Predicting the Dodgers 25 Man Roster

The Rotation

1 Clayton Kershaw – If there are ever any concerns about the rotation, having Clayton Kershaw take the ball every 5th day all but quells them. Kershaw has gotten off to a slow start in each of the last two seasons but has looked much better than previous springs. The Dodgers desperately need him to stay healthy this year

2 Scott Kazmir – A newcomer to the Dodgers rotation the Dodgers are betting $48M that Kazmir can pitch like a legitimate #2 starter. His velocity was well down earlier in the spring but was consistently touching 90+ in his most recent start against the Angels.

3 Kenta Maeda – Maeda, Japan’s Kershaw, has been great in spring. The two time winner of Japan’s equivalent to the Cy Young, Maeda has had hitters off-balance all spring with his plus command of a 4 pitch arsenal. There are some questions about his elbow and he lack a true plus pitch but there is plenty to like here.

4 Alex Wood – Reports coming into spring were that Alex Wood had been working all spring to re-tune some mechanics that had been gradually declining over the last two years, singling out a higher release point as a key focus. Well with a Springs worth of data we now know that Wood’s endeavors were successful and he has been rewarded with a significant boost in fastball velocity, making his secondary offerings that much more effective.

5 Carlos Frias – One of the few questions left on this roster, the battle for the 5th starter role has narrowed down to one of either Frias or Ross Stripling. I’m giving Frias the nod at least initially due to his experience and the upside inherent in his mid-90’s fastball.

Next: Bench Squad