3 optimistic predictions for the Los Angeles Dodgers' 2023 season

Gavin Lux Makes the All-Star Team and Somebody Wins NL ROY

It looks like Gavin Lux will be the Opening Day starter at shortstop, and should maintain that title, as long as he doesn't fly off the rails with poor play or injury issues.

The former top prospect in all of baseball has come a long way after being blocked by two of the game's best in Corey Seager and Trea Turner. But now it's his time to finally break out. Had injuries not impacted his 2022 season, he would've probably outperformed his already-solid .276/.346/.399 slash line (and 105 OPS+).

Lux played 299 out of his 392 minor league games at shortstop. He's been a solid second baseman in the majors, but the hype around him had much to do with his ability to play the most important defensive position in the field. He has great range and a rocket arm, so some everyday consistency on that side of the ball should really help him take the next step and burnish his skills. Throw in the fact he beefed up this offseason, and we could see the power numbers jump, too.

As for some other younger options, all of Miguel Vargas, James Outman and Ryan Pepiot have their rookie statuses intact and could make the Opening Day roster. Others such as Bobby Miller, Gavin Stone and Nick Nastrini could potentially arrive sooner than expected. It's a numbers game, so don't be surprised if one of those names takes home the NL Rookie of the Year award playing alongside a collection of the game's best veterans.

Lesser Expectations Equals World Series Appearance

The last time the Dodgers reached the World Series in a full season of play was 2018, when they were bounced by the Boston Red Sox. Believe it or not, that roster only won 92 games, which seems like an underachieving number for LA from 2017-present day.

That was probably the last time the expectations surrounding the Dodgers didn't feel overwhelming. Since then, they've been the presumptive World Series favorites every year. But not this time, according to PECOTA and other pundits/analysts!

Great, just the way we like it. There's no question the departures of Trea Turner, Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, Tyler Anderson, Chris Martin, Tommy Kahnle and others, in addition to the injury to Walker Buehler, will hurt, but this team still has a core of Clayton Kershaw, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Chris Taylor and Muncy. Nearly half the active roster has All-Star potential.

So while the Padres have Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis dancing around in the outfield while inserting themselves into the most salacious trade rumors, the Dodgers will likely chug along and quietly boast a better roster than most. You could argue it's already better than the Phillies, Braves and Cardinals. Only the Pads and Mets might have them on paper in the NL.

Let all those teams grab the headlines while the Dodgers handle their business. After all, the Dodgers don't have to boast or show off their flashy assets. They've been a model of consistency for over a decade. They're expected to make deep playoff runs every year. But lower stakes never hurt, which might've been part of the organization's offseason plan when they conducted a partial teardown.