Top 10 Dodgers of the 2000’s: 2000-2009

10. Derek Lowe

Lowe’s best ability was his availability. None of his numbers stand out, however, he was the workhorse of the staff during his four seasons in Los Angeles. He was very consistent. The Dodgers could take his 30+ starts and sub 4 ERA to the bank. He eclipsed 200 innings in three of the four seasons he pitched.

The one season Lowe failed to eclipse 200 innings he was 2 outs away from 200, as he pitched 199 1/3 innings. All around Lowe was a solid player to lead the rotation. He was just solid, not special or remarkable, but he could sure be counted on to eat innings and do so in a productive way.

9. Manny Ramirez

Ramirez makes this list because of his impact on the team more than anything else. He was acquired by Ned Colletti in a blockbuster deal and helped guide the Dodgers to the NLCS in two consecutive seasons. His personality was larger than life and he was immediately welcomed to the la la land with his own section; Mannywood.

His production is not to be forgotten. During his 53 games with Los Angeles in 2008, he held a jaw-dropping 1.232 OPS. He brought a new life to the team and without him, the Dodgers would have likely been watching the playoffs from home. He sparked the team into a pair of good playoff runs.

8. Jeff Kent

The former MVP spent the final four seasons of his career with the Dodgers. Earning his final all-star game appearance and silver slugger in his first of those four seasons. The second baseman was a staple in the middle of the Dodgers lineup during his tenure.

Father time has never lost, but boy did Kent put up quite the fight. Getting on base at .375+ clip in 3 of his four seasons. He was the type of blue-collar player that fans gravitate towards. He showed up for work and played hard every day. Kent was very good despite his regression and was one of the most reliable hitters in that lineup.

7. Andre Ethier

Ethier came up swinging in 2006. He started his tenure with the Dodgers off very well. He had a .365 OBP en route to a top 5 finish in Rookie of the Year voting. He did suffer a sophomore slump but was still able to manage a .350 OBP and saw an uptick in his power. In 2008 he saw yet another rise in power numbers while also getting his on-base numbers back up to .375.

2009 was a career year for Andre. Putting up career numbers in hits, walks, RBI’s, home runs, doubles, stolen bases, and bWAR. His batting average did take a hit, but that doesn’t matter if he is still getting on base at a similar rate due to his walks. His production granted him a 6th place finish in MVP voting along with a silver slugger.

6. Paul Lo Duca

The catcher had the unlucky fate of having to follow one of the greatest catchers of all-time in Mike Piazza. He didn’t immediately take over for Piazza but was the first to help ease the pain. Lo Duca finally got the job in 2001 and absolutely stormed out of the gates. Slashing .320/.374/.543 in his first season at the helm.

He quickly became a fan favorite after his opening season. Unfortunately, he was not able to ever repeat that success. He was still a solid catcher with versatility. Elite offensive production for a catcher was and still is rare, but Lo Duca was just that for a year. Following that he was still a very productive offensive player but makes it this high on the list largely because of his first season as a starter.

5. Gary Sheffield

His tenure in the 2000’s with the Dodgers was just two seasons long, however, he made an absolute statement in those two seasons and earned his spot on the list. Sheffield was already an established all-star when the Dodgers acquired him as a part of the Piazza deal. His two years in the 2000’s with Los Angeles he had an OPS of 1.041, hit 79 bombs and drove in 209 runs.

Sheffield also added an all-star appearance and a top 10 MVP finish. Sheffield slid a bit under the radar with during that time with the likes of Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa putting balls over the fence at an ungodly rate. He was still one of the best hitters in the game and his numbers prove that.

4. Russell Martin

The newly acquired Martin is back in blue. Martin was a part of the young crop of players that included the previously mentioned Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier and Clayton Kershaw (also James Loney). He was great straight away and was able to maintain that success.

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In his four seasons from 2006-2009, his OBP did not drop below .350. Which is even more impressive considering the beating catchers take behind the dish. He was also able to steal 60 bases during that time frame. Martin was a good all-around catcher.

In those four seasons, he collected 2 all-star game appearances, a gold glove and a silver slugger. He was also a part of one of the most iconic moments in franchise history. The four consecutive home runs to tie the game. Martin, like many others on this list, was a fan favorite and that was because he played the game with an edge and that helped him be productive while with the Dodgers.

3. Adrian Beltre

This was very tough. The numbers 1-3 could be interchanged and it would be hard for me to make an argument against it. The newly retired Adrian Beltre gets the nod here because of his giant year in 2004. That year he finished second in MVP voting behind Barry Bonds (of course) and was able to earn his first silver slugger.

2004 was the season that really put Beltre on the map for many fans and earned him a nice contract with the Mariners. That season really came out of nowhere. Although he was consistently improving as a player the magnitude in which he improved could not have been predicted.

He was a solid player beforehand but setting a career high in average, OBP, OPS, slugging, home runs and RBI’s. Beltre was also an elite defender. He holds two of the top 10 spots for defensive WAR in a single season for the Dodgers. Even if his offensive number only really popped off the stat sheet in 2004, Beltre was always an elite defender.

2. Shawn Green

Green was a very good player during his five-year tenure in Los Angeles. He was reliable. Over the 5 seasons he spent in blue, he missed a total of just 12 games. Green had 3 solid seasons and two spectacular seasons with the Dodgers. His debut season was in 2000. Green played in all 162 games that season and played very well. He had an OBP of .367 and mashed 44 doubles to go along with his 24 long balls.

He followed that up with a career year in 2001. He put 49 balls into seats. That is still the all-time record for home runs by a Dodger in a single season. Green had career highs in home runs (49), slugging (.598), OPS+ (154), total bases (370) and WAR (7.0). He somehow missed the all-star game in that season but was able to finish 6th in MVP voting.

After a breakout year in 2001, he did not disappoint in 2002. Green essentially matched his numbers in 2001. This was enough to earn him an all-star spot along with a top 5 finish in the MVP race.

Perhaps his most notable moment with the Dodgers came in Milwaukee against the Brewers. He set an MLB record for most total bases in a game with 19. He did so thanks to 4 long balls, which is also an MLB record for a game. This performance will forever be remembered as the greatest offensive performance by a Dodger and maybe ever. This performance was incredible and a big part of why he was so high on this list.

1. Eric Gagne

Gagne had an ugly start to the decade and his career. He was labeled a starter but was just horrendous. Much like many relievers, his career as a starter was dead so he made a last ditch effort as a reliever. Breaking news: It worked. He instantly became the most dominant closer in baseball.

Creating a record that still stands, converting 84 consecutive saves. In 2003 Gagne had an ERA+ of 337. To put that into perspective, the highest ERA+ the only unanimous Hall-of-Famer Mariano Rivera had was 316. Needless to say, that was a special season for the starter turned reliever.

That 2003 season was enough to earn his only Cy Young award. Aside from his unreal numbers, he brought a sense of worry to the other team when he would enter the game. As “Welcome to the Jungle” rang through the stadium, and “Game Over” was plastered on the screens, the other team was in trouble when Gagne entered because it truly was “Game Over”.

Gagne’s aura was larger than life. That may have been a big reason for his success. His stuff was obviously otherworldly, but the presence he brought to a game was just as special. It is hard to explain if you were never in the stadium to watch him pitch. Gagne brought excitement to the fans and dread to the opposing hitters. He was electric and earned the top spot on the list.