LAD first half leaderboards – sOPS+
Oh look, Justin Turner again. To recap, Justin Turner has the best LAD first half in Batting Average, On-Base Percentage, and sOPS+. In other words, the red-bearded wonder is well on his way to having the greatest offensive season ever by a Los Angeles Dodger.
And I thought he could be replaced!!!!!!!!
This list is punctuated with hitters from our four previous leaderboards, so I’m looking for a new name, and I found a few.
Rick Monday, Ron Cey, Gil Hodges, Yazmani Grandal, Kirk Gibson, Manny Ramirez, and Yasiel Puig (2014 season).
Cody Bellinger barely makes the arbitrary cutoff point of 150.
Player Split Year sOPS+ PA OPS Justin Turner 1st Half 2017 183 274 1.056 Pedro Guerrero 1st Half 1985 181 346 .990 Wally Moon 1st Half 1961 178 296 1.020 Reggie Smith 1st Half 1977 176 352 1.021 Matt Kemp 1st Half 2011 174 384 .982 Gary Sheffield 1st Half 2000 172 368 1.093 Mike Piazza 1st Half 1996 171 336 1.055 Ron Cey 1st Half 1976 168 317 .929 Jim Wynn 1st Half 1974 167 394 .942 Pedro Guerrero 1st Half 1981 165 209 .925 Reggie Smith 1st Half 1980 164 295 .950 Gil Hodges 1st Half 1959 164 287 .971 Billy Grabarkewitz 1st Half 1970 164 341 .944 Mike Piazza 1st Half 1997 163 342 1.004 Nomar Garciaparra 1st Half 2006 160 303 1.004 Yasmani Grandal 1st Half 2015 160 257 .927 Paul Lo Duca 1st Half 2001 158 225 .999 Tommy Davis 1st Half 1962 158 380 .949 Yasiel Puig 1st Half 2014 158 394 .915 Jim Wynn 1st Half 1975 157 360 .900 Shawn Green 1st Half 2002 157 365 .970 Justin Turner 1st Half 2015 156 247 .915 Kirk Gibson 1st Half 1988 155 348 .901 Rick Monday 1st Half 1978 155 233 .908 Manny Ramirez 1st Half 2010 154 216 .937 Pedro Guerrero 1st Half 1983 153 329 .908 Manny Mota 1st Half 1972 153 245 .846 Reggie Smith 1st Half 1978 152 290 .892 Pedro Guerrero 1st Half 1987 151 352 .948 Andre Ethier 1st Half 2010 151 306 .932 Cody Bellinger 1st Half 2017 151 292 .961
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 7/10/2017.
LAD First half leaderboards – Slugging Percentage
Cody Bellinger ranks 3rd at the half in slugging percentage. No surprise that Sheffield and Piazza are one and two. It is rankling that the order is not reversed. That was some trade.
Paul Lo Duca gets an appearance because of my generous criteria of only 200 plate appearances. That doesn’t negate the fact that Lo Duca had one of the great slugging first halves in LAD history. Also, completely unexpected.
Player Split Year SLG PA 2B 3B HR Gary Sheffield 1st Half 2000 .652 368 11 2 27 Mike Piazza 1st Half 1996 .623 336 6 0 24 Cody Bellinger 1st Half 2017 .619 292 15 1 25 Paul Lo Duca 1st Half 2001 .615 225 13 0 14
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 7/10/2017.
LAD First half leaderboards – Home Runs
Was kind of hoping that Cody Bellinger would knock Gary Sheffield off the top of this leaderboard but his prodigious home run power fell off in July. Bellinger ends up tied with Eric Karros for 3rd place with twenty-five home runs.
I wish I could remember the great first half that Karros had in 2000 but I can’t. You’d think that 2000 was one heck of a year with Sheffield hitting 27 and Karros 25 in the same first half. But I guess when everyone was hitting home runs it just doesn’t stand out.
Have to keep in mind that Bellinger did this in only 292 plate appearances.
Davey Lopes is the only middle infielder on this leaderboard. Impressive work.
Joc Pederson remembers when he was the golden boy of Los Angeles.
As I continue to peruse the list I can only come to one conclusion. Eric Karros hit a lot of first half home runs. For a guy who never hit more than 34 home runs in a season, three times he had at least 20 home runs by the all-star break.
Player Split Year HR PA OPS Gary Sheffield 1st Half 2000 27 368 1.093 Shawn Green 1st Half 2002 26 365 .970 Cody Bellinger 1st Half 2017 25 292 .961 Eric Karros 1st Half 2000 25 368 .909 Mike Piazza 1st Half 1996 24 336 1.055 Adrian Beltre 1st Half 2004 22 338 .935 Steve Garvey 1st Half 1977 22 411 .855 Matt Kemp 1st Half 2011 22 384 .982 Pedro Guerrero 1st Half 1985 21 346 .990 Mike Piazza 1st Half 1994 21 343 .927 Jim Wynn 1st Half 1974 21 394 .942 Eric Karros 1st Half 1997 20 372 .841 Davey Lopes 1st Half 1979 20 411 .855 Joc Pederson 1st Half 2015 20 366 .851 Shawn Green 1st Half 2001 20 377 .885 Eric Karros 1st Half 1996 20 346 .799
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 7/10/2017.
LAD first half leaderboards – Batting Average
With so many Dodgers having amazing first halves, we will be displaying the historical significance of those performances.
Justin Turner and Cody Bellinger will populate these boards, but will anyone else show up?
Justin fell from .380 but not only walks away with the best first half batting average, good bet he will be on top for first half OBP and OPS. Mike Piazza was known for his power but even more impressive for Mike was his batting average for a slow catcher. Most of us can remember first half that Nomar had, but can anyone remember the first half that Manny Mota had? I made the cutoff 200 plate appearances which is how Mota got on the list. Nice to see Willie and Tommy Davis join us. The 1962 year for Tommy Davis was normally regarded as the greatest LAD season ever until Mike Piazza showed up.
Player Split Year BA PA H OBP SLG OPS Justin Turner 1st Half 2017 .377 274 86 .473 .583 1.056 Mike Piazza 1st Half 1996 .363 336 109 .432 .623 1.055 Nomar Garciaparra 1st Half 2006 .358 303 96 .426 .578 1.004 Mike Piazza 1st Half 1997 .357 342 107 .424 .580 1.004 Tommy Davis 1st Half 1962 .353 380 126 .384 .566 .949 Manny Mota 1st Half 1973 .351 234 73 .402 .404 .806 Willie Davis 1st Half 1971 .350 376 126 .363 .489 .852
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 7/10/2017.
LAD 1st half leaderboard – Wins
The 2017 LAD have their 3rd best win total at the all-star break. I was surprised to find out that 61 wins only gets you the 3rd spot as this has seemed to be the hottest 1st half team I could remember. I guess we have to remember that they were 10 – 12 at one point in 2017.
The 1973 also started out slow with a record of 9 – 11 on April 28th, 1973. They would play and win a doubleheader on April 29th, and end up going 54 – 26 over their next 80 games. The 1974 team started out hot and was 16 – 5 on April 28th. I guess that is why I remember the 1974 start more than the 1973 start. That, and the fact the 1974 team kept it up all year, while the 1973 team faltered significantly in the second half and failed to make the post-season.
Below 60 wins, I also included all the teams that got to the World Series just to see how they stacked up. I’ve always felt the 1974, 1977, and 1978 teams were the best teams the Los Angeles Dodgers ever had in my era which began in earnest in 1968.
Team Split Year W L W-L% LAD 1st Half 1973 63 37 .630 LAD 1st Half 1974 63 34 .649
LAD 1st Half 2017 61 29 .648
LAD 1st Half 1977 59 33 .641 LAD 1st Half 1962 58 31 .652 LAD 1st Half 1965 51 38 .573 LAD 1st Half 1963 50 33 .602 LAD 1st Half 1978 50 36 .581 LAD 1st Half 1988 48 36 .571 LAD 1st Half 1959 47 37 .560 LAD 1st Half 1966 47 36 .566 LAD 1st Half 1981 36 21 .632
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 7/10/2017.
Dodgers ho hum their way to another sweep
With another Dodger victory, this is getting ridiculous
- 61 wins at the all-star break
- 10 series sweeps
- 18 of last 19 at home
- Three hot teams have come to Dodger Stadium and three teams have left with their confidence shaken. Rockies/Diamondbacks/Royals are 0 – 9 against the best team in baseball. I guess the Dodgers can beat the good teams.
- Clayton Kershaw with another double-digit strikeout game. His 7th of the season and the 59th time in his career. Also the 21st time he has had double-digit strikeouts without issuing a walk.
- More Kershaw, he becomes the 1st pitcher to strike out at least 13 hitters in a complete game with few than 100 pitches. He cut it close by tossing 99 pitches.
- Justin Turner with another multiple hit game. Twenty-eight times this year.
- A Dodger catcher hit another home run. Barnes and Grandal have combined for sixteen home runs this year.
LAD FFA July 3rd – July 9th
Some noteworthy contenders by two real prospects, by a pitcher who I don’t have a read on, and a minor league free agent who got some burn in major league camp this past spring.
DJ Peters has been hot for a while and he kept it going last week picking up ten more hits, including three more home runs. He has now hit six home runs in his last seven games. Making it even sweeter two of his home runs came against Madison Bumgarner on a rehab start. Over his last ten games, a DJ Peters is now hitting .410.
Cristian Santana finally went a game without a hit but it was only the first time as a Loon that is has happened. Overall for the week, he had eleven hits, including his first home run as a Loon. The only downside for Santana right now is that after exhibiting patience early in the season with Ogden he has yet to take a walk as a Loon in nine games.
Devin Smeltzer pitched a gem on July 4th for the Loons. Smeltzer went six innings, gave up just four hits, one earned runs, zero walks, and eight strikeouts.
Henry Ramos is in the midst of his hottest professional stretch. Ramos collected three hits in all four games that he played last week. Hard to get excited however about a twenty-five-year-old in AA, but a tip of the hat to him for his excellent week. I knew nothing about Henry Ramos so I had to turn to google to help me out and this excellent overview by Dennis Schlossman did the trick.
For those unfamiliar with Ramos, the switch-hitting prospect was signed by the Dodgers as a minor league free agent last November. Originally drafted by the Red Sox in the fifth round of the 2010 draft, he had ties to current Dodgers vice president of international and amateur scouting David Finley, as Finley was in Boston’s scouting and player personnel departments at the time that Ramos was selected. At one point last year, he was ranked as high as No. 16 on the Red Sox Top 30 Prospects list, but ultimately fell out of high regards when his vital stats gradually fizzled by season’s end.
And the winner is ………………….Henry Ramos with DJ Peters a close second. Normally I’d give this to Peters since he’s a real prospect but this may be the only time Henry Ramos ever gets a mention here, and he did earn it with four three-hit games in one week.
A season of WTF
Besides the Dodgers doing their best imitation of the 1927 Yankees this year has been full of bizarre offensive seasons from players either long given up or simply far exceeding expectations from what had been their previous norms.
This is like the 2004 Beltre season but from a baker’s dozen. It won’t include players like Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger simply because they had no track record so while their amazing success is WTF worthy, maybe that is who they are destined to be.
Using wRC+ I’ve included every player this season who at this point I think is a WTF player for 2017. The table includes their previous best wRC+ with at least 300 plate appearances. For that reason, players like Trey Mancini didn’t make the cut even though his 137 wRC+ no one saw coming. I’m keeping Chris Taylor on the list even though he never had at least 300 PA in a season before. Why? Because it is my list and I want Chris Taylor on it.
| Name | wRC+ | PreviousBest | wOBA | PA | HR |
| Marwin Gonzalez | 161 | 110 | 0.41 | 248 | 15 |
| Scooter Gennett | 149 | 104 | 0.405 | 218 | 14 |
| Yonder Alonso | 148 | 110 | 0.389 | 289 | 19 |
| Lonnie Chisenhall | 147 | 117 | 0.396 | 211 | 12 |
| Logan Morrison | 147 | 116 | 0.389 | 338 | 24 |
| Justin Smoak | 144 | 112 | 0.39 | 325 | 23 |
| Aaron Hicks | 143 | 96 | 0.388 | 242 | 10 |
| Zack Cozart | 142 | 91 | 0.395 | 279 | 9 |
| Eric Thames | 138 | 107 | 0.391 | 320 | 23 |
| Travis Shaw | 134 | 87 | 0.385 | 323 | 18 |
| Chris Taylor | 134 | 103 | 0.373 | 269 | 10 |
| Steven Souza Jr. | 134 | 102 | 0.369 | 353 | 17 |
| Tyler Flowers | 131 | 110 | 0.374 | 220 | 6 |
Now that I’ve done the list and carved it done, it isn’t nearly as shocking as I thought it would be.
Hey, I told you about Marwin Gonzalez last fall when he was on my list as someone to target. Never expected this though.
Scooter Gennett was released this year by the first place Brewers.
The three slugging 1st baseman for the American League. Logan Morrison, Yonder Alonso, and Justin Smoak. All had shown promise as prospects but they have had years of suckitude before breaking out this year.
Travis Shaw had some success as a ppart-timeplayer for the Red Sox but when given full season at-bats he’d failed miserably. Brewers took a chance and he’s their clean up hitter.
Future’s game Dodger style
The game will be played on Sunday, July 9th in Miami. If you want to know who the best prospects in the game are, this is the game to watch.
With the promotion of Cody Bellinger, Alex Verdugo is arguably the best position prospect in the Dodger system.
Yadier Alvarez was considered the best pitching prospect in the Dodger system entering the 2017 season but he has not exactly pitched like a top pitching prospect and it is possible that Walker Buehler has by-passed him on the prospect ranking chart.
Here is what Baseball America had to say about them.
Yadier Alvarez:
Dodgers (High Class A Rancho Cucamonga)
Age: 21. HT.: 6-3. WT.: 175. B-T: R-R.
Source: Cuba.
Career Transactions: Signed as international free agent by Dodgers, July 2, 2015.
Background: Alvarez left Cuba and landed in the Dominican Republic in 2015, and scouts flocked to the island to try and sign the flamethrower who touches 100 mph with stunning ease.
What To Watch For: Alvarez has been one of the game’s hardest throwers since landing with the Dodgers, routinely sitting 96-99 mph and hitting 101. As far as electric arms go, Alvarez is the cream of the crop.
Read more at http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/2017-futures-game-world-rosters-and-scouting-reports/#e68PF07cQMAtGbEP.99
Alex Verdugo:
Dodgers (Triple-A Oklahoma City)
Age: 21. HT.: 6-0. WT.: 205. B-T: L-L.
Source: Mexico (drafted out of high school in Tucson).
Career Transactions: Selected by Dodgers in second round of 2014 draft.
Background: Verdugo was born and raised in Arizona but has long embraced his Mexican heritage, including suiting up for Team Mexico in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
What To Watch For: Verdugo’s hitting polish is almost second-to-none in the minors with a smooth lefthanded stroke geared for line drives. He complements his hitting ability with a rocket arm and excellent defensive instincts, setting him up to join the Dodgers outfield shortly
Read more at http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/2017-futures-game-world-rosters-and-scouting-reports/#e68PF07cQMAtGbEP.99
One prospect going who is not representing the Dodgers will be Yordan Alvarez. He will instead be representing the Houston Astros, because he was the high price for Josh Fields. Yeah, Josh Fields, the guy who comes and goes between AAA and the Dodgers every few weeks.
At just 20 years old, Yordan will be one of the youngest participants.
Astros (High Class A Buies Creek)
Age: 20. HT.: 6-5. WT.: 225. B-T: L-L.
Source: Cuba.
Career Transactions: Signed as international free agent by Dodgers, June 15, 2016 … Traded by Dodgers to Astros for RHP Josh Fields, Aug. 1, 2016.
Background: The Dodgers signed Alvarez after he emigrated from Cuba, but he never played a game in their system before being traded to the Astros. He made his U.S. debut in 2017 and promptly hit .360 at his first assignment.
What To Watch For: Alvarez looks like an up-and-comer at first base thanks to his textbook lefthanded swing, power production, sound batting eye and the large target he presents on defense.
Read more at http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/2017-futures-game-world-rosters-and-scouting-reports/#e68PF07cQMAtGbEP.99
I fully expect Keibert Ruiz to be representing the Dodgers next year in the 2018 Future’s game.
Dodgers, Yesterday and Today 