Game 10 Thread: April 5 @ Phillies, 1p

Not exactly the opposing starting pitcher, but close.

Roki Sasaki (0-0, 5.79) vs. Aaron Nola (0-1, 8.44).

Roki Sasaki has not been good this season, beset by a combination of nervousness and wildness that has prevented him from getting into the fourth inning in either of his starts. He's given up 3 ER, 5 Ks and 9 BBs, and basically...looks like a 23-year-old pitcher competing in a foreign country on the biggest stage. Which he is!

Luckily, the Dodgers have a chance in this one, as we face Aaron Nola, who got shellacked for 5 ER in his only start this year (3/30 vs. WSH: 5.1 IP, albeit 8 Ks and 0 BB).

Game 9 Thread: April 4 @ Phillies, 3.45p

Yoshinobu Yamamoto (1-0, 2.70) vs. Jesús Luzardo (1-0, 3.60).

Jesús Luzardo only lasted five innings in his first start (vs. Washington 3/29), giving up two ER and five hits--but struck out 11. That's almost as many Ks as Yoshinobu Yamamoto has (14) in two games and 10.0 IP.

Max Muncy and Andy Pages are probably good for at least two Ks each. So it's up to the rest of the order to see if they can pound out some hits at Citizens Bank Park today and extend this undefeated start to the season.

Post-Game 8 Thread: Ohtani Walks It Off On First 2025 Bobblehead Night

SoSG AC got there early for the bobblehead, and stayed late for the walk-off HR.

DODGERS 6, BRAVES 5

Jack Harris of the LAT had a great recap of last night's game at the Stadium, where a Shohei Ohtani walk-off HR in the ninth allowed the Dodgers to win the game 6-5, open up the year with an unprecedented 8-0 record, and sweep the Braves (who are now 0-7 on the year, notable because no team has ever started 0-7 and made the playoffs).

But what was funny was, as bad as the Dodgers were playing early, those of us who had been watching this year knew what was coming. Sure, Max Muncy made two throwing errors and three feeble at bats to start the game (Muncy did hit a two-run double in the eighth to tie the game at 5, but before we all get excited, let's remember that Muncy's hit lifted his pathetic 2025 average to .120 and his his OPS to .414 (which translates to an OPS+ of 21, 79% worse than the major league average)).

Andy Pages' dropped ball in center was also coupled with a feeble batting line (0-for-3 wwith 2 Ks, sitting on a .120 BA). And big contract Blake Snell, who only lasted five innings last start, was even worse this outing, with a 4.0 IP, 2 K night that does not portend well for the remaining 4.9 years of this contract.

But when the Dodgers are down 5-0, great things seem to happen. Tommy Edman and Michael Conforto homered for the first three runs of the comeback; Muncy got two runs across the plate in his last AB; and then Shohei hits the first pitch for a game-winning HR in the bottom of the ninth. Aaron Judge didn't even need to drop a ball in this contest; the Dodgers were capable of winning this game anyway.

Said Dave Roberts in the aforementioned LAT piece, "We had no business winning that game. But to our guys’ credit, we just kept fighting.” In eight games, we've had six comeback victories. Imagine how this team might be if we actually put all the pieces together and / or had a complete lineup (our outfield bats are still questionable outside Teoscar Hernandez, and Freddie Freeman was out of the lineup for the third straight game).

Off to our road trip!

Game 8 Thread: April 2 vs. Braves, 5.30p

Blake Snell (1-0, 3.60) vs. Bryce Elder (0-0, -.--).

The Dodgers' 7-0 start is pretty surprising, but what's more surprising is the Braves' 0-6 start. Atlanta was picked by many as one of a small handful of teams that could vie for the 2025 title--and they still might, given their lineup is not at full strength yet--but a 0-6 start might reflect bad timing (running into buzzsaws against the Padres and Dodgers, both undefeated so far) and / or bad luck.

Another loss from Elder tonight, and the Braves might face...oblivion?

The Braves are batting .137 this season with a .458 OPS, 30th in the majors (the Dodgers are .226 with a .791 OPS: 16th for average, and 8th for OPS). So the Braves, collectively, are basically Andy Pages-level offense (.136 BA, .451 OPS).

(And to be fair to Pages, that's better than Kiké Hernandez, Max Muncy, Miguel Rojas, and Austin Barnes.)

Blake Snell faced 24 batters in his debut against Detroit (where he got the win, 5.0 IP with 2 ER, 2 Ks and 4 BB). We expect more from Snell's starting rotation spot. Show me, Blake!

Game 7 Thread: April 1 vs. Braves, 7p

Dustin May (0-0, -.--) vs. Chris Sale (0.0, 5.40).

Dustin May last pitched on May 17, 2023.

He returns to major league play against the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, Chris Sale.

No pressure, Dustin!

Post-Game 6 Thread: No Freeman, No Cry

$15 at Home Depot could have prevented this.

DODGERS 6, BRAVES 1

With the pre-game news that Freddie Freman was out for this game due to a weekend mishap slipping in the shower (keep your imaginations out of the gutter, Dodger fans!), the Dodgers entered with a little bit of concern, maybe? But to be fair, the Braves found out over the weekend that the Braves would be without new signing Jurickson Profar for 80 games, maybe we caught the Braves at the right time. And even with Freeman out, the Dodgers rolled to a 6-1 victory that was never in doubt.

Teoscar Hernandez opened up with a first-inning two-run HR. Michael Conforto had a RBI double and Tommy Edman added a sacrifice fly in the second, to make it 4-0. Will Smith added a RBI single in the fourth, and then Kiké Hernandez hit a solo shot in the fifth to make it 6-0 LA.

Sure, Tanner Scott gave up a solo HR to Michael Harris III in the eighth to lose the shutout. But that was all the damage Atlanta could do tonight.

So, rest up, Freddie! You recover. We're okay.

Game 6 Thread: March 31 vs. Braves, 7p

Ulysses S. Grant's Home, in Galena, IL. Admission is $5 for adults.

Tyler Glasnow vs. Grant Holmes.

After a quizzical Sunday off-day, the Dodgers get back to work against an Atlanta Braves team, picked before the season as one of the teams that has the best chance to stop the Dodgers in 2025. Not yet at full strength with the returns of Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuna Jr., the Braves have opened the season 0-3 (getting swept by the Padres).

They send a guy to the mound who almost has as much hair as our starter, Tyler Glasnow. Can we go 6-0 to start the season and match the 1981 Dodgers?

P.S.: Is SoSG really going back to individual Game Threads?! (More on this, later.)

Post-Game 4 Thread / At-Game Recap: Mookie Walks It Off

DODGERS 8, TIGERS 5 (10)

Ever since the 2024 postseason, the Dodgers seem to have picked up a flair for the dramatic. The comeback series victory over the Padres in the 2024 NLDS. Defeating the Mets in the 2024 NLCS behind Tommy "Tanks" Edman's offensive outburst. Freddie Freeman's walk-off grand slam to win 2024 World Series Game 1. Vanquishing the rival Yankees in Game 5 following an epic collapse by New York, and an unrelenting, never-say-die Dodger tidal wave.

The second game of the home opener homestand was also fit for the dramatic, with a pre-game World Series Ring Ceremony that was special, followed by one hell of a great game on the field.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto notched a career-high 10 Ks, but was also a little inefficient, racking up 91 pitches to get through five innings of work and yielding solo HR to Dillon Dingler and former Yankee Gleyber Torres. On the other side, 2024 Dodger Jack Flaherty (who will receive his World Series ring at today's game) was carving up the Dodgers through five, on what seemed to be half the pitch count (I remember it being in the 30s during the fourth inning), one-hitting the Dodgers through five frames.

And then, a peek at the drama to come. Mookie Betts reaches with one out in the bottom of the sixth, and Freddie Freeman takes the next pitch yard, tying the game at 2. The Dodgers take the lead in the eighth on a Mookie Betts home run that was so close, it needed to be reviewed to be confirmed. And then new Dodger reliever Tanner Scott looked largely ineffective in letting Detroit tie the game in the ninth, which could have been worse if not for Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman relaying a throw to Austin Barnes, who barely got the third out at home (also reviewed, with the call on the field overturned).

In the 10th, the Tigers look to be done with two on and two out, but Dillon Dingler triples home both baserunners and the Tigers take a daunting two-run lead (5-3) into the bottom of the inning. Not good for Dodgers fans, but no fans seem to be leaving their seats.

And then, it's like the Dodgers just flipped a switch and decided to go back to Dominate Mode, opening up the video game cheat codes on a poor Tigers reliever, Beau Brieske, who was up to some Brieske business. Michael Conforto, whose ill-advised dive in the top of the inning led to Dingler's two-RBI triple, atones for his defensive error with a run-scoring double (Edman was the ghostrunner starting on second). Andy Pages, still looking overwhelmed at the major league level, grounds out for the first out (Pages was 0-for-3 and is batting .182 on the season). And that brings up Austin Automatic-Out Barnes (0-for-3 with 2 Ks in this game).

But in a stroke of brilliance, Dave Roberts pinch hits Will Smith for Barnes, which gives us a chance to win. Smith singles to left, scoring Conforto and tying the game at 5. Shohei Ohtani singes to right for his only hit of the game (1-for-4 with a walk and a K).

And that brings up Mookie Betts, still 15 pounds underweight due to this stomach illness. Mookie takes the count full and then unloads on a home run to left that wins the game with a dramatic walkoff HR. Betts, 3-for-5 with 4 RBI during this game, was exuberant and emotional rounding the bases in a way that one would have thought this was a World Series game. It certainly was dramatic.

But the Dodgers have a flair for the dramatic of late, right? Amazing to see in person (and even better that I could see the whole ring ceremony before, and then get out of the parking lot quickly thanks to a post-game drone show that I skipped).

Clayton Kershaw gets his World Series ring.

The last two games I have seen at Dodger Stadium have been Freddie Freeman's walkoff grand slam in 2024 WS G1, and now Mookie Betts' walkoff home run in the first homestand of 2025. I dont know how it gets better than this!

We're 4-0 for the first time since 1981. Let's keep it rolling, Dodgers!

Kirsten Watson, likely asking Mookie Betts post-game how he is feeling

Post-Game 3 Thread: Dodgers Win Home Opener, 5-4

DODGERS 5, TIGERS 4

For all the talk about the Dodgers' formidable, stacked, dominating lineup: today's Opening Day win was a squeaker that showed a lot of vulnerabilities in the armor.

Blake Snell only lasted five innings and earned the win despite leaving the mound with a 2-1 lead through five frames (Teoscar Hernandez' three-run HR in the bottom of the fifth rescued Snell from the loss column, putting the Dodgers ahead 4-2). Snell struggled his third time through the order--which we've obviously seen before--and needed 92 pitches to get through his five innings (Tigers starter Tarik Skubal needed only 80, and both starters ended up with 2 Ks each).

The Dodgers' bullpen was also kind of shaky, with Ben Casparius working out of a jam in the sixth; Alex Vesia and Tanner Scott each yielding a run in their innings of work; and closer Blake Treinen needing 23 pitches to sneak his way out of the ninth inning by getting Colt Keith to foul out to Freddie Freeman for the final out.

Hernandez' shot was the big bopper, bookended by Tommy Edman's second-inning solo shot and Shohei Ohtani's homer in the seventh. But Freddie Freeman was 0-for-4 and Max Muncy was 0-for-3 with 2 Ks (he is batting .100 on the year). And even with the three homers, we just eked out the one-run victory over the Tigers, who aren't a bad team, but aren't stacked like the Dodgers.

But a win is a win, I guess. Credit to my uncle for taking this photo and for staying the whole game, obviously. He'll probably be in Dodger Stadium traffic through midnight.

Games 3-5: March 27-29 vs. Tigers (Home Opening Series)

Thu 3.27 4p: Blake Snell vs. Tarik Skubal
Fri 3.28 7p: Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. TBD
Sat 3.29 6p: Roki Sasaki vs. TBD

Those first two games in Japan didn't seem fully real, right? The artificial turf of the Tokyo Dome; the impossibly difficult time zone difference from Los Angeles; the lack of Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman in the lineup. Luckily, the Dodgers came away with two wins to start the season--and now we can open the season the right way, back at home in Chavez Ravine.

At least, we're hoping this is the right way, with the right lineup--Betts (suffering from a stomach ailment that had him lose 15-18 pounds) played in some of the Freeway Series exhibition games versus the Angels this week, though he (understandably) didn't look great.

Mookie Betts, now with his skinnier frame.

But the Dodgers' re-tooling for 2025 starts with the man on the mound Thursday, as two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell takes the mound for the Dodgers (man, that is really weird to type, and I'm sure will be even weirder to witness!). Snell, who signed a five-year, $182M deal with Los Angeles this offseason, was 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA this spring across 4.2 IP. He faces Tarik Skubal, a front-runner for the 2025 American League Cy Young award. Skubal was 2-0 this spring with a 2.33 ERA across 19.1 IP.

I have been too accustomed to seeing Blake Snell's pouty demeanor on opposing teams (Rays in the 2020 World Series; Padres 2021-2023; Giants 2024) that I am going to have trouble rooting for him as a Dodger. He had better show up Thursday.

On Friday, I will be at the Stadium for the game. It might be one of the few times I can attend a game this season, so I'm really looking forward to this one. Let's go, Yoshi! (And you too, Roki, on Saturday.)

Archiving the 2024 SoSG Attendance Record, For Posterity

It's that time again, to archive the prior season's attendance record: this time, the World Championship 2024 season. It was the first season ever that the Sons were below .500 for the regular season--and look how this turned out! (To be fair, we were .500 if you include the postseason games.)

SoSG 2024 record: 5-6; 2-1 postseason

4/3 vs. SF (W, 5-4): Sax
4/15 vs. WSH (L, 4-6): Dusty, Orel, Sax
5/6 vs. MIA (W, 6-3): AC, Sax
5/16 vs. CIN (L, 2-7): AC, Sax
6/12 vs. TEX (L, 2-3): Sax
7/5 vs. MIL (W, 8-5): Sax
7/21 vs. BOS (W, 9-6): Sax
7/24 vs. SF (L, 3-8): Sax
8/24 vs. TB (L, 8-9 (10)): Sax
8/29 vs. BAL (W, 6-3): Orel, Sax
9/9 vs. CHC (L, 4-10): Sax

10/5 NLDS G1 vs. SD (W, 7-5): Sax
10/6 NLDS G2 vs. SD (L, 2-10): Orel, Sax

10/25 WS G1 vs. NYY (W, 6-3 (10)): Sax

I still get chills thinking about that last attended game, World Series Game 1. Wow.

Prior SoSG attendance records: 2008 (18-15), 2009 (21-10), 2010 (9-8), 2011 (10-7), 2012 (24-18), 2013 (24-16), 2014 (22-12), 2015 (27-13), 2016 (10-5), 2017 (27-13) 2018 (12-9), 2019 (10-5), 2020 (0-0), 2021 (4-3), 2022 (4-4), 2023 (5-5).

Post-Game 2 Thread: Dodgers Sweep Cubs in Tokyo Dome

DODGERS 六, CUBS 三

Though they scheduled these contests way too early for me to watch either of the Tokyo Series games, the Dodgers still prevailed with a series sweep over the Cubs, following a 6-3 victory in the second game that featured a Shohei Ohtani home run, which followed taters from Tommy Edman (first MLB HR in 2025!) and Kiké Hernandez. All three of those Dodgers now lead the majors in HR.

Other crazy stats from the disparate number of games played (which reminds me of when Adrian Gonzalez led the majors in stolen bases, following the 2014 Opening Series in Sydney, Australia): Kiké Hernandez leads RBIs (3); Landon Knack co-leads Wins (1), along with Yoshinobu Yamamoto; and Will Smith is tied for the batting title at .500 (along with Chicago's John Berti).

More importantly, the Dodgers--sans both Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman in this series--still opened up a dominant two-game lead in the NL West with only 160 games to play. Let's get the team back together here in Los Angeles, and hopefully get Betts and Freeman back to health.

Games 1-2 Thread: Tokyo Series vs. Cubs (March 18-19)

Lots of open mouths here. Whatever happened to nose breathing?

Tue 3.18: Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. Shota Imanaga, 3a
Wed 3.19: Roki Sasaki vs. Justin Steele, 3a

It's finally time for Dodger Baseball, and it's awful early in the day here in Los Angeles. But I'm totally excited to get up and watch the Dodgers defend their World Series Championship by facing off against the Cubs in the Tokyo Dome. And just in time, Spectrum is finally allowing a subscription streaming service, which should open the Dodgers up to all those cord-cutting fans in the Los Angeles market.

The only bad news? Mookie Betts' recent diet plan (drop 15 pounds in short notice!), a.k.a. the flu he's been fighting since leaving for Japan last week, has knocked our new shortstop off the roster for these two games in Japan. I guess that puts more pressure on that other guy to carry the load. (No, not Freddie Freeman; he did his part during the 2024 World Series!).

I'm going to try and get up at 3a and watch this puppy. Come join us on this GT!

LET'S GO, DODGERS!

Boston Adds FA Cheater ($120M) and Mets Drop $765M on Soto, Forcing Dodgers to Scramble to Compete

Cheaters love short left-field porches.

With Alex Bregman getting picked up by the Red Sox yesterday ($120M, three years), off the backs of a wild off-season in which the Mets snagged Juan Soto for $765M and 15 years, it is clear that baseball players are getting rich contract, especially from the subset of teams that decide to spend money. Roster Resource now has 11 of the 30 MLB teams with a 2025 payroll projection of at least $200: Dodgers ($389M), Mets ($331M), Phillies ($288M), Yankees ($285M), Blue Jays ($250M), Rangers ($222M), Cheaters ($218M), Braves ($212M), Red Sox ($210M), Padres ($207M), and Angels ($202M).

So let's break down some of the bigger moves this offseason:

• Mets: Soto ($765M/15), Pete Alonso ($54M/2), Sean Manaea ($75M/3), Clay Holmes ($38M/3), Frankie Montas ($34M/2)
• Yankees: Max Fried ($218M/8), Cody Bellinger (trade), Devin Williams (trade), Paul Goldschmidt ($12.5M/1)
• Red Sox: Bregman ($120M/3), Walker Buehler ($21M/1), Patrick Sandoval ($18M/2), Garrett Crochet (trade), Aroldis Chapman (10.7M/1)
• Padres: Nick Pivetta ($55M/4)
• Diamondbacks: Corbin Burnes ($210M/6)
• Giants: Willy Adames ($182M/7), Justin Verlander ($15M/1)
• Braves: Jurickson Profar ($42M/3)
• Phillies: Max Kepler ($10M/1)
• Orioles: Charlie Morton ($15M/1), Tyler O'Neill ($49.5M/3)
• Angels: Kenley Jansen ($10M/1), Yusei Kikuchi ($63M/3), Travis d'Arnaud ($12M/2), Kyle Hendricks ($2.5M/1)
• Tigers: Jack Flaherty ($35M/2), Gleyber Torres ($15M/1)
• Rangers: Joc Pederson ($37M/2), Nathan Eovaldi ($75M/3)
• Blue Jays: Anthony Santander ($92.5M/5), Max Scherzer ($15.5M/1)
• Cheaters: Christian Walker ($60M/3)

So the Dodgers could have sat on the laurels of their 2024 World Series Championship crown, sure. Instead, though, they did some deals of their own:

• Clayton Kershaw ($7.5M/1)
• Kiké Hernandez ($6M/1 TBC)
• Blake Treinen ($22M/2)
• Kirby Yates ($13M/1)
• Tanner Scott ($72M/4)
• Roki Sasaki ($6.5M/6)
• Hyeseong Kim ($12.5M/3)
• Teoscar Hernandez ($66M/3)
• Michael Conforto ($17M/1)
• Tommy Edman ($74M/5)
• Blake Snell ($182M/5)

In isolation, none of those Dodger deals looks out of whack with market norms. There are no $40M AAV deals on the table like Boston gave to Bregman; there are no long-term deals like the Mets gave to Soto or the Yankees gave to Fried or the Snakes gave to Burnes (in fact, the longest-term Dodger deal, to Roki Sasaki, is an absolute bargain due to international signing rules).

And in aggregate, the team added some players, sure. But we also lost Buehler, Flaherty, Gavin Lux, Daniel Hudson, and Joe Kelly, not to mention others who are recovering from season-ending injuries and won't play for all or most of next year.

As pointed out on The Windup (Athletic podcast), with the Dodgers' consistent divisional dominance, they never get access to the generational draft picks (like Paul Skenes or Bryce Harper), forcing them to have to go to the open market as well as make higher-risk, lower-in-order draft decisions.

I'm ecstatic for the Tommy Edman signing (to get a utility player with a potent bat!), albeit less so for the Dodgers getting a full year of sub-100 OPS+ Kiké Hernandez (not sure why we couldn't just pick him up in July in order to leverage his annual October performance uptick). Oh yeah, and we still have Chris Taylor for another year...(cries).

The Dodgers won the World Series last year. That said, we also came very close to getting dispatched in the 2024 NLDS to San Diego, which would have added more fuel to the ridiculous narrative that the Dodgers choke in the playoffs--but sure, it almost happened again.

But you can't have that (debunked) narrative on the one hand, and then turn around and begrudge the Dodgers for fortifying their own arsenal with reinforcements--especially after last year's experience, when we were down to 2.5 starters in the playoffs and ran bullpen games as a matter of course. (Of note: 1.5 of those 2.5 playoff starters, comprised of Flaherty and Buehler, has left the Dodgers this off-season, leaving only Yoshinobu Yamamoto.)

Blame the Mets, Yankees, and Red Sox for ruining baseball. It's not the Dodgers. They're just trying to keep in the game.

ESPN's Doolittle Ranks Dodgers' Starting Rotation Fourth In Majors

ESPN's Bradford Doolittle had the Dodgers currently sitting at #4 among MLB teams, with still a lot of time left in the offseason for some additional pickups (namely, Roki Sasaki). The Dodgers' ranking is behind the Mariners, Phillies, and Braves. But note that Clayton Kershaw is not mentioned at all:

Los Angeles Dodgers:

Rotation index: 110.5
Ranks -- Stars: 3 | Depth: 13 | Length: 11 | Dominance: 2

Top 6: 1. Blake Snell (Rating: 121), 2. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (115), 3. Tyler Glasnow (124), 4. Shohei Ohtani (119), 5. Tony Gonsolin (96), 6. Dustin May (103)

We went with Gonsolin and May at the bottom of the Dodgers' six-man rotation, though others -- Landon Knack, Ben Casparius, Bobby Miller -- could figure into the mix.

This is probably also a good place to highlight the possible impact of Sasaki, who could propel the Dodgers near the top of these rankings, or boost the fortunes of one of the teams below. The possibility is why the term "an embarrassment of riches" was invented.

Dodgers Strike Early, Pick Up Blake Snell for $182M

The Dodgers just increased the number of pouty players on the roster by 100%.

Sources are reporting that the Dodgers have just picked up two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, for five years / $182M (including a massive $52M signing bonus:

The Dodgers’ priority this winter was to add an ace to their starting rotation, and they identified Snell as their top target. The Dodgers previously pursued Snell before he signed with the Giants in March and again prior to the Trade Deadline as San Francisco fell out of postseason contention. They finally got their man on Tuesday.

Snell joins a starting rotation that will feature Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani. The Dodgers are looking to add another starter this winter, with Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki among the many targets. It’s a starting rotation that is expected to be much improved from last season.

By joining Los Angeles, Snell is reunited with president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, who was the executive vice president of baseball operations for the Rays when the lefty was drafted in the first round by Tampa Bay in 2011.

The move, early in the offseason, provides the Dodgers more stability to a rotation that is poised to lose Jack Flaherty and Walker Buehler to free agency. Plus, it gets us a lefty, which is key. And I am comforted by how MLB.com's Mike Petriello broke it down:

So far as what Snell offers, it’s no mystery. He’s probably not going to throw as many innings as you want (he’s topped 130 innings just twice in nine seasons), but the innings he does throw are going to be extremely effective. Over the last three years, 216 starters have thrown 2,000 pitches, and Snell ranks first in batting average and second (to Paul Skenes) in slugging, tied-fifth in strikeout rate, and so he’s sixth overall in wOBA, an OPS-like metric. He’s really good, is the point, even if far too many walks and nibbling around the zone drives up the pitch count and prevents those deeper outings.

Of course, “starters going deep” isn’t exactly in vogue any longer, so this might not matter to the Dodgers. What Snell offers is excellent fastball velocity (95.9 mph, fourth-hardest among lefty starters) and three outstanding swing-and-miss pitches, as his changeup, slider, and curve all had whiff rates above 40%. There were a handful of pitchers (min. 150 pitches of that type) who had two pitches like that last year, like Griffin Jax’s sweeper and changeup. Snell was the only one with three. So long as you can live with the five-inning starts, the occasional inconsistency, and the near-refusal to just throw strikes -- it’s fair to say he’s more entertaining to look at on the stat sheet than to actually view on the mound -- it’s hard to find a more effective per-pitch starter than Snell.

Still, the Snell signing is a little hard for this Dodgers fan to comprehend, given Snell has been a consistent foil for the Dodgers in all of his stops--and we've consistently beaten him. Most notably, there's his tenure with the Rays, when Snell's early exit in a World Series Game 6 5.1 IP performance led to the Dodgers' seventh World Championship title.

Snell then went to the Padres from 2021-2023, where he went 2-2 against the Dodgers in 12 starts--prime evidence on how shallow Snell pitches into games. And then lasr year as a Giant, Snell was 0-0 against the Dodgers in one start, in a season where he had 20 appearances and only went 5-3 (with three wins coming in his last three starts), with a total of 104 IP. That's barely more innings pitched than Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who (like Snell) also missed a good chunk of 2024 on the IL.

And now (at least, pending a physical), Snell is on the Dodgers. Maybe he plays better and goes deeper into games in 2025, having resolved his signing status earlier in the offseason than last year's debacle (a March 2024 signing set him back on his Spring Training ramp-up, to be sure). And maybe he pulls together some solid starts for the Dodgers, who will likely have to manage a six-man rotation with Yamamoto's regimen as well as Shohei Ohtani coming back from injury to pitch again.

Or maybe we have to think of Snell like Tyler Glasnow: good for only one half of a season, and then falls off a cliff. As a friend of mine texted me, if we get Glasnow for the first half, and then Snell for the second half, it's like we have a full season of a real pitcher.

(cries)

Let's Have ESPN's Scott Van Pelt Narrate 2024 World Series Game 5

Continuing with 2024 highlights:

Some More Great Photos From 2024 World Series Game 5

I don't know about you guys, but I can keep watching the 2024 season highlights over and over again. So I'm going to try and keep posting about the 2024 season, including looking back at the 2024 World Series in all of its glory.

In today's entry, let's look at the miscues befalling the Yankees in World Series Game 5, top of the fifth.

First, from the AP story, "Yankees blow 5-run lead with epic defensive meltdown as Dodgers rally to clinch World Series":

But wait, we're missing a key fifth inning play in there, right? Oh yeah, Gerrit Cole forgetting to cover first base. I found this great photo from sportschosun:

Ohtani Wins Third Career MVP Award In Unanimous Fashion

It may have been inevitable, but it was still great to see Dodger Shohei Ohtani win the 2024 National League MVP Award in unanimous fashion (30 first place votes). From MLB.com:

Ohtani is the Dodgers’ 13th MVP and first since Cody Bellinger in 2019. He’s the sixth player to win an MVP with multiple franchises, joining Harper, Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, [Frank] Robinson and Jimmie Foxx, and just the second to win one in both leagues (Robinson). He’s also the first player since Miguel Cabrera (2012-13) to win an MVP in back-to-back years. Ohtani had already been the first player to win multiple unanimous MVPs (in 2021 and 2023 with the Angels). Now, he’s done it again.

Wrote Jack Harris of the LAT:

While no designated hitter had won an MVP, the award was not a surprise. In his first season with the Dodgers, Ohtani led the NL in home runs (54), RBIs (130) and on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.036). He was second in batting average (.310). And with 59 steals, he became the first player in history with a 50-homer, 50-steal season.

It is the Dodgers' 15th MVP award and first since Cody Bellinger in 2019. The Dodgers rank third in MVP award recipients, behind the Yankees (24) and Cardinals (21).

Congratulations, Shohei Ohtani!

photo: Associated Press and Getty Images; photo illustration by Tim Hubbard / Los Angeles Times

Betts, Hernandez, Ohtani Voted 2024 NL Silver Sluggers; Dodgers Win Silver Slugger Team Award

The potent offensive trio of Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernandez, and Shohei Ohtani all took 2024 Silver Slugger Awards, which also helped propel the Dodgers to the 2024 Silver Slugger Team Award:

This year marked the second time Silver Slugger Awards have been given to the best offensive team in each league. The winners -- the Yankees in the American League and the Dodgers in the National League -- were determined by a combination of team offensive statistics. The Yankees and Dodgers led their respective leagues in home runs, OPS and wRC+, among other stats. The Dodgers’ three Silver Slugger Award winners this year are the most in a season in franchise history.

Here's the copy on the three Dodgers Silver Sluggers:

NL winner: Mookie Betts, Dodgers (seventh win)
Along with Altuve, Betts has the most Silver Slugger Awards among active players after winning his seventh for another outstanding offensive campaign. He began the season at shortstop after having played right field for most of his big league career. On June 18, his left hand was fractured as a result of being hit by a pitch, causing him to miss about two months. When he returned to the lineup, he moved back to right field. Despite the injury, he finished with an .863 OPS (145 OPS+) with 19 homers in 116 games. Betts’ four Silver Slugger Awards with the Dodgers are the second-most in franchise history, behind only Mike Piazza’s five.

Teoscar Hernández, Dodgers (third win)
Hernández, after spending most of his career with the Blue Jays, signed a one-year deal with the Dodgers and was crucial to their championship run. The 32-year-old set a career high by slugging 33 home runs and posted an .840 OPS, earning his second All-Star selection in the process -- and even winning the Home Run Derby. Prior to this year, he also won a Silver Slugger Award in 2020 and ’21 with Toronto.

NL winner: Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers (third win)
While he couldn’t pitch in 2024 as he recovered from elbow surgery, all of Ohtani’s focus was at the plate, and it showed. He became the first player in MLB history to hit at least 50 home runs (54) and steal at least 50 bases (59) in the same season, putting him in position to win his third career MVP Award. He previously won the honor in 2021 and ’23 with the Angels.

Considering how the Dodgers didn't win any 2024 Gold Glove awards, it was nice to roll in this offensive category.

For the record, the Yankees didn't win any Gold Glove awards, either (as we saw, in World Series Game 5).