On September 22nd, the Los Angeles Dodgers pitching staff was ranked as the best going into the postseason, according to experts at the Athletic. This comes after the Dodgers made some big moves in the off season, trying to address their past pitching struggles by signing top tier arms like Cy Young winner Blake Snell and all-star reliever Tanner Scott. Their efforts seem to have paid off, with the rotation coming together just in time as October approaches. Looking at their starting rotation, the Dodgers have an impressive group.
Alongside Snell, this former Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw, rising star Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and hard-thrower Shohai Otani and Tyler Glaznow. All these pitchers have shown, they can shut down tough lineups when they're healthy. In the second half of the season, the Dodgers starters have posted a league best-earned run average of 3.27, and they've been even more dominant since September started. While the starting pitchers are holding up well, the real question mark has been the bullpen.
There are some bright spots, like rookie Jack Dryer, Alex Bichia, Anthony Banda, and Will Klein, all of whom have kept their earned run averages under four during September. But some of the veteran relievers have had a rough stretch, especially Blake Treanen, who's taken five losses in his last nine appearances and carries an earned run average of over 11 this month. Even Tanner Scott had trouble for a while, but has bounced back with four straight scoreless outings. Despite the bullpen's ups and downs, the Dodgers' recent relief performances have shown improvement.
Outside of one recent rough game, the relievers allow just two runs over four games. That's a good sign as the team gets closer to the playoffs, where having a reliable bullpen is often the difference in winning close games. The team will also need to make key decisions soon, including what to do with rising star rookie Sasaki. With a pitching staff in top form and an offense that's been proven to win championships, the Dodgers are shaping up to be strong contenders this postseason.
They're hoping that their investment in arms pays off, and helps them bring another championship back to Los Angeles this October.