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Dodgers 2016 season in thirds: The first 54 games

Clayton Kershaw is on pace for another stellar season in 2016.
Clayton Kershaw is on pace for another stellar season in 2016.
Harry How/Getty Images

Wednesday night in Chicago was the Dodgers' 54th game of 2016, meaning the season is officially one-third over. It is time for triannual checkup to see how the team is doing.

We have done this every year since 2009, so we can compare eight seasons' worth of numbers. The Dodgers' record thus far is rather ordinary, on pace for just 84 wins, but their run differential (+35) is the third-best of the last eight years through 54 games, trailing only 2009 (+87) and 2015 (+50), and a 31-win pythagorean record.

Year W-L Runs For Runs Allowed BA/OBP/SLG ERA
2016 28-26 230 (4.26/gm) 195 (3.61/gm) .238/.309/.374 3.38
2015 31-23 245 (4.54/gm) 195 (3.61/gm) .261/.339/.450 3.44
2014 29-25 231 (4.28/gm) 221 (4.09/gm) .257/.324/.415 3.48
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

Now let's look at the players. For the counting stats, just multiply by three to see the pace. The players are organized by position groups. First up, the catchers:

Catchers
Player G GS PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB/CS BB BA/OBP/SLG OPS
Grandal 37 31 132 114 8 21 7 0 4 15 0/2 17 .184/.288/.351 .639
Ellis 25 22 86 74 8 16 3 0 1 8 0/0 11 .216/.318/.297 .615
Barnes 6 4 17 15 1 2 0 0 0 1 0/0 2 .133/.235/.133 .369
Totals 235 203 17 39 10 0 5 24 0/2 30 .192/.295/.315 .610

Last year through 54 games, the trio was hitting .239/.350/.364 with eight doubles, five home runs, 32 walks, 24 runs and 22 RBI. This year has been an incredible disappointment.

Their total starts add up to 57 games, because Yasmani Grandal started twice at first base and Austin Barnes started once at second base.

Standouts among the infielders include the Dodgers' oldest player (Chase Utley) and their youngest position player (Corey Seager).

Infielders
Player G GS PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB/CS BB BA/OBP/SLG OPS
Seager 53 49 232 213 33 59 12 1 9 27 1/2 17 .277/.332/.469 .801
Gonzalez 50 48 210 184 19 55 7 0 5 27 0/0 24 .299/.376/.418 .795
Turner 51 44 198 170 19 39 7 1 3 16 1/1 19 .229/.328/.335 .664
Utley 47 40 198 173 31 49 9 2 4 19 1/2 20 .283/.369/.428 .796
Kendrick 45 36 158 147 19 33 3 1 2 10 4/0 9 .224/.266/.299 .565
Culberson 15 7 28 27 3 7 2 0 0 4 1/0 1 .259/.286/.333 .619
Johnson 3 0 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0/0 0 .000/.000/.000 .000
Totals 1027 917 124 242 40 5 23 103 8/5 90 .264/.335/.394 .729

Adrian Gonzalez was productive in the first third of the season, but his power hasn't shown up yet. Justin Turner was one of the best hitters in the National League the last two seasons but this season has the counting stats of a part-time player despite playing nearly every day. Howie Kendrick fell to the Dodgers late in the offseason on a two-year, $20 million contract that seemed like a bargain, but thus far his production suggests their might be no winners in that deal.

Among the two utility men, they were placed where they placed the most innings. Kiké Hernandez played by far more innings in the outfield (153) than infield (24), while Kendrick gets grouped with the infielders with his 205 innings combined at third base, second base and first base, compared to 102 innings in left field.

In the outfield, Joc Pederson with his revamped swing is off to a good start, and newcomer Trayce Thompson has hit his way into a regular role. Yasiel Puig has been a disappointment to date, but at this time last year injuries limited him to just 11 games.

Outfielders
Player G GS PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB/CS BB BA/OBP/SLG OPS
Puig 52 45 197 185 21 44 4 2 5 20 4/1 9 .238/.284/.362 .646
Pederson 51 43 178 153 23 35 11 0 8 24 2/1 23 .229/.331/.458 .789
Thompson 43 29 123 112 18 30 7 0 7 19 1/1 11 .268/.333/.518 .851
Hernandez 25 19 104 93 12 19 4 0 3 9 1/0 11 .204/.288/.344 .633
Crawford 28 19 81 76 6 15 2 1 0 6 0/1 4 .197/.235/.250 .485
Van Slyke 4 3 10 9 0 1 1 0 0 2 0/0 0 .111/.200/.222 .422
Totals 693 628 82 144 29 3 23 80 8/4 58 .229/.299/.395 .694

Hernandez has been in a tremendous slump since mid-April, and Carl Crawford looks like someone who won't be around for the remainder of his contract (which lasts through 2017).

Next is the starting pitchers, including ace of aces Clayton Kershaw at his best:

Starters
Pitcher GS QS W-L IP H R ER BB K ERA WHIP FIP
Kershaw 11 10 7-1 86⅔ 51 16 15 5 105 1.56 0.646 1.49
Kazmir 11 5 4-3 63⅔ 54 33 31 23 67 4.38 1.209 4.73
Maeda 10 5 4-3 57 43 19 19 17 51 3.00 1.053 3.53
Wood 10 5 1-4 56 55 30 25 19 62 3.99 1.313 3.23
Stripling 8 3 1-3 42⅔ 42 24 23 18 33 4.85 1.406 3.81
Bolsinger 3 0 1-2 15 12 7 7 5 14 4.20 1.133 5.25
Urias 1 0 0-0 2⅔ 5 3 3 4 3 10.13 3.375 5.36
Totals 54 28 18-16 324 262 132 123 91 335 3.42 1.090 3.29

Finally we get to the bullpen, where four pitchers have thrown more innings than a perfectly healthy Kenley Jansen.

Relievers
Pitcher G W-L Sv/BS IP H R ER BB K ERA WHIP FIP
Jansen 21 1-1 15/2 20 10 3 3 1 21 1.35 0.550 1.82
Blanton 24 3-2 --- 27⅔ 12 8 8 8 29 2.60 0.723 2.87
Baez 25 0-1 --- 23 16 10 10 7 27 3.86 0.986 4.62
Coleman 24 0-1 --- 21 11 9 7 9 21 2.95 0.938 2.32
Hatcher 22 3-3 --- 20 21 14 13 14 19 5.75 1.721 6.07
Howell 19 1-1 --- 17 16 10 10 5 11 5.29 1.235 3.83
Liberatore 21 1-0 --- 16 12 2 2 6 17 1.13 1.125 1.75
Garcia 9 0-0 --- 8 9 3 3 1 4 3.24 1.200 2.87
Fien 3 0-0 --- 3 1 0 0 0 7 0.00 0.333 (1.55)
Stripling 1 1-0 --- 3 2 0 0 0 1 0.00 0.667 2.44
Tsao 2 0-1 --- 1⅔ 1 1 1 3 0 5.40 2.400 8.51
Avilan 4 0-0 --- 1 3 3 3 2 1 27.00 5.000 4.11
Totals 54 10-10 15/2 162 114 63 60 56 159 3.32 1.045 3.29