Dodgers Roundtable: Who Will Over Perform?

On to the sixth question in our roundtable series, the Dodgers’ Way staff gave their opinions on the players they believe will over perform this season.

Alex- Scott Kazmir

I think Scott Kazmir will overperform this year and trigger his opt out. He struggled in Houston last year, but moving to a bigger ballpark, working with one of the best pitch framers in baseball with a good defense behind him should help him surpass expectations. Unfortunately, if he does do all this he will likely trigger his opt-out and receive a qualifying offer. He’ll get a bigger payday elsewhere, the dodgers will get a draft pick and have to fill his spot in the rotation.

Luckily (and this is the benefit of the shorter contracts and opt-outs) the Dodgers have a few stud pitchers waiting in the minors. Depending on how they perform this year, it’s not crazy to think Julio Urias and Jose De Leon will be up next season, likely taking Kazmir and Brett Anderson’s rotation spots. If they’re not ready, things get a bit trickier. Stephen Strasburg is the prize of the next free agent class, but after him it’s pretty bleak. But why talk about 2017 when the 2016 season is right around the corner.

Amanda- Clayton Kershaw

In 2016 I think Clayton Kershaw will over-perform. Every Dodger fan knows that there is no one who works harder than Kershaw himself. Though he has set the bar high, I think he will over perform this year because Kershaw is not one to settle. He will take next years success and only use it as fuel to become better this season. I am also hoping to see Kershaw make improvements and over perform in the one area he has not, the post-season. I am getting ahead of myself now. Spring training is around the corner and I am already talking about post-season, but I think Kershaw gets better and better with each year. There truly is no on else like him. He set records last year recording over 200 strikeouts, but his ERA was a little higher than the previous year. In 2016, I think his numbers will improve even from last season.

Daniel- Andre Ethier

Given the unpredictable nature of bullpens, I think any relief pitcher is usually is the safest bet here. However, choosing the safe option is a bit boring so I’m going to cheat a little and say Andre Ethier. After a horrible 2014 campaign, Ethier rebounded to hit.294/.366/.486 with 14 home runs in 2015 against primarily right-handed pitching. Despite such solid production (137 wRC+), Ethier found himself the victim of numerous trade rumours and discontent from fans. Projected to receive the lines share of At-Bats of a platoon in Left Field, there’s no reason to suggest that Ethier can’t continue to perform around his 2015 mark if the Dodgers continue to limit his exposure to left-handed pitching. The public’s expectations for Ethier feel quite low going into 2016 so I would expect him to outperform them considerably.

Chris- Andre Ethier

Last year the Dodgers did a great job of playing to Andre Ethier’s strengths. They were rewarded with an .852 OPS along with a not too shabby 14 home runs. Taking a closer look at those stats reveals that that 397 of his 445 plate appearances came against right-handed pitchers, who he OPSed .900 against. In those 48 appearances against lefties? A tragic .474 OPS.

I’m expecting similar production out of Ethier this year, as the Dodgers will undoubtedly and rightly try the same tactic by hiding him from left-handers. Don’t get me wrong, the longest tenured Dodger is a useful player, but it’s no secret that his overall stats are not a true reflection of his skills as an around hitter.

Aamer- Joc Pederson

I’m expecting big things from Joc Pederson this season. After a scorching hot start last season, the league seemed to adjust to him in the second half. Now he’ll have had a full offseason to work on his mechanics and generally refine his approach at the plate in the hopes of being able to adjust back. There’s no doubt that Joc has tremendous power potential, it’s just a matter of being able to make enough contact to tap into that power on a regular basis. There’s something about the guy that makes me think he’s capable of doing just that. His teammates have all raved about his makeup and work ethic, so if he continues to struggle, it won’t be for lack of trying.

More from Dodgers Way

• Giants sign former Dodgers pitcher in another move that’ll get them nowhere
• Kevin Kiermaier being ‘top target’ to replace Cody Bellinger is bad sign for Dodgers
• Are the Dodgers really prepared to hand Shohei Ohtani a blank check?
• Dodgers fans shouldn’t dismiss interest in Dansby Swanson for this reason
• Giants laughably sign pitcher that Dodgers absolutely own

Andrew- Yasiel Puig

This season means a lot to many players and coaches, but one in particular stands out; Yasiel Puig. Last season came as a huge shock to people because of Puig’s random decline, which proved to be mainly injury-related. Puig only played 79 games last season due to multiple hamstring injuries, which caused him only to hit .255 with 11 HR. Puig has arrived at camp early, resembling his old 2013 self. Puig’s body seems more toned while also looking slimmer. In 2013 and 2014, Puig hit a combined .305, with 35 HR and a .888 OPS. Puig is not far removed from his excellent seasons, so don’t be surprised when he is an All-Star this season.