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>?
Which one?
But Fred, if we had either Bregman or Adames playing third, where would Max play? 😊
(I’m expecting your answer to be the name of another MLB city)
Granted, there aren’t many guys still on the team from the Houston cheating series, but I just don’t see AF taking a chance on bringing Bregman here.
I’m guessing Adames would really like to play for the Dodgers with big crowds every night and the whole Hollywood celeb scene. He won’t take a lot less to play here, but he might take slightly less (and make it up with his playoff cut every year).
K City. I always want to meet your expectations.
Bregman career K rate is 13% with a career line of
.272.366.483.849
Soto would be fun to watch.
Saw this on MLB Network;
Ohtani powers his swing with left arm whereas a righty hitting from left side more typically powers his swing with his right arm. That doesn’t bode well for a left labrum tear.
I would think that AB, if he hits the market, is much more likely than WA
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
Bluto, I personally see no way Mookie will ever again be the everyday SS. I’m good with him either at 2nd or RF. That completely depends on what deals we make for an outfielder and / or SS. A big name right fielder can move Mookie to 2nd AND we trade Lux. I like that idea.
First and third are covered.
I could live with Edman and Rojas at SS but I will go against the the usual opinion about Edman at SS. He is adequate. I think Rojas is better defensively. But I know the rap on Miggy is his age. And maybe his defense will decline. And maybe not. I haven’t seen that yet. But I am a huge Miggy fan and want him back even as a utility guy and great teammate.
I like Edman better as a centerfielder.
There are too many moves that will dictate everything like a new SS, signing Teoscar and Soto / Robert conversations. And what are we going to see with Pages, who is best suited for rightfield, Outman, Rushing and maybe another youngster who comes out of the woodwork.
I think there could be plenty of surprises ahead.
In your first scenario, I don’t think you could count on miggy making through a whole season, and I hate the idea of Mookie being our everyday SS.
Bluto is WRONG again!
Watford if RIGHT again!
Per Jack Harris:
Other Dodgers news from the GM Meetings:
— Shohei Ohtani’s labrum surgery won’t have any big-picture impact on his pitching, but could push back his pitching timeline this offseason. Means he’s uncertain (if not unlikely) to be ready to pitch by opening day
— It’s a “fair bet” the Dodgers will go with a six-man rotation next year, per Gomes, given Ohtani/Yamamoto’s six-day schedules
— Related: Dodgers will be in the market for starting pitching
— Dodgers other big need is outfielders, especially with Mookie Betts moving to the IF (again I’m bemused by the lack of position specificity.)
— Re-signing Teoscar Hernández, of course, would help address their OF need. Gomes said they will be talking with his camp “ASAP”
— Dodgers will work on a contract extension for manager Dave Roberts (whose current deal is up after next year) but are focusing on the roster first·
— Despite not QO’ing him, Dodgers remain interested in Walker Buehler. Gomes said what he did in the playoffs “does not go lost on us.” But they’re gonna see how his market develops first
— Gomes declined to discuss Roki Sasaki, since he’s still under club control in Japan
What’s the word on Flaherty? He projects 29 starts and 164 innings of 3.7 ERA. He’s 29. Wants to pitch here. We signing him?
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>?