/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/14046507/20130504_lbm_se9_176.0.jpg)
After Saturday's loss to the Rockies, the Dodgers have now played 54 games this season, which means the season is officially one-third complete. In a crude manner, just multiply everything by three and you can see what we are looking at for a full season.
It's not pretty.
Not only are the Dodgers on pace for 93 losses, but their 23-31 record is their worst 54-game mark since 1967, when the team started 21-33 en route to a 73-89 campaign in the first year of the post Sandy Koufax era.
The 2013 Dodgers have their Koufax, but not much else has gone right in the first third of the season. Let's delve into the ugly details.
Here is a look back at the first 54 games of each of the last five seasons:
Year | W-L | Runs For | Runs Allowed | BA/OBP/SLG | ERA |
2013 | 23-31 | 193 (3.57/gm) | 229 (4.24/gm) | .257/.327/.375 | 3.88 |
2012 | 33-21 | 232 (4.30/gm) | 199 (3.69/gm) | .269/.342/.405 | 3.27 |
2011 | 24-30 | 187 (3.46/gm) | 226 (4.19/gm) | .248/.312/.360 | 3.99 |
2010 | 31-23 | 254 (4.70/gm) | 246 (4.56/gm) | .264/.331/.403 | 3.98 |
2009 | 36-18 | 295 (5.46/gm) | 208 (3.85/gm) | .285/.367/.414 | 3.75 |
Here are the numbers for each individual player, starting with the catchers:
Catchers | ||||||||||||||
Player | G | GS | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB/CS | BB | BA/OBP/SLG | OPS |
Ellis | 42 | 41 | 168 | 141 | 9 | 37 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 0/0 | 22 | .262/.364/.369 | .732 |
Hernandez | 12 | 9 | 41 | 35 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0/0 | 5 | .200/.293/.429 | .721 |
Federowicz | 13 | 5 | 28 | 27 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0/0 | 1 | .185/.214/.333 | .548 |
Totals | 237 | 203 | 13 | 49 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 19 | 0/0 | 28 | .241/.333/.374 | .708 |
The fewest runs scored in a season by a Dodger with at least 500 plate appearances is 34, by catcher Steve Yeager in 1975. Through a third of the season in 2013, A.J. Ellis is on pace for 504 PA and 27 runs.
Here are the infielders. For purposes of classification, I am counting Jerry Hairston (eight starts, 66 innings in the infield; six starts, 55 innings in the outfield) and Skip Schumaker (14 starts, 120 innings in the infield; eight starts, 98 innings in the outfield) as infielders.
Infielders | ||||||||||||||
Player | G | GS | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB/CS | BB | BA/OBP/SLG | OPS |
Gonzalez | 51 | 49 | 207 | 181 | 18 | 59 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 41 | 0/0 | 19 | .326/.382/.503 | .884 |
Punto | 43 | 30 | 136 | 115 | 16 | 35 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 2/0 | 17 | .304/.391/.374 | .765 |
Ellis, M | 32 | 28 | 130 | 117 | 14 | 33 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 2/0 | 5 | .282/.326/.368 | .693 |
Schumker | 46 | 23 | 113 | 101 | 11 | 25 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1/0 | 11 | .248/.327/.297 | .624 |
Uribe | 39 | 25 | 104 | 87 | 13 | 25 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 1/0 | 16 | .287/.394/.414 | .808 |
Cruz | 33 | 21 | 93 | 87 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0/0 | 2 | .115/.152/.149 | .302 |
Sellers | 26 | 20 | 76 | 68 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0/0 | 5 | .191/.267/.250 | .517 |
Gordon | 19 | 17 | 73 | 63 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5/2 | 8 | .175/.278/.254 | .532 |
Hairston | 23 | 14 | 71 | 64 | 6 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0/0 | 3 | .266/.304/.359 | .664 |
Ramirez | 4 | 3 | 12 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1/0 | 1 | .455/.500/.909 | 1.409 |
Totals | 1015 | 894 | 100 | 233 | 36 | 1 | 17 | 104 | 12/2 | 87 | .261/.330/.360 | .690 |
Adrian Gonzalez has been one of the lone bright spots on offense this season. Since the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958, they have only had five players drive in 120 runs in a season. Gonzalez is on pace for 123 RBI.
Now on to the dumpster fire that is the Dodgers outfield.
Outfielders | ||||||||||||||
Player | G | GS | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB/CS | BB | BA/OBP/SLG | OPS |
Kemp | 51 | 49 | 210 | 191 | 22 | 48 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 7/0 | 14 | .251/.305/.335 | .640 |
Crawford | 51 | 43 | 201 | 183 | 32 | 55 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 13 | 9/3 | 14 | .301/.358/.470 | .828 |
Ethier | 52 | 49 | 205 | 179 | 13 | 43 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 0/2 | 22 | .240/.332/.369 | .700 |
Van Slyke | 15 | 10 | 46 | 42 | 7 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 0/0 | 4 | .262/.326/.667 | .993 |
Herrera | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0 | .333/.333/.333 | .667 |
Totals | 665 | 598 | 74 | 158 | 36 | 3 | 15 | 54 | 16/5 | 54 | .264/.331/.410 | .741 |
Carl Crawford has been a breath of fresh air, and Scott Van Slyke a great story. But Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier were embarrassments in the first third of the season, and the biggest reason for the Dodgers struggles. A full season of 105 runs and 96 RBI is something close to what to expect out of one of Kemp and Ethier, but not both combined.
Now, the pitching:
Starters | ||||||||||||
Pitcher | GS | QS | W-L | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | ERA | WHIP | FIP |
Kershaw | 12 | 9 | 5-3 | 87⅓ | 57 | 21 | 18 | 23 | 82 | 1.85 | 0.916 | 2.61 |
Ryu | 11 | 8 | 6-2 | 71⅔ | 59 | 25 | 23 | 22 | 67 | 2.89 | 1.130 | 3.31 |
Beckett | 8 | 3 | 0-5 | 43⅓ | 50 | 30 | 25 | 15 | 41 | 5.19 | 1.500 | 4.65 |
Capuano | 6 | 2 | 1-4 | 30⅓ | 35 | 22 | 20 | 12 | 20 | 5.93 | 1.549 | 5.61 |
Greinke | 6 | 1 | 2-1 | 30 | 40 | 18 | 16 | 8 | 20 | 4.80 | 1.600 | 3.60 |
Lilly | 4 | 0 | 0-2 | 19 | 21 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 15 | 4.26 | 1.526 | 4.38 |
Magill | 4 | 1 | 0-0 | 18 | 18 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 19 | 5.50 | 1.722 | 4.11 |
Billingsley | 2 | 2 | 1-0 | 12 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 3.00 | 1.417 | 4.50 |
Fife | 1 | 0 | 0-0 | 4⅔ | 7 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 7.71 | 1.714 | 5.10 |
Totals | 54 | 26 | 15-17 | 316⅓ | 299 | 146 | 130 | 107 | 275 | 3.70 | 1.283 | 3.73 |
Hideo Nomo is the only Dodger rookie to strikeout 200 batters in a season, and Hyun-jin Ryu is on pace to join him, with 201 strikeouts.
Relievers | ||||||||||||
Pitcher | G | W-L | Sv/BS | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | ERA | WHIP | FIP |
League | 20 | 1-2 | 11/3 | 20⅓ | 23 | 15 | 12 | 5 | 10 | 5.31 | 1.377 | 5.63 |
Jansen | 27 | 1-3 | 2/1 | 26⅔ | 22 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 37 | 3.04 | 1.050 | 3.25 |
Belisario | 29 | 3-4 | 1/0 | 27⅓ | 34 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 21 | 3.62 | 1.646 | 3.57 |
Rodriguez | 26 | 1-2 | -- | 18⅔ | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 20 | 2.89 | 0.750 | 2.85 |
Howell | 22 | 1-0 | -- | 24⅓ | 16 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 23 | 2.22 | 1.068 | 2.64 |
Guerrier | 23 | 1-2 | -- | 20⅔ | 19 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 3.92 | 1.355 | 4.62 |
Guerra | 9 | 0-0 | -- | 10⅔ | 15 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 6.75 | 1.969 | 4.11 |
Wall | 6 | 0-1 | -- | 7 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 6 | 7 | 18.00 | 3.286 | 6.17 |
Capuano | 2 | 0-0 | -- | 2⅔ | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0.00 | 1.125 | 1.29 |
Schumaker | 1 | 0-0 | -- | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | 3.000 | 6.17 |
Tolleson | 1 | 0-0 | -- | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | --- | inf | --- |
Totals | 54 | 8-14 | 14/4 | 159⅓ | 158 | 83 | 75 | 63 | 144 | 4.24 | 1.387 | 3.85 |
The Dodgers haven't had a relief pitcher appear in 75 games since Joe Beimel pitched 83 games in 2007. Yet Ronald Belisario, Kenley Jansen, and Paco Rodriguez are all on pace for 78 games or more. That could be a problem as the season wears on.