Dodgers: Little Things That Should be Fixed Before October

Everyone knows when it comes to October, the little things can decide who hoists the World Series trophy and who goes home disappointed. For a team like the 2017 Dodgers, it’s hard to find anything wrong with them. But every team has a weakness and it’s time the Dodgers’ weaknesses are addressed.

First, what are the little things? It could be anything from how an infielder fields a groundball to running the basepaths properly. Basically, anything that seems fundamental that should be executed by a Major League baseball player. The Dodgers do many of the little things correctly.

Going from first to third, not giving up walks, taking walks, and making one out at a time. This is why they are so good. Much of this mentality for perfection can be attributed to Dave Roberts‘ game-by-game approach. Not panicking and not trying to do too much is the key to the Dodgers’ success.

The first Dodgers’ little problem actually stems from that mentality. Roberts tries to win every game, disregarding the standings or what lies ahead three weeks from that moment. It’s what set the Dodgers on pace to break the record for most regular season wins, but it’s also left him to rely on the bullpen too much.

This was a problem last season as well. Though, unlike last season, the Dodgers have the starting pitchers to go deeper into games. No one blames Roberts for using his bullpen. After all, it’s the best in the National League. But Dodger fans know very well the reason why the Dodgers didn’t advance to the World Series last year, despite having a 2-1 lead in the NLCS, is because the bullpen arms just ran out of gas.

Other than Kershaw, the Dodgers didn’t have someone who could go six or seven innings in a postseason game. As a result, the bullpen was taxed and over-exposed. It worked in a shorter five-game series in the NLDS, but in a longer best-of-seven series against an information junkie team, like the Cubs, it wasn’t enough.

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Good news is Roberts is using his bullpen more sparingly this season, compared to last season. In 2016, the Dodgers were first in bullpen innings with a 590.2. This year, it doesn’t look like they’ll come close to that number with a manageable 418.1 with about a month to go.

It’s also not just the number of innings, but the amount of effort it takes to get through those innings. In 2016, the Dodgers’ relievers were third in pitches thrown. This season, they rank in the bottom third in the Majors.

Though the Dodgers have done a better job of splitting the workload between starters and relievers, it’s been noticeable over the last few weeks that some of the arms in the bullpen are growing weary. Pedro Baez is a prime example because of how much he’s used and how important he is. Before the All-Star Break, he had a 1.43 ERA, but since then a 3.14. Baez is used as a setup man to Kenley Jansen, but also someone that’s brought in to get out of jams or face the middle of the lineup. He needs to be on his A-game for the Dodgers to make a World Series push.

Another little thing the Dodgers should be wary of is outfield miscommunication. When I say outfield, I mainly mean right-center field. If you haven’t followed the Dodgers all year, you probably aren’t aware of this since it’s only happened a handful of times. But it’s what put Joc Pederson on the DL with a concussion. If there is a ball in the gap, most Dodger fans hold their breath for the unfortunate center fielder that has to call Yasiel Puig off.

Don’t get me wrong, Puig is having a Gold Glove-caliber season, but he’s sometimes too ambitious in his efforts to track down fly balls. Whether it’s his reluctance to stop, or the center fielder not calling him off, this is a problem. In October when little things like this are exposed, a problem that could potentially lead to a big inning for the opposition makes fixing it more urgent.

It should also be noted that the Dodgers will have a different looking outfield from the one they’ve been playing with all year. Since Pederson is in the Minors, and Adrian Gonzalez is back, Cody Bellinger will most likely see more time in left, which moves Chris Taylor into center field. Now, if this was a problem with a natural center fielder in Pederson, imagine how much worse it can be with an inexperienced center fielder in Taylor.

Taylor isn’t the biggest guy either, so a collision with Puig would be more detrimental than with a bigger guy in Pederson. Hopefully, Taylor can use his speed to outrun Puig to the ball.

Next: Minor League Award Winners

Success in October involves a lot of luck. Since the Dodgers are the latest team to put the Sports Illustrated cover jinx to the test, they’ll need to make sure everything is patched up so that luck won’t get the best of them.