Dodgers: Five Players Crucial for a Successful Postseason

You look at the numbers from the season and the immediate reaction should almost certainly be “that’s just not Kenley.”

If you think that way it is hard to argue with you as Jansen’s 2.78 ERA and 140 ERA+ suggest he is having a down season in a big way. But, because of his off-brand results from this campaign, a quick turnaround to his old form will be crucial to the Dodgers playoff success.

If you have watched the playoffs over the last few seasons, Kenley Jansen is the most used pitcher on the Dodgers roster. Since 2015, Jansen has pitched the most playoff innings on the Dodgers besides Clayton Kershaw and that includes other starters. He is often called upon to pitch multiple innings or even to come in as a momentum killer in the middle of games. His role is fluid and more important than ever regardless of what exactly he is doing.

So, with Kenley being such a go-to player, a successful postseason will be imperative to his team’s success.

Jansen will need to command the zone better. Since 2014, Kenley has not had a walks per nine innings rate of more than 1.5. This year, the 30-year old righty owns a 2.3 BB9 and it is costing him in the form of valuable pitches and it puts runners on base.

Second, Jansen will need to limit the home run. 2018 has been his worst year to date in terms of homers. In 2018, Kenley has surrendered 10 home runs, the most he has ever given up and the first time he has allowed a home run total into double digits. His previous high was six in 2012, ’13, and ’15.

But, if Kenley can find his consistent cutter, the pitch that has made him so famous, Dave Roberts will regain his most reliable pitcher and it will be a huge boost for a bullpen that certainly needs it.

The offense has never really been a question for Yasmani Grandal, you know what you are going to get. Grandal is on course to have roughly the same offensive season he has had for the last five years: a batting average in the .225 to .245 range, an OPS of 750 to 800 and a home run total in the mid-20s range. This is predictable and Grandal has accomplished it yet again.

So, Grandal’s offensive production is not what will come into the spotlight for the 29-year old this postseason, it is his defense.

Many Dodger fans know it, and if you know you are frustrated by it, but Grandal’s defense is tough to trust. Since 2016, Yasmani Grandal leads the major leagues in passed balls, a stat that is not exactly conducive to saving runs.

Now sure, Yasmani’s elite pitch framing is a small plus but quite honestly, adding one or two strike calls per game is far less important than preventing balls from getting to the backstop. Games have actually been won or lost this year because of good catching and part of the Dodgers postseason success will depend on Grandal’s ability to provide steady defense behind the plate.

You could call it a sophomore slump but that feels a bit extreme. Predictable regression is more like it.

Cody Bellinger’s total offensive numbers took a hit in 2018 but the 23-year old still leads the Dodgers in runs, games played, at-bats, and hits.

Nonetheless, Bellinger’s 39 total home runs in 2017 will not even remotely be touched in 2018 as Bellinger has hit 23 home runs with just six games remaining in the season. Outside of homers, Bellinger’s average, strikeout total, walk total, doubles and many more are all almost identical to just a season ago. So why is he on this list?

Because if this year is anything even close to last season, Bellinger is preparing to do that ultimate shutdown come the playoffs.

In the 2017 postseason, Cody Bellinger hit just .219 in 64 at-bats. Across all three series in which the Dodgers participated, Bellinger hit just one homer in each series and struck out an unreal 29 times in those 64 ABs; that’s almost fifty percent of the time.

His tendency to swing at inside curveballs became the laughing stock of both opponents and Dodger fans as Bellinger did the full 180 from Rookie of the Year to easy out.

2018 cannot work the same way. Bellinger will need to maintain his current pace at minimum for the Dodgers to be successful as he is a key part of a lineup that needs to fire on all cylinders. Success for Cody does not mean more homers, it just means consistency, cutting down on strikeouts and getting on base.

Ross Stripling could not have asked for a better season. Sure, the end of the season was not ideal with his back injury and DL stint to get some rest but even with some abbreviated starts recently the overall numbers for the 28-year old righty are seriously good and are not to be overlooked.

In 120.1 innings, the most he has thrown in the major leagues, Stripling has maintained a 2.84 ERA, a 1.147 WHIP, 137 strikeouts, and a career-best ERA+ of 137. Stripling has also maintained a K9 rate of 10 for the first time in his career.

Most of this work was done as a starter. The 2018 All-Star started the year in the pen but was quickly moved to the rotation due to injuries and just pure dominance as a reliever. And when he continued to dominate as a starter, the Dodgers never moved him back to the pen.

But, come the postseason, Stripling will (and should) be moved back to the bullpen where he can dominate batters in shorter stints but, he can do it more often.

As a reliever, the Dodgers can utilize Stripling and his hot hand more than once per series and use him in a variety of ways: a fourth starter if necessary, a long man, setup, middle relief or even as a closer.

Stripling will have to dominate batters and stay ahead of them to continue his effectiveness and this will be impreative for the Dodgers to win. Pitching wins games in baseball and if Stripling can maintain pace and play the way he has, he will be a huge boost to the bullpen and the team as a whole.

The often injured southpaw has once again proven that the Dodgers invested in the right guy back in 2012. Ryu was brought to the United States for a reason and when he is healthy the reason is obvious: he is untouchable.

In 76.1 innings, Ryu has worked his way to a 2.00 ERA, a 1.009 WHIP, a 2.4 WAR and most

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impressive a 194 ERA+.

Ryu has been dominant in almost every start and had he stayed healthy all year, we would have been looking at a potential Cy Young candidate.

For Ryu and the Dodgers, the key to success will be to keep pitching the way he has. The Dodgers would like to be able to put Ryu on the mound and know that they have a very good chance at capturing a win in that game. Ryu gives them that opportunity so long as he keeps this up.

Should he collapse, Dave Roberts will be forced to use the hook early and go to his bullpen a day either before or after the Dodgers will pitch Rich Hill who has had his fair share of inconsistencies this season.

So, Ryu will not only have to maintain his success into October but he will have to provide longevity and a quality start at a minimum to give his team a chance to win his game and the one on the following day.