Dodgers: 3 spring performances forgotten amid the shutdown

Lost in the shuffle of Spring Training abruptly ending due to the coronavirus, there were several Los Angeles Dodgers players having strong performances.

While it seems like forever ago, it has only been one month since baseball shut its doors in response to the novel coronavirus. The Dodgers were in the middle of Cactus League play, with a 10-7 record over the first few weeks of camp. There were several players making an impression at Camelback Ranch, their performances easily forgotten with everything else going on.

In order to make sure the best performers of Spring Training aren’t forgotten, I thought I would highlight a few here. These are both players who were invited to camp and hoping to make a first impression, as well as a veteran trying to rebound from a down year. Enjoy!

Zach McKinstry

Coming off an impressive performance in Triple-A Oklahoma City last year, Zach McKinstry was the best Dodgers hitter in Spring Training. The second baseman went 11-27 at the plate with two doubles, one triple, and two home runs. It all translated into an impressive .406 batting average and .778 slugging percentage.

After struggling a bit in Double-A Tulsa, McKinstry found his stride in Oklahoma City where he mashed .382/.421/.753 in 26 games last season. The left-handed hitting infielder was optioned to the minors as one of the Dodgers final moves before the shutdown, but he should see time in the majors whenever baseball resumes.

The former 33rd round pick added muscle and tweaked his approach at the plate after hitting just 11 home runs in his first few years in the minors. The adjustments paid off with a burst in power last season when he connected for 19 home runs between Tulsa and OKC.

He is already on the 40-man roster, and with Lux set to play everyday in the majors, he will have every opportunity to shine in Triple-A while waiting for his chance to break into the Dodgers clubhouse.

Kenley Jansen

The Dodgers closer, Kenley Jansen, who has vacillated between dominant and susceptible to blowing a key lead, as relief pitchers tend to do, was extremely effective in spring camp. In six appearances, he struck out eleven of the eighteen batters he faced, allowing only four hits and one earned run.

It’s a promising sign for the veteran closer who had his worst season last year, leading to manager Dave Roberts losing faith in him during the postseason. Jansen saw his ERA jump to 3.71 last season, his walk rate up nearly two runs from his personal best season in 2017, and his ground ball rate the lowest in his career.

The right-hander worked on improving his delivery during the offseason, visiting Driveline Baseball at the recommendation of his agent, as well as Dodgers strength and conditioning coach, Brandon McDaniel.

Jansen has relied on his cutter since 2016 when he had his breakout season in the bullpen, saving 47 games to a sparking 1.83 ERA. He continued to use the pitch with dominant results until last season, when opposing hitters had a .429 slugging percentage against the offering.

Experimenting with a new approach during the spring, Jansen tried throwing less cutters, and the results speak for themselves.

It will be interesting to see if Jansen continues to mix up his pitch types whenever real baseball returns. The Dodgers need him to return to form in order to compete for a world championship.