Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
Hey, Dee Gordon is hitting really, really well. That’s great. Now, people can stop saying the Dodgers shouldn’t have traded him.
|
Marlins
|
Dodgers
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
7:10 p.m.
|
Los Angeles
|
|||
|
2B
|
Gordon
|
CF
|
Pederson
|
|
|
3B
|
Prado
|
SS
|
Rollins
|
|
|
RF
|
Stanton <3
|
2B
|
Kendrick
|
|
|
CF
|
Ozuna
|
1B
|
Gonzalez
|
|
|
LF
|
Yelich
|
3B
|
Turner
|
|
|
1B
|
Morse
|
C
|
Grandal
|
|
|
C
|
Realmuto
|
RF
|
Ethier
|
|
|
SS
|
Hechavarria
|
LF
|
Van Slyke
|
|
|
P
|
Koehler (R)
|
P
|
Greinke (R)
|
I’m happy for him. I really am. I’m much happier with the return the Dodgers for Gordon (and Dan Haren — tomorrow’s starter — and $10 million). While Gordon is off to a hot start (leads the majors in WAR at 2.3), there is zero chance he sustains it.
I don’t need to tell you a .439 batting average is unsustainable. You already know that. What you might not be aware of is his .491 BABIP. For context, the highest BABIPs since 1945 are listed in this community post at FanGraphs. Last year, Starling Marte led the majors with a .373 BABIP. So, a .491 BABIP is completely unsustainable. Gordon also has a 5.3 percent walk rate, which is right on par with his 5.2 percent rate. So don’t expect an uptick on that front. And that’s something he’ll need to do if he wants to be more than a .330 on-base guy in his career.
His hot start is great for him and the Marlins, but don’t be at all surprised if his numbers — on the whole — end up similar to what they were in 2014. He might not have a dreadful second half like he did last year, but his numbers will normalize.
=====
The Dodgers return home after a good-not-great road trip in Milwaukee (2-2) and Colorado (2-0). Sure, winning 4-of-6 looks great on the surface, but the Dodgers absolutely lost a game in Milwaukee they shouldn’t have and survived Colorado.
This is the first game of a 3-game series against the Marlins. They host the Rockies for four games starting Thursday.
And then there’s this:
Cuban INF Hector Olivera receives visa, expected to finalize deal with @Dodgers Friday. http://t.co/kwidQQErV5 pic.twitter.com/C6s2Vp5mhl
— MLB (@MLB) May 12, 2015
About time. Right-hander Pablo Millan Fernandez (also Cuban) is also expected be in the states sometime this week.
[table id=5 /]