Dodgers: 5 Obstacles That Stand in the Way of Winning a World Series

As the season begins to round into form, the hopes of Dodgers’ fans do the same. I hear the excitement from a lot of these fans around Southern California, who also feel the anxiety baseball brings to us as we wait for October.

Anxiousness has been the routine for Dodgers’ fans each spring since 1988. During the 29-year drought, the anxiety and depression have only grown with each passing year. Now that the team has secured four straight NL West Division crowns, the sense of urgency has never been greater for this team to win. As October nears, obstacles will begin to arise in front of this team, and it is up to the players to overcome these obstacles and finally end this drought in LA. Here are a few obstacles that are standing in the way between the Dodgers and their 7th World Series Championship.

Injuries

Ahh, injuries. As Dodgers’ fans, we are all too familiar with them, and some of us just accept them as part of the Dodger experience. Just last year, the Dodgers set a record for most players sent to the disabled list, with 28 players getting put on the shelf for numerous lengths of time. This year, the team will try to overcome the injuries by using its newfound depth.

It is no surprise that this team has been plagued with injuries, as Andrew Friedman loves the “Low-risk, high-reward” route when it comes to acquiring players. Still, if the Dodgers find themselves with too many injuries throughout the year, it can ruin their entire season.

All of the Dodgers’ hopes for the season can be ruined with one Kershaw herniated disc or Corey Seager hamstring issue. (Knock on wood). One thing that will be interesting to see is how the team uses the new 10–Day DL. The team has already utilized the DL with Andre Ethier, Franklin Gutierrez, and Rich Hill.

Fortunately, this team is equipped to withstand injuries, but if the Dodgers catch the injury bug again this season, they will end up in the same spot they were last year.

The Decline of Adrian Gonzalez

It’s no secret that Gonzo is a fan favorite around LA, and he will continue to be for the remaining length of his contract. Another not so well kept secret is that Gonzalez is declining, and 2017 may be the year where it hurts the team the most.

The 34-year-old’s decline started last year when he saw his OPS fall under .800 for the first time since 2008. He also saw his power decline, as he hit less than 20 home runs for the first time in five years. The numbers aren’t looking good for A-Gon and 2017 may bring the steepest slide yet.

Adrian’s ability to stay on the field is also hard to deal with, as Dave Roberts will aim to give him multiple off-days each week. Despite his decline, he is a big part of this team, as a leader and player, while also being a much-needed presence on the field.

Adrian Gonzalez’s decline is not like many others; he has gone from an elite first baseman to a slightly above-average one, and that is good enough for the team, as Cody Bellinger works to get a spot in LA. But, if Adrian declines faster than we foresee, he may be a detriment to the Dodgers’ World Series hopes.

The Sophomore Slumps

2016 was the year of rookies, as Corey Seager took home Rookie of the Year honors and Kenta Maeda found himself in third place. This year, these two have secured their spots on the roster and are important parts of the team’s success. If they cannot replicate last year’s success, this team will be in in trouble.

Since being drafted in 2012, Corey Seager has been hyped up as the next big Dodgers’ shortstop. When he broke onto the scene last season, he more than exceeded expectations, as he carried a .308 batting average and homered 26 times. Along the way, he picked up a few MVP votes, a Silver Slugger award, and was the unanimous Rookie of the Year.

So far Corey hasn’t shown signs of a sophomore slump, as he has started the season 10 for 35 with two home runs and four doubles. The season has started off well for Corey, but there is a lot of baseball to play, and there’s a possibility he disappoints us.

Kenta Maeda had an entirely different path to the Dodgers than Corey Seager. After spending seven seasons with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in Japan’s NPB league, Maeda made his way to LA and pitched well during his “rookie” season. The 29-year-old went 16-11 and held a 3.48 ERA during his first year in the United States, which earned him some Rookie of the Year votes. This season hasn’t started off too hot for Maeda, as he has struggled in his first two starts. He’s given up seven earned runs in 10 innings.

What is even more worrisome is Maeda’s issue with stamina has reared its head again. Kenta is a solid pitcher and an important part of the Dodgers’ rotation. But, if his stamina issues continue, we may be in for a long season.

The Lefty Struggles Continue

I wrote an article last week that touched on the struggles vs. lefties the Dodgers have dealt with since last season. Ultimately, it ended up being a major contributor in their elimination from the playoffs. This year the Dodgers made additions to fix the problem, but will it be enough to take them to the next level?

Since I touched on the Dodgers’ struggles, they have faced a total of three lefties (Kyle Freeland, Tyler Anderson, and Jon Lester). In those games, they roughed up the starters for seven runs. Not too bad right? Well, five of the runs came against Anderson in a game at Coors Field that had terrible wind conditions. In the other two starts, the Dodgers were held to a total of two runs on eight hits. Yes, it may only be nine games into the season, but I am starting to worry about the struggles carrying over.

I am a firm believer that the team will eventually put it together and fix their struggles against southpaws because they are too talented not to. For the time being, however, they do not look like an improved offense against lefties. They have had issues with guys who are much less talented than the pitchers they would face come October. It’s still only April, so I’m not going to freak out over the issue. And who knows, the Dodgers might even make a move at the deadline to fix the problem. Or maybe they won’t…