Dodgers’ Starting Pitching Continues to Dominate the First Half

There is no doubt that the Dodgers have been having an unbelievable first half of the season. With a 43-20 record, LA sits atop first place in the NL West.

One of the most dominant parts of the Dodgers’ attack this year is their starting pitching.  The five starters include; Hyun-Jin Ryu, Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill, Kenta Maeda, and Walker Buehler. The five collectively have an ERA of 2.78 and have transformed into arguably the best rotation in all of baseball.

The most dominant of the five is Ryu, who currently has the best ERA in baseball at 1.35. In 80 innings pitched, he has 71 strikeouts and five walks. He is the only starting pitcher on the team who has thrown a shutout and hasn’t allowed more than two runs in any start this season.

Kershaw is still undefeated, and the Dodgers have yet to lose a game while he is on the mound. He has an ERA of 3.20, high for him but he is still proving to be successful. He has 55 strikeouts and nine walks in 53 innings and has shown that he can still be dominant with his velocity being at a career-low.

Although he started the season on the IL, Rich Hill has come a long way since then. He currently holds a 2.25 era and a 2-1 record. In the past 40 innings pitched he has 46 strikeouts and nine walks, showing that when healthy he can be the best number three or number four starter in baseball.

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With Ryu being so dominant, it would seem hard to keep up, but Maeda has been doing just that. He currently is 7-2, which is the second most wins in the NL following Ryu. He has a 3.48 ERA and has 69 strikeouts in the 67 innings he’s pitched. Though there have been some questions on whether or not Maeda should be moved to the bullpen, he has thrived in any opportunity he’s been given this season.

Finally, Buehler has proven to show that even as the youngest starter he can keep up with the veterans. He has an ERA of 3.69 with 69 strikeouts and he currently has a win-loss percentage of .857, which is 4th in the NL.  In his last seven starts, Buehler has a 2.84 ERA and has gotten into his usual form after a late start.

Offensively, the Dodgers have been extremely successful with bats like Cody Bellinger and Joc Pederson. However, the starting rotation has been shining on its own and helping the Dodgers have the best record in baseball.