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

LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 25: Clayton Kershaw
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 25: Clayton Kershaw /
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SAN FRANCISCO – JUNE 22: Catcher Paul LoDuca #16 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws the ball during the game against the San Francisco Giants at SBC Park on June 22, 2004 in San Francisco, California. The Giants won 11-5. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO – JUNE 22: Catcher Paul LoDuca #16 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws the ball during the game against the San Francisco Giants at SBC Park on June 22, 2004 in San Francisco, California. The Giants won 11-5. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) /

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.