3 questions Dodgers need answered before 2022 postseason starts

The Los Angeles Dodgers are, on paper, the best team in Major League Baseball, and have blitzed through the competition for months now. LA fans know better than anybody, though, that your regular season triumphs have nothing to do with the playoffs.

Yes, it’ll be swell when the Dodgers have home field advantage throughout, but, like many other teams bound for October, LA has holes, questions and concerns. Look at last year’s 106-win team! It all unraveled so quickly and left fans speechless.

This time around, the Dodgers are better prepared. Their depth is arguably the best in the league. Despite various pitching injuries/absences, they own the lowest ERA in the sport. The offense is nearly unstoppable — there’s no easy out in the entire lineup, with the exception of Cody Bellinger (if he’ll even be a postseason starter).

But don’t get too cocky, LA fans. Postseason baseball is a different animal, and one deficiency can send a team spiraling out of control en route to an early exit.

If the Dodgers don’t answer these questions over the next few weeks of the regular season, that sadly could be their fate.

What issues could doom the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2022 playoffs?

3. Can Dodgers Trust Chris Taylor?

Folks … what is going on with Chris Taylor? He’s somehow been even worse after recovering from his broken foot in July. He missed a full month of action and returned in the first week of August, but the decline has now reached concerning levels.

As of Thursday, Taylor’s hitting .227 with a .698 OPS, 90 OPS+ and a whopping 143 strikeouts in 105 games. His defensive versatility (2B, SS, 3B and all three outfield spots) will likely have him in the lineup often, which has fans worried about his offensive production.

Look, most fans understand Taylor isn’t an MVP candidate, but he’s an above-average producer and elite utility player. His defense has at least been great, which will play into manager Dave Roberts’ ability to shift things around.

But with Bellinger already being a black hole on offense, Gavin Lux making his way back from injury, and Max Muncy still trying to put it all together, a bad postseason from Taylor could be detrimental.