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With the new year upon us, here is a look at some potential milestones within reach for the Dodgers in 2017.
As a team, the Dodgers will try for their fifth straight postseason appearance, unprecedented in franchise history, just as three and four straight playoff trips were. Should LA win 90 or more games in 2017, they will have five straight 90-win seasons for the first time since Brooklyn did so in six consecutive seasons from 1951-1956.
Clayton Kershaw is 82 strikeouts shy of 2,000 in his career, a number reached among Dodgers only by Don Sutton, Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax, all in the Hall of Fame.
Kershaw enters 2017 at 1,760 innings, 240 shy of 2,000. This seems like a long shot, with Kershaw’s career high at 236 innings, in 2013. He has topped 230 innings three times — 2011, 2013 and 2015.
Scott Kazmir is three starts shy of 300, something done by 333 pitchers in major league history.
Kenley Jansen is 11 saves shy of 200 in his career, which would make him the 19th pitcher with at least that many with one team.
Jansen has pitched 409 games in his career, 47 relief appearances shy of the Dodgers franchise record, held jointly by Ron Perranoski and Jim Brewer.
Adrian Gonzalez has 968 runs scored in his career. To date, 330 players have scored 1,000 runs in MLB history.
Gonzalez has 98 home runs with the Dodgers, two shy of becoming the 26th player in franchise history with 100 home runs.
Andre Ethier is 67 games shy of becoming the 12th player to play in 1,500 games with the Dodgers.
Ethier, with 1,359 hits, is 20 shy of surpassing Ron Cey for sixth place on the LA Dodgers hit list.
Ethier is four extra-base hits shy of 500 in his career.
Micah Johnson (120 plate appearances) and Austin Barnes (74 PA) are both in search of their first major league home run.
Justin Turner is 91 total bases shy of 1,000 in his career.
Luis Avilan is 32 games shy of 300 in his career.
Rich Hill is six starts shy of 100 in his career.
Alex Wood is 23 starts shy of 100.
Happy new year.