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Mar 05, 2024

Hot Shots: Analyzing the Los Angeles Dodgers —The Model Organization in the MLB

August 31, 2023 by Justin Rodriguez Transparency Item: The views expressed in this article are the opinions of the writer. From 2013 to 2020, the Los Angeles Dodgers were NL West Division Champions,

August 31, 2023 by Justin Rodriguez

Transparency Item: The views expressed in this article are the opinions of the writer.

From 2013 to 2020, the Los Angeles Dodgers were NL West Division Champions, losing the title in 2021 to the unexpectedly scrappy San Francisco Giants by one game. They quickly reclaimed the title in 2022 and are this season’s favorites to land the 2023 National League West Division title with a 99% chance to win the NL West, according to FanGraphs.

Around the baseball world, many fans accuse the Dodgers of “buying their way to championships.” This isn’t the case at all.

Between the Dodgers’ elite-level scouting, finding diamonds in the rough and reviving player’s careers, the true factor for the Dodgers’ success is player development.

Revived Careers

The Dodgers built a reputation for being a “cheating lab,” according to Twitter.

In other words, the Dodgers are notorious for bringing in washed-up, veteran players and somehow making them good again. This season, the Dodgers turned around two well-known veterans in the game: RHP Lance Lynn and OF Jason Heyward.

The Dodgers acquired Lynn from the Chicago White Sox this season, according to the MLB. In the first half of the season, Lynn posted mediocre numbers, an ERA —Earned Run Average —of 6.47 and a WHIP —Walks/Hits/Innings Pitched —1.462 with a 6-9 record in 21 games started, according to Baseball Reference.

Since joining the Dodgers, Lynn has had a complete season turnaround, posting an ERA of 1.44 and a WHIP of .880 with a clean 3-0 record in four games started since the trade, according to Baseball Reference. Lynn even mentions the effect of joining the Dodger blue in a Sports Illustrated article, stating how playing for the Dodgers is a “rebirth” in his career.

The Atlanta Braves drafted Heyward in the 14th pick in the 2007 MLB Amateur draft, where he rose to fame, coming in 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting and jumped to the No. 1 Baseball prospect in 2009, according to the Bleacher report. His career then saw a steep decline after 2015, and in 2021-22 he was hitting below .215 with an OPS average of .606 and WAR average of -0.2, according to Baseball Reference.

However, since putting on that Dodger blue,Heyward is not only playable, but he has displayed MLB-caliber offensive production for his team. In 239 at-bats, Heyward is hitting .244, has an OPS of .797 and a WAR of 1.1, according to Baseball Reference

Those aren’t flashy numbers, but considering the production Heyward has put up over the last two years, it’s not crazy to believe the Dodgers changed him.

Diamonds in the Rough

Besides veteran players, the Dodgers have been known to find gems in very unexpected places.

Three well-known and deeply loved Dodgers today were once nobodies. Those players are UTL Kiké Hernández, UTL Chris Taylor and INF Max Muncy.

On December 10, 2014, the Dodgers swung an 8-player deal with the Miami Marlins and Los Angeles Angels, which landed the Dodgers Hernández from the Marlins. In 2014, Hernández had an OPS of .742 and 0.8 WAR, according to Baseball Reference.

In 2015, his first full year with the Dodgers, Hernández slashed an OPS of .836, with a WAR of 1.7. He would be a name stay in Los Angeles for the next five seasons before spending time in Boston and then coming back home for the remainder of the 2023 season.

On June 19, 2016, the Dodgers acquired Taylor from the Seattle Mariners, according to MLB Trade Rumors. Taylor saw minimum playing time in Seattle, and in 2017, his first year with the Dodgers, Taylor gathered an OPS of .850, with a WAR of 4.4.

In that same year, Taylor shared the National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award with teammate 3B Justin Turner helping lead the Dodgers to a World Series appearance, according to the MLB —the first since 1988, according to the MLB.

The Oakland Athletics released Muncy after 2016 spring training, and signed with the Dodgers on April 27, 2017,to a minor league contract, according to Tru Blue LA. Muncy debuted for Los Angeles in 2018, where he had an OPS of .973 in 395 at-bats with the Dodgers, adding up to a WAR of 4.3.

Over his career with the Dodgers, Muncy got MVP votes in 2018, 2019 and 2021 while being an All-Star in 2019 and 2021, according to Baseball Reference.

These three players won a World Series with Los Angeles in 2020 and appeared in three World Series altogether in 2017, 2018 and 2020, according to Baseball Reference.

They were not Hall of Famers, but these were guys on their way out of the MLB before the Dodgers came along and gave them a chance. The question now is how?

What’s The Deal?

The final factor to the Dodgers’ run at success is their ability to scout and develop prospects into not only MLB-caliber but All-Star-caliber players.

Over the past 10 years, the Dodgers have scouted, drafted and developed 10 prospects into All-Stars. A couple include LHP Clayton Kershaw (‘13-’17, ‘19, ‘23), SS Corey Seager (‘16, ‘17, ‘22, ‘23) and OF Cody Bellinger (‘17, ‘19), according to the MLB.

The fact that the majority of the Dodgers team is homegrown adds to the level of chemistry among the players.

The Athletic touches on this in an article analyzing the difference between the Dodgers and Padres in 2023. Ken Rosenthal writes 10 players on the Dodgers are homegrown, and three of them were a part of multiple World Series appearances with Los Angeles.

On top of winning the division nearly every year, they have the current sixth-best farm system in the league with the eighth-best farm system of the 2010s, according to the MLB.

It’s safe to say the Dodgers have a winning formula — one I’m sure many wish to copy — and it’sa formula I doubt the Dodgers will stray away from anytime soon.

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Contact Justin Rodriguez via email: [email protected]

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