY was Frank Howard in 1960. Since then, Lefebvre 65, Sizemore 69, Sutcliffe 79, Howe 80, Valenzuela 81, Sax 82, Karros 92, Piazza 93, Mondesi 94, Nomo 95, Hollandsworth 96, Seager 2016, and Bellinger 2017. Since 2017, most of the rookies have been on the mound. Rookies on the 18 squad did not get chances to be starters. Even when Seager went down, they ended up trading for Machado.
In 2019, the two rookies who played the most were Verdugo, who played in 104 games, and Will Smith. Matt Beaty was also a rookie then, but as a utility player, he did not see regular time at any position. Smith came up and made an immediate impact in his 54 games. But neither he nor Verdugo garnered any ROY votes. In 2023, James Outman would finish 3rd in the ROY voting.
Don Newcombe was the only Cy Young winner in Brooklyn. He also won the MVP award that year. First Dodger pitcher to do that. Koufax and Kershaw would also earn both awards, Sandy in 63, and Kersh in 2014. Koufax has 3 Cy Youngs, 63-65-66. Drysdale in 62, Mike Marshall in 74, Valenzuela in 81, also the only player to win ROY and Cy Young in the same year. Hershiser 88, Gagne in 03, and Kersh in 11-13-14. In 2015, Greinke finished 2nd and Kershaw 3rd. Kersh finished 2nd in 2017 and Scherzer was 3rd in 21. Buehler finished 3rd in 19 behind Ryu who was 2nd.
Batting titles for Dodger players have been few and far between. Brooklyn had nine of them. LA has had 3, and one of those, Trea Turner in 21, did most of his work with the Nationals. Turner did not join the Dodgers until August 7th. At that time, he was hitting .321. He would finish at .328 and win the title. During his 52-game stint with LA, he hit .338 with 10 homers and 28 driven in. He stole 11 bases in LA and also won the stolen base crown and he had the most hits in the league. He finished 3rd in the MVP voting.
Tommy Davis, who won back-to-back batting titles in 62-63 is the only other LA Dodger to win a batting title. Norm Larker finished 2nd to Dick Groat in 1960. Jake Daubert won 2 in Brooklyn. Wheat, O’Doul, Reiser, Dixie Walker, Jackie Robinson and Carl Furillo were the other batting leaders. Likewise there have only been seven HR champs for the Dodgers. Fournier in 24, Camilli in 41, Snider in 56, Green in 01, Beltre in 04, Kemp in 11 and Ohtani this year.
Three Dodgers have won the pitching triple crown, ERA, Wins, Strikeouts, Dazzy Vance, Kershaw and Koufax, who won it three times. No Dodger has ever won the batting triple crown. No NL player has won it since Joe Medwick in 1937. Last AL player to win one was Miguel Cabrera in 2014. Ohtani missed by 4 points, .314-.310. 26 different players have earned Gold Gloves. The team has 39 as a whole. 14 of the 39 have been won by first basemen, with Parker getting 6.
They have 21 different players with Silver Slugger Awards. That should go up by at least 1 this year. They have 31 total Silver Slugger Awards as a team. Mike Piazza has the most, 5. Nine different players have been World Series MVPs with Koufax the only player with more than one. Four players have been All-Star game MVPs. Wills, Sutton, Garvey and Piazza. Eleven Dodgers earned Comeback Player of the Year awards, the last being Nomar in 2006.
Kenley Jansen, 16-17 is the only reliever to win the Trevor Hoffman reliever award, Kershaw and Garvey have won the Roberto Clemente Award. Lasorda, twice, and Roberts, 2016 were NL managers of the year. Sporting News Manager of the year, Durocher, 39, Alston, 55-59-63, Roberts, 2016. Associated Press Manage of the year: Alston 59-65-66-74, Lasorda 77-81-83-88.
RBI leaders: Nine, last one, Ohtani, 24, Doubles: Four, Freddie with 59 in 22 the last one. Runs Scored: Thirteen. Surprisingly, Duke Snider is the only one who led more than once. Freddie and Mookie tied in 22 and Ohtani led this year. Nine RBI leaders, again, no one more than once. Eighteen times they have had a stolen base leader, Wills did it six times. Sixteen triples’ leaders with Lux being the latest in 22.
Twenty times Dodger pitchers have led the league in ERA. Koufax did it five straight years 62-66. Four saves’ leaders, Jansen the last in 17. Twenty-one strikeout leaders. Vance won the crown seven years in a row 1922-28. Koufax still holds the NL record with 382. Kersh was the last leader in 2015 when he struck out 301. Finally, they have had twenty leaders in wins. Last one was Urias in 21.
Ove the next couple of weeks we will see who adds hardware to their collection. I believe there will be a Silver Slugger or two, and Ohtani should be a shoo in for the MVP. Roberts will get some serious consideration for Manager of the Year.
Born June 14th, 1948, in Los Angeles California. AKA The Bear
Ohtani is a lock for MVP.
Judge is a lock in the AL.
Doc had an amazing year and has my vote for Manager of the Year. We all had moments when we questioned some of his in-game decisions, especially with the bullpen. There were lots of amateur comments about Doc saving bullpen pieces in games we trailed in the playoffs. Some semi-pro managers wanted to empty the chamber in close games when we trailed. Doc and the staff’s insight and good judgement prevailed and we played it perfectly.
It’s really extraordinary to win a World Series with 3 starting pitchers who had their moments but didn’t dominate.
The move that I finally bought into, was the concept of match-ups for the bullpen. That is a commitment to sticking with a new philosophy instead of having a pitcher for the 7th, 8th and a closer. Seeing Kopech in the 5th inning would have previously been a head scratcher. It makes a true closer for the 9th inning role, unnecessary. We don’t need an Edwin Diaz.
That worked with this team and these arms to a tee. No more worrying about Kenley Jansen getting his feelings hurt, if he wasn’t the closer.
The trick is obviously choreographing the match-ups using scouting and data.
I acquired a new appreciation for this strategy……because it works.
At least it did with this team.
Doc stuck with it, sold it to the players and won a World Series, with a lot of great execution by the players put in those situations.
All the previous second guessing and criticism is in the past and Doc deserves to be Manager of the Year for 2024.
Bregman had bone chips removed from his elbow and Adames says he is willing to move from SS. How about playing third for LA>?
Per Ardaya:
The Dodgers are planning to move Mookie Betts back to the infield, Brandon Gomes said today.
Per Heyman:
Marlins are close to hiring a new manager. Dodgers 1B coach Clayton McCullough remains in the mix.
right now with Mookie at 2nd:
1. Ohtani DH
2. Betts 2B
3. Freeman 1B
4. Smith C
5. Muncy 3B
6. Pages RF
7. Rushing LF
8. Edman CF
9. Rojas SS
right now with Betts at SS:
1. Ohtani DH
2. Betts SS
3. Freeman 1B
4. Smith C
5. Muncy 3B
6. Pages RF
7. Lux 2B
8. Rushing LF
9. Edman CF
That is big news about Betts moving back to the infield. I have to believe it will be at second base, thus making Gavin Lux expendable. Although I love Edman in center field, I have to believe he has more value to the team with his ability to play multiple positions. So, I think they will sign at least one free agent outfielder, a starting pitcher, and retool the bullpen. We already know Hudson is done, Treinen and Kelly are free agents. I would love to see LA sign, Tanner Scott. MLBTR seems to think they will go after former Brave, AJ Minter. It is going to be a very interesting offseason. And this year, they open the season in Japan. How many think they will start Ohtani and Yamamoto in that series? Or, if Sasaki is posted, how about him>?
If Lux.gets traded what do they want in return? CF,SS,LH Pitcher, Pitchers with options? Packaging Lux with players like Knack, Miller,Grove and Cartaya could bring back one good player and open roster spots to reserve for Kershaw, and players that need protecting from Rule 5 Draft, plus Sasaki etc
Friedman also tries to exchange depth pitchers who are running out of options for new ones. Those players we could trade would be starters for many teams and help them rebuild.
Dodgers need to resign Kike and cut Taylor loose. I know, I know, probably not gong to happen. But it should.
Lux is the former #2 prospect in the game who’s still young, has shown a nice skillset, and has shown he’s a quality defender at 2b.
I’d think a fair return for him is a young, talented but not yet proven outfielder who we may be able to maximize the talent out of. An outfielder version, or a pitcher version, of Gavin Lux is what I’d guess his value is.
And I’ve been a huge Lux supporter, but I’m also of the opinion he needs to get out of LA to really maximize his talent, and if Mookie takes over 2b, he has no spot on this team.
So ship him elsewhere, and let Friedman and Co. get a young, talented outfielder or arm that also may need a change of scenery.
Per Plunkett:
Clayton Kershaw confirmed on Instagram that he had foot and toe surgeries as scheduled on Wednesday. Thanked the doctors for “fixing them!”
“Planning to crush some rehab and be good as can be next year. Thanks for all the prayers and support! World Series champs!”
per Baseball America:
The top 19-year-old hitters in the minors this season according to our Hit+ metric?
The list is loaded 😳
1. Kevin McGonigle, @tigers
2. Josue De Paula, @Dodgers
3. Demetrio Crisantes, @Dbacks
4. Zyhir Hope, @Dodgers
5. Walker Jenkins, @Twins
Per Eno Sarris:
Stuff+ revamp coming soon. Here are the top free agent relievers by new Stuff+
1) Yimi Garcia (!)
2) Clay Holmes
3) Tanner Scott
4) Lucas Sims
5) Tim Hill (!)
6) Kenley Jansen
7) Aaron Bummer
8) Jeff Hoffman
9) Paul Sewald
10) Ryne Stanek
B. Kuntz on the AFL
https://dodgersdigest.com/2024/11/07/dodgers-prospect-notes-sean-mclain-eriq-swan-leading-the-charge-in-arizona-fall-league/
I’m still enjoying the Dodgers’ World Series victory. Going into the playoffs, even with all their position talent, a championship seemed to be out of reach because of the lack of starting pitching. Again.
So many times during the Andrew Friedman years it became frustrating for me with the lack of multiple WS titles. Sure, they had the 2020 Covid title, but it was considered tainted because of the shorten season. The excitement of a World Series was absent with the lack of fans and no celebration parade waiting for the Dodgers and their fans.
Then there was the 2017 stolen WS by the Astros. It always seemed like there was something to keep the Dodgers from carrying on their regular season success in to the postseason. No matter how much money they spent or the addition of quality players, it never seemed to be enough.
Baseball changed the playoff format in 2021 that made it even more difficult for the division winners to have success. With two early exits in 2022 and 2023 after winning 111 and 100 games. I thought, “what the hell does it take to win a World Series”? How much more can they possibility spend? What combination of players was it going to take? Could the Dodger stars be productive with the bat? Will they make a change with Roberts? That was all answered this year.
The starting pitching was a real concern going into the division series with the Padres. One could look at the Padres’ staff and look at the Dodgers’ staff and think that there was a real advantage for the Padres. That proved to be not true. For the most part the Dodger stars did what they were expected to do offensively.
The Dodger starters were effective and gave the team some unexpected innings. The bullpen was the key to the series victory. This formula, for the most part, carried through the rest of the postseason.
Dave Roberts had to be congratulated for his management of the team during the challenging regular season and the path to the World Series championship. With the very limited starting pitching going into the playoffs, I think it gave the front office, Roberts, and the coaches the chance to actually setup the bullpen for each game. The relievers were projected to enter the game depending on the batters to be faced as opposed to a particular inning.
The upper and field management developed a plan with their pitching and the position players. Fortunately, the players did their part to make that plan successful. For the most part the offense had different players stepping up with each game. The only consistent one was Freddie who hit two run HR in the first inning in three straight games. This was after he hit a grand slam to win game one.
The BP was very consistent throughout the playoffs. I wanted to point out the performance of Landon Knack in the bullpen game 4. He went into the game and ate up four innings and allowed Roberts to keep the top relievers for the rest of the series.
So, I was finally able to see what it takes for the Dodgers to finally win a full season World Series. Excellent strategy, the stars producing, the pitching better than expectations, some luck, and poor play by the opposition. That’s a lot to have happen.
On to the 2025 offseason. What AF and the front office is going to do I have no idea. I’ll wait and watch. And, of course, read all the rational ideas here at LA Dodger Chronicles!
Carry on.
Okay this is what the Dodgers need for next year Anthong Santdamalto play rightfield move edman to cebterfield sign Addame at shortstop resign Teoscar and sign Max Fried then you hE Pages and Rushing as bench outfielder and Chris atulor and Rojas and Barnes on the bench. Would rather have KiKi then Taylor but that’s what they should do and Betts plays at secindbase.