Dodgers self-proclaimed World Series favorites
With inflated chests, oozing talent and a bold proclamation, the Los Angeles Dodgers are the runaway choice to capture their second World Series in three seasons.
“We are winning the World Series in 2022,” manager Dave Roberts announced on the Dan Patrick Show last week. “Put it on record.”
There is so much in the Dodgers' favor, considering they were eliminated in six games in last year's National League Championship Series by the eventual World Series-champion Atlanta Braves.
The Dodgers swiped the Braves' best hitter, first baseman Freddie Freeman, with a six-year, $162-million free-agent contract earlier this month.
Tipico Sportsbook lists the Dodgers as the prohibitive preseason choice to win the World Series at +480, followed distantly by the Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays (9/1).
The nearest National League pursuers are the New York Mets, who lured three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer from the Dodgers, and the Milwaukee Brewers. They are both 12/1.
Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner has been friends with Freeman since the two played baseball as kids growing up in Southern California.
Freeman's makeup is profound. He also provides the Dodgers the lefthanded bat they lost when shortstop Corey Seager signed a free-agent deal with the Texas Rangers.
“He's always been a great hitter,” Turner said of Freeman. “Add that to our lineup, and it could be ridiculous, to be honest.”
Freeman, after hitting .300 with 31 home runs last season, was slotted second in the Dodgers' spring lineup Friday and promptly blasted an impressive opposite-field homer against the division-rival San Diego Padres.
“We've got an all All-Star lineup with him,” said Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers Cy Young winner who resigned for a one-year, $17-million deal.
MLB pundits have gone as far as saying the Dodgers' lineup is the best they've seen in a generation, headed by leadoff man and former American League MVP Mookie Betts, former National league MVP Clay Bellinger, Justin Turner and shortstop Trea Turner.
The National League's adoption of the designated hitter this season gives the Dodgers a merciless slate of batters.
“On paper, it's just huge,” Justin Turner said. “It's outstanding. But we still have to go out there and play baseball.”
The words linger as a remnant from last year when the then-returning-champion Dodgers started as an even more impressive +200, yet bowed out despite the trade-deadline addition of Scherzer.
Baseball history is littered with massive favorites who succumbed to an opponent that built up championship assets throughout the 162-game season.
Last year's Dodgers were preceded by the likes of the 2011 Philadelphia Phillies, who possessed a world-class stockpile of starting pitchers including Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee.
Before them, the 1954 Cleveland team was denied by Willie Mays' glove. Pittsburgh's Bill Mazeroski ruined the gifted 1960 New York Yankees.
The 1978 Boston Red Sox famously blew a 14-game lead to the eventualchampion Yankees.
And the Oakland Athletics' “Bash Brothers” were upset by massive underdogs twice — the 1988 Dodgers and the 1990 Cincinnati Reds.
Roberts hedged on his prediction by inserting an asterisk that it's based on the theory his pitching staff — headed by Opening Day starter Walker Buehler — need to skirt injuries to fulfill his promise.
“We are winning the World Series if our starting staff stays healthy," he told Patrick. “I know that's vague. That's my answer. You can dig in a little bit on that, but I think it's about our starting pitching, keeping our guys healthy.”
Rivals pining for a Dodgers' failure are eyeing that staff, inspecting the aging Kershaw and seeing how the team will respond to the free-agent departure of longtime closer Kenley Jansen, perhaps employing a closer-by-committee approach.
Tony Gonsolin and Andrew Heaney follow No. 3 starter Julio Urias in the rotation.
Kershaw reflected on the Dodgers' offensive muscle and pitching pedigree, weighing what happened in last year's playoffs and knowing a history of upsets stagger the favorites.
Based on the way it looks now, “that's good,” Kershaw said.
“That also doesn't mean we're going to win. We gotta play the game.”