MidValleySports.Com

By Those Deferred BenchWarmers

We are just over a third of the way through the season, the first target point that we’ve mentioned numerous times as the first stage of evaluations that Andrew Friedman and company would begin with as they look toward the trade deadline.

With this in mind, it’s time for us to evaluate the season so far. We’ll grade out the various position groups, explaining why and including what we think (or hope) the Dodgers will do.

Catchers
Grade: A
Analysis: Will Smith and Dalton Rushing give the Dodgers a dynamic duo, and they’ve done well handling an injury-riddled pitching staff. Rushing has naturally had some ups and downs in his rookie season, but is an upgrade over previous backup Austin Barnes. We’d like to see Smith throw out a few base stealers, but his clutch hitting and league-leading OB% more than makes up for that. Keeping Smith fresh throughout the summer will be paramount for this success, so we expect to see more of Rushing than we saw of Barnes.

Designated Hitter
Grade: A
Analysis: Shohei Ohtani has been a bit more feast or famine this year: he leads the majors in home runs and runs scored, and leads the NL in total bases and international walks… but he’s also 9th in all of baseball in strikeouts. Still, Ohtani is Ohtani. Our prevailing thought is the return to pitching is affecting the famine parts to his game, so we actually expect a slight drop off as he returns to the mound. We could see the Dodgers shutting him down for the playoffs if it impacts his hitting too much.

Infielders
Grade: B
Analysis: This grade is slowly rising, and if we only graded the last few weeks it would probably be an A. Freddie Freeman has been fantastic, leading the NL in doubles, batting average, and OPS. Max Muncy has seemingly fixed his offense with his improved vision (still working on the defense), and Betts has battled through injuries and illness and seems to be rounding into form. Kim and Edman will continue to get the majority of time at second, although we’d prefer to see Kim at 2B and Edman in Center.

Utility (IF/OF) 
Grade: A-
Analysis: This group is the fan-favorites, as Kiké Hernandez has supplied some pop and his usual fun antics, Tommy Edman has been his dependable self, and Hyeseong Kim has been electric since his call-up. We hope to see more of Edman and Kim as regulars in the lineup (as mentioned above).

Outfielders
Grade: B
Analysis: Truth be told, Michael Conforto – game winning hit last night notwithstanding – has been such a disappointment that his subpar play overshadows Andy Pages’ breakout and Teoscar Hernandez team leading RBIs. Pages’ has been superb since some early season struggles (namely in the field and on the bases) and Hernandez leads the team in RBI. Conforto does not seem to be going anywhere, at least this season, as his $17 million price tag is too hefty for anyone to take on. We don’t expect him back in Dodger blue in 2026.

Starting Pitching
Grade: B-
Analysis: What would this ranking be without Yoshinobu Yamamoto?? Yamamoto has been excellent and is a Cy Young candidate in his second year. Unfortunately, Yamamoto’s expected counterparts of Roki Sasaki, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow are on the injured list. The other four starters actually do have legitimate built in excuses: Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, and Clayton Kershaw are all coming off major injuries, and while they have shown glimpses, there’s going to be bumps in the road as they work back. Landon Knack was originally slated into a relief role, and the healthy return of the other three starters will allow him to return to the pen. We’re not fully sold on the Dodgers needing another starter, but we wouldn’t be surprised if they add another one before August.

Relief Pitching 
Grade: C
Analysis: What started as a strength has eroded over time. Jack Dreyer and Ben Casparius have been great, and the hope is they can keep it up throughout the year. Injuries have hurt the pen just as much, if not more, than the rotation, as Blake Treinen and Kirby Yates absences have been felt, even with Yates’ struggles. Evan Philips has been lost for the year, but Michael Kopech is expected to return this week, and the return of another starter should allow Knack to bolster the bullpen. Brusdar Graterol can potentially provide some late-season reinforcement as well. Tanner Scott seems to have fixed his issues, and the Dodgers may have found something in Lou Trivino, but overall it’s been a disappointing season for the arm barn.

Overall
Grade: B
Analysis: The facts: The Dodgers are first in the NL West by two games, are second in the NL in run differential, and have the second best record in the league against teams with winning records. And yet, we are left with wanting more… and it doesn’t feel like unrealistic expectations.

Pitchers returning from the IL will help a lot, as will the changes (Muncy) and recoveries (Better) of the lineup. We still don’t expect any major shakeups at the deadline from the Dodgers, but they’ve never been shy about adding a depth piece (such as the Edman trade last year) and you can never have too much pitching…