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.

Hitting

One stat says just about everything you need to know when comparing these two teams in the box. The 2013 Dodgers total home runs was 138. This year, so far, the Dodgers have 152 and are on their way to breaking the club record of 211.

Not only is there a greater emphasis on putting the ball in the air for this team and league wide, the Dodgers simply have more firepower to do so.

The top two home run hitters in 2013 were Adrian Gonzalez (22) and Hanley Ramirez (20). Cody Bellinger surpassed both of those in the first half and may come close to having more dingers this year than they had combined.

Just giving the rosters the eye test, this years team is stacked compared to 2013. I mean, Skip Schumaker, Nick “Shredder” Punto and Jerry Hariston all had over 200 at bats. As grateful as we are for Punto bringing the still used walk-off celebration for the Dodgers, this year’s team is in a much better place.

Replace those three with Kike Hernandez, Austin Barnes and Chris Taylor and the difference is clear. Not only can the players this year swing it better but they are just more dynamic players overall. 

The details are important for rounding out a team, but the middle of the lineup guys will always make or break you. 2017 (Seager-Turner-Bellinger) is far superior to 2013, which didn’t really have a clear cut three hitter for the whole year. A-Gon and Hanley had very nice seasons, but besides Puig, at times there was never really a third option.

Those three had 61 home runs combined, and even though injuries limited them, the 2017 trio will be way over that total.

Overall, the offense is just too deep in 2017 and seems to have a new player step up every night to get it done. 2013 just didn’t have that mojo, it had some signs of it, but the offense eventually was part of the reason their season came to a close in the NLCS.

With just over 50 games to go, it will be interesting to see where this Dodgers team has its numbers lands amongst the best teams in club history. Every slot in the lineup this year has produced, and that has really set this team apart from the few years prior. Plus, this team hits lefties, which was something they were crucified for not doing last year.