2019 Los Angeles Dodgers Starting Lineup Predictions

A.J. Pollock and Cody Bellinger are locks for their respective positions, center and right field. Their offensive contributions will improve with everyday play and Pollock is a Gold Glove center fielder.

The question mark is left field.

Alex Verdugo and Joc Pederson are both vying for the starting role.  There is no doubt Verdugo finally needs to be on the big league roster, but the Dodgers certainly benefit from the pop of Joc’s bat.

Given both are left-handed batters, that platoon won’t be an easy decision.  From where I stand the majority of starts should really go to Verdugo.  Hitting .316 with a .375 OBP over his minor league career, Verdugo has nothing more to prove there.  He needs the major league at-bats in order to progress.  Though Pederson’s bat is really beginning to awaken in the latter part of this Spring, I think the Dodgers will really benefit from Verdugo’s OBP approach over the long ball.

So for the early part of the season, I see Verdugo getting the majority of the starts to build his confidence, give him experience, and evaluate how well he adapts.  Look for Joc and/or Chris Taylor to take over in the sixth or seventh inning.

Outfield Wildcard: Andrew Toles

Andrew Toles has shown great promise of the years but unfortunately has been plagued by injuries.  In his time with the Dodgers, Toles has performed well often coming through in the clutch.  So far, he has yet to show up to Spring Training due to an “undisclosed personal matter”.  Due to Toles’ personal situation and the current outfield log jam, he will likely start the season in the minors, but look for him to be called up as an injury replacement or, because of players like DJ Peters also waiting in the wings, a trade piece at the deadline.