2021 Dodgers season in thirds: The final 54 games

Now that the regular season is over, we can look back at the season split into three chunks.

After winning 32 games in the first 54 games, then winning 32 games in the middle 54 games, the Dodgers kicked into overdrive over in the final stretch, with a 42-12 record buoyed by one of the most impactful trade deadline moves ever, acquiring Max Scherzer and Trea Turner.

The Dodgers’ 42-12 finish was tied for the fifth-best final 54 games in MLB’s modern era (since 1901), behind only the 1906 Cubs (47-7), 1942 Cardinals (44-10), 2001 A’s (44-10), and 2017 Cleveland (43-11).

You can see the improvement as the season wore on. The offense, at least as a whole, was fairly consistent in each third of the year, but the pitchers really kicked it into overdrive in the final 54 games.

Now let’s look at the catchers, which shows steady improvement, and more relative playing time, for Will Smith as the season progressed.

Smith is simply one of the best catchers in baseball.

Trea Turner proved to be dynamic from the jump for the Dodgers, who also enjoyed an injection of a healthy Corey Seager, looking every bit like the player who captured NLCS MVP and World Series MVP last October.

Different players carried the offense for stretches in 2021.

In the first 54 games it was Max Muncy and Chris Taylor on fire, with a healthy dose of Justin Turner. The middle third saw Justin Turner, AJ Pollock, and Mookie Betts take charge, with Muncy right behind. Down the stretch it was Seager, Trea Turner, and Pollock carrying the load.

Scherzer and Julio Urías were excellent in the final third of the season, and Walker Buehler even with a downturn from his mid-season peak was still excellent. The starters as a group had sub-3.00 ERAs in each 54-game stretch, and a FIP under 3.00 in the final third of the year.

I counted bulk relief outings on at least four days rest with the starters, trying to separate out true relief outings.

Kenley Jansen and Blake Treinen were both used more often in the final third than previously in the season, and both were incredibly effective down the stretch. Bullpen usage clearly delineated a group of six high-leverage relievers who got the most work: Jansen, Treinen, Joe Kelly, Corey Knebel, Alex Vesia, and Phil Bickford.

That’s the Dodgers season, one third at a time.