– Last Updated on November 21, 2022 4:48 pm
Dodgers 2017 Season Preview
Ready to check out our 2017 Los Angeles Dodgers predictions? Nobody spends like the Dodgers but the playoff success they are looking for has not come to fruition. Heading into 2017 they are definitely a contender but it is hard to go all in on these guys. The division could be better too this season.
MLB Dodgers Predictions & Handicapping Insight
The Dodgers are looking to get over the hump this season. They are no strangers to the playoff of late but have been coming up short. Still they give themselves a chance.
They have some of the best young players in the game and if they start taking the next step than maybe this could be the Dodgers year. It won’t be for lack of talent if they don’t.
2017 MLB Team Previews – Los Angeles Dodgers
- National League West -210
- National League +500
- World Series +1000
Key Additions:
- Vidal Nuno
- Logan Forsythe
- Darin Ruf
Having spent and spent in the past the Dodger were eerily quiet this offseason. Nuno is a situational lefty who helps out of the pen but certainly not a difference maker.
Ruf looks intimidating at the plate but never proved himself in Philadelphia. With A-Gon in front of him he is just insurance and a bat that can go yard in the pinch.
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Forsythe is a steady presence at second but hardly the key to winning it all.
Key Losses:
- Howie Kendrick
- Joe Blanton
Kendrick is not the hitter we are used to so his loss was minimal. Blanton had a great season for LAD out of the pen. He will be missed.
Dodgers Predictions: Projected Lineup:
- 2B Logan Forsythe
- SS Corey Seager
- 3B Justin Turner
- 1B Adrian Gonzalez
- CYasmani Grandal
- RF Yasiel Puig
- CF Joc Pederson
- LF Andrew Toles
I worry about the offense for this team. Their best offensive player last year was Seager and rookies often take a step back and he might not be healthy enough to start the season.
Gonzalez is steady but it has been awhile since he was elite and how real is Justin Turner.
The guy they need to figure it out is Puig. He has shown he can carry a lineup for stretches but he could just as easily be sent to the minors.
Dodgers Predictions: Projected Rotation:
- LH Clayton Kershaw
- LH Rich Hill
- RH Kenta Maeda
- LH Scott Kazmir
- RH Brandon McCarthy
There is no pitcher better than Kershaw. Sure his playoff numbers are not as good as you would like but he is a dominant force who I am always looking for value with when he is on the mound (it is tough to find).
The rest of the group is a bunch of talented question marks. Rich Hill can dominate but is injury prone. Maeda was good last year but maybe it was because hitters were unfamiliar. Kazmir?
I heard he is throwing in the low 80s right now. McCarthy could be a surprise as the #5.
Dodgers Predictions: Projected Closer:
- RH Kenley Jansen
Jansen is quite simply one of the best closers in the business. He dominates and has a track record that gives the team great confidence.
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Grant Dayton might not be a closer in waiting but he is a lefty that can bring it. He knows how to miss bats and is a good compliment to Jansen late in games.
He might vulture a few saves.
The Dodgers know all about Sergio Romo and are hoping he still has something left in the tank for them.
If so the back end of the bullpen will compliment a starting group that other than Kershaw might not go long very often.
2017 Los Angeles Prediction:
The Dodgers have a great chance to repeat as NL West champs. Their starting pitching is good enough and if a couple of bats emerge they could be middle of the pack in terms of runs.
On the minus side everyone other than Kershaw could be down and three fifth of their rotation has serious injury histories. Julio Urias looks like the future but even that might not be enough.
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The biggest challenge for the Dodgers could be the division getting better. SF is always a threat and Colorado and Arizona could be .500 teams this year. Their extra wins will come from somewhere.
Last year this team was sub .500 on the road and -16.6 units. Those things can even out but nothing jumps out at a reversal here so there are going to be some fade spots to look for.
You might want to watch bullpen usage closely this season. They might not be as deep if they have to carry Kazmir and Hill for full seasons.
What do you think of our 2017 Los Angeles Dodgers predictions? Comments are welcome below.
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