Dodgers: Three Reasons to be Thankful for the 2018 Season

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 27: Yasiel Puig #66 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates at home plate with Cody Bellinger #35 and Manny Machado #8 after Puig hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning of Game Four of the 2018 World Series against pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez #57 of the Boston Red Sox (not in photo) at Dodger Stadium on October 27, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

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LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 26: Walker Buehler #21 of the Los Angeles Dodgers delivers the pitch during the third inning against the Boston Red Sox in Game Three of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) /

The emergence of Walker Buehler

The 2018 season was all about the emergence of Walker Buehler. When young Walker made his first appearances out of the Dodger bullpen in September of 2017, he looked every bit like a rookie pitcher. This season, Buehler looked like a bonafide ace rather than a rookie and for large parts of the season, he looked like the ace of the rotation. If not for some fractured ribs, he may have won the rookie of the year award.

While Buehler’s first playoff start was a rough one in Atlanta, he showed major strides shutting down the Red Sox in his lone dazzling World Series performance one start after helping the Dodgers win game seven of the NLCS. Buehler gives the Dodgers top of the rotation it’s best duo since that Zack Greinke fellow wore number 21 with the Dodgers.