Dodgers: Comparing the 2013 Dodgers to This 2017 Team

With each passing week of Dodger baseball, fans enjoy a new streak or fun statistic that shows just how good this team is. No stat, though, is more recognizable over the last few years to fan than the 42-8 run that occurred with the introduction of Yasiel Puig back in 2013.

This 2017 is full of fun facts all their own, from the streaks they have been on, to the record breaking seasons for multiple players on the team. When they lost the lead on Wednesday and eventually the game, it was the first time they had lost a game they had held the lead in 53 games! 

Numbers and streaks are great, but there should be a larger goal. There isn’t much left to prove at this point in the year for the Dodgers besides solidifying the best record in baseball. Now is a good chance to compare them to other teams in recent memory and what better place to start than 2013?

If the Dodgers win one more game, they will match and possibly surpass that 2013 squad’s 50-game streak of 42-8. On June 4th, this team was 35-23 and a half game back of first in the NL West. Since then, a lot has changed in the standings and up and down the roster. This team has improved with help from their own system and now by going out and getting those final pieces to solidify this team. 

Let me be clear before we get into the comparison, the 2017 Dodgers are WAY better than the 2013 team, from top to bottom. It’s fair to say that the 2013 team was the reemergence of baseball in Los Angeles, but the 2017 team is capable of taking the city to much greater heights.

Pitching

On the mound, especially now with the moves made at the deadline, there is a pretty vast difference between the two teams.

First off, think about where the staff was in 2013. Beyond Greinke and Kershaw at the helm, it kind of seems amazing that the team won 92 games. Ryu had a nice breakout season and seemed to be on track to be the third man in the rotation, but that question is still being asked today. Beyond those three, there were a ton of question marks.

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Remember that at the start of the 2013 season there were still debates about the Dodgers closing role going to Javy Guerra or Kenley Jansen. That is insanity looking back today.

Chris Capuano started 24 games for that team and fans today are unhappy with this year’s team when they have five starters with more than 15 starts each with an ERA below 3.85.

J.P. Howell was arguably the best arm in the pen beside Kenley that year, and despite him pitching well, a low 80’s lefty should never be the go to option to get high leverage outs.

Looking at how far Dodgers fans have come with their expectations is kind of funny looking back on all that. Going from 2013, a year where Stephen Fife, Josh Beckett and Chad Billingsley all started games, to now? What a four year run it has been for the boys in blue.

Just like the hitters, from top to bottom, the Dodgers this year have a deeper and more talented staff. Adding Darvish is one thing but getting Watson and Cingrani at the deadline only solidified that thought and bolstered the confidence of what many believe to be the best bullpen in baseball. Cingrani obviously didn’t get off to the start the team imagined last night, but Watson seems very comfortable so far in blue. 

In 2013, Brandon League had an ERA of 5.30 and pitched in 58 games for that team. Ronald Bellisario led the team in relief appearances. This year, the only two relievers with an ERA above 5 rarely throw anymore, and the majority of the pen is dominant, touting a 2.96 ERA. 

The only thing that the 2013 staff has over 2017 is – MAYBE – a better Clayton Kershaw. No doubt healthier at that time, Kershaw enjoyed an ERA just above 1.80 en route to a 16-4 season.

What 2017 Kershaw gives up in durability, he makes up for in experience and grit. 2013 Kersh was still coming into his own as the best arm in the league, and the murmurs of his playoff falterings were only getting louder. 

2017 Kershaw is on a mission to dominate the postseason; there is little left for him to accomplish during the regular year, which was not true back then. This Kershaw has dealt with both playoff success and failure and can now use that in what will certainly be his biggest postseason yet. 

When he is healthy, he is the best pitcher on the planet. As the postseason inches closer,  Kershaw knows he will have his hands on the Dodger playoff success as much as anyone else. The difference is he also knows he has a strong team around him and he doesn’t need to carry all the weight. Ricky Nolasco started a playoff game in 2013, and the Dodgers will certainly not be relying on anything like that this year, Yu know what I mean?

Next: Potential Playoff Bench

The 2013 team ended its season with a record of 92-70 and lost in six games to St. Louis in the NLCS. This Dodger team seems destined for more, but until then, all we can do is compare.