Dodgers: Alex Wood’s 2017 Season Grade

The Dodgers were fueled this year by many breakout players.  Pitching-wise, there was no bigger breakout than the performance of Alex Wood.

Alex Wood battled to make the starting rotation all spring and ultimately fell short.  He did not let that affect his performance as he performed well out of the pen before being inserted into the rotation due to injuries.  After being inserted into the rotation, Alex Wood went on a dominant run and started the season 10-0.  While wins do not always indicate a pitcher is pitching well, it does for Wood as he appeared to be on a Kershaw type level in the first half of the season.

For Alex Wood, it was a tale of two halves.  In the first half, he went 10-0 with a 1.67 ERA.  In the second half, Wood was still good, but he regressed a bit and posted a 3.89 ERA.  Wood almost lost his playoff rotation spot but ended up making the post-season roster rotation and shined in the World Series.  His NLCS start against the Cubs was mediocre as he didn’t make it through five innings and allowed three home runs.  He responded with a stellar World Series start against the Astros in which he did not allow a hit until the sixth inning.

Overall it was a very good season for Wood.  He went 16-3 with a 2.72 ERA while making 25 starts.  Wood was very versatile for the Dodgers and pitched well out of the bullpen and in the rotation.  While Wood did have to take a few weeks off due to shoulder ailments he still made 25 starts which is very good.  The question about  Wood is if he can hold up for a full season next year.  Wood was in the mid 90’s at the beginning of the season but as the season progressed he was sitting around 90-91 miles per hour on his fastball.

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The main pitch that elevated Wood’s breakout season was his changeup.  Wood’s changeup allowed him to induce a ton of ground balls and keep the ball in the ballpark when he had control of his fastball.  Wood allowed a career-low .217 average against so not only di hitters make weak contact, but they hardly recorded hits against Wood.  If Wood can gains strength and keeps his fastball in the mid 90’s for all of next season, then I would not be surprised to see him get even better next season.

One thing I think people fail to realize is that Alex Wood is barely entering the prime of his career.  Despite being in the major leagues since 2013, Wood will barely turn 27 years old next season.  There is no doubt the Dodgers are better when Wood is pitching like a number one starter out of the third spot in the rotation.  When the Dodgers can run Kershaw, Hill, and Wood all out in a row, it’s no wonder the Dodgers led the major leagues in wins.

My favorite part of Wood’s season was his World Series start against the Astros in which he carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning.  That was a breakout moment for Alex Wood as he shut down the World Champs and one of if not the best lineups in baseball.  Going forward, Dodger fans should be excited about Alex Wood as he continues to hone his off-speed pitches.  Wood is a lock for the 2018 rotation barring injury and will look to build off his career year.

Next: Adrian Gonzalez's 2017 Season Grade

Overall, Alex Wood earns an A+ grade for the 2017 season.  Not only did he come through with a breakout season but he also delivered in the most important start of his career, in the World Series.  The only thing capable of slowing Wood’s progression down is an injury.  That is the single area where Wood can get better, which is staying healthy and taking the ball consistently every five days.