Dodgers Turn Over the Team to a Young Core of Players in 2018

The Dodgers currently rock a roster with, what I have calculated as, an average age of 27.41. The numbers don’t reflect a drastic change from before the trade, though. The average age then was (again, according to my abacus) 27.82 years. However, I do believe that the heart and soul of the team has shifted. These are a more youthful group of players on which the Dodgers now rely.

The Dodgers are loaded with quality players in their third decade of life. Men already in, or about to enter, their prime. As a matter of fact, quite possibly the best of the Dodgers overall is the baby-faced 29 year-old Clayton Kershaw. Also 29 are pitcher Kenta Maeda and catcher Yasmani Grandal. Sporty catcher Austin Barnes is barely 28, while NLCS co-MVP Chris Taylor is but a mere 27.

Of course, we can’t overlook Yasiel Puig this year. After a return to form last season, the 27 year old is set to be entrenched in right field pretty much every game. Puig is poised to become a true free agent for the first time when the 2019 season ends. At which point, he will command a hefty bag of cash in contract negotiations.

It’s hard to believe, with all the confidence he displayed last year, that Alex Wood is still only 26. If the lefty from Georgia continues to progress on an upward trajectory, there’s much to be optimistic about going forward. Wood could someday very soon be one of the best lefty starters in the game.