Dodgers: Team’s biggest surprises so far this season

Last season, the Dodgers got some very pleasant surprises in players such as Corey Seager and Andrew Toles. The team was hoping for some more surprises this year to help fill out the roster and lead them to the World Series.

During the first two months of the season, the Dodgers have seen both positive surprises, regarding production, from players you would not have predicted, along with huge disappointments.

Last season, the Dodgers had two youngsters in Andrew Toles and Corey Seager surpass expectations and be significant contributors for the NL’s runner-up team.

In fact, Toles was not even on LA’s radar at the start of the season, but he took advantage of a midseason call-up and ended playing his way into the Dodgers’ starting lineup during the playoffs.

This season has seen a continuation of that trend, and today we’ll be taking a look at the team’s three biggest surprises of the season so far.

Alex Wood

When the Dodgers made the super-deal with the Atlanta Braves two years ago, people were skeptical of Alex Wood’s talent. Anytime you can get a young pitcher who is under team control for multiple years you pull the trigger, and Alex Wood is proving that was the right decision.

Wood was having a dominant season before he found himself on the DL. On the season, Wood is 6-0 with a 1.69 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP, and 11.3 K/9 rate. Needless to say, when he is in the rotation he has been the Dodgers’ second-best pitcher behind Clayton Kershaw.

Wood has been such a surprise for the team because he wasn’t originally slated to even be in the starting rotation. Wood started the season out of the bullpen and was the odd-man out of the rotation when Opening Day came around. Since then, he has more than earned his spot and has been a pleasant surprise as Rich Hill and Julio Urias have proceeded to struggle.

At the moment Wood is on the DL, but he is slated to return to the team this weekend and looks to hit the ground running. Wood is a dominant pitcher when he’s on and I would be more than confident with having him as the second man in the rotation.

For a guy who we weren’t even including in rotation talks during April, Wood has more than filled a role on the team. If he can keep his dominant form when he returns from the DL, the team may have found their man to back up Clayton Kershaw.

Chris Taylor

If I had told you last year that Chris Taylor would be the Dodgers’ MVP through June 7^th, how crazy would you have looked at me? Well, Taylor has more than proved he deserves a spot on this roster and has been the biggest surprise for the team thus far.

Similar to Alex Wood, Taylor wasn’t in the discussion for anything more than a bench role this season but has batted his way into a starting position. He actually started off the season in Triple-A Oklahoma City.

On the year, Taylor is batting .305/.395/.518 with seven home runs and two grand slams. The way he’s playing right now, he has earned more than the fair share of votes for an All-Star game appearance.

Taylor was picked up from the Mariner last season for former 1^st round pick Zach Lee, and that deal has looked like the robbery of 2016. Taylor has attributed his newfound success to a new stance in which he added a leg kick and adjusted the position of his hands. Whatever he did, others should follow suit because it has worked like a charm.

Taylor has recently been playing in center field to keep his bat in the lineup, but he is a natural infielder. Because of his hot bat, he is forcing Dave Roberts to find spots on the field for him and may have taken Joc Pederson’s job.

Taylor may not be the best defensive option in center field, but the Dodgers need to get his bat in the lineup somehow. He has been one of, if not the best, player for the Dodgers this season, and certainly the biggest surprise.