The Los Angeles Dodgers made the biggest move of the offseason as they won the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes. The best player in the game teamed up with an already loaded Dodgers squad, and they instantly became the favorite to win the World Series this season. Even before Ohtani signed, expectations were already sky-high for this team, but that addition just made the expectations even higher.
So far this season, the Dodgers are looking solid as they are 20-13 and in first place in the NL West. The rest of the division is struggling which certainly helps as well. The San Diego Padres are in second place and they are 16-18.
The Dodgers are well aware of the expectations that people have for them, and it is a lot of pressure. Mookie Betts knows that some of those expectations are a bit unrealistic, and while the team has a lot of talent and confidence, they aren't perfect.
“People expect us to win every game,” Dodgers sensation Mookie Betts said, according to an article from USA Today. “They expect us to hit homers every at-bat. It’s like we’re not humans. It’s a silly game. You’re going to have ups and downs no matter who you are. It’s inevitable. Remember, this game is based off failure, not success. It’s good to have those expectations though. The guys we have in here, the coaches, we have a lot of confidence. But we got to go play.”
The Dodgers are finding their stride
The baseball season is a long one as there will be 162 games played by the Dodgers this season. Like Mookie Betts said, everyone is going to have their ups and downs. Right now, it feels like Los Angeles is finding a groove, especially on offense. One player that has especially stepped up is Andy Pages.
“Andy’s a big part of that [success],” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Once he got called up, the bottom part of the order solidified and became more productive. I think you look at these nine games and the production the bottom half of the lineup has given us, that narrative should be silenced a little bit. It’s been big, really big for us.”
On the defensive side of things, pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been rock solid as well. He is currently 3-0 and his ERA is sitting at 1.64. That'll play.
“I think I’m being able to keep myself very calm,” Yamamoto said. “And that’s one of the biggest reasons I’m being able to execute my pitches. There are some differences between here and Japan such as the PitchCom, pitch clock. I think I’m getting myself used to it, and I’m feeling more comfortable.”
After a shaky start to the season, the Dodgers are turning it around. They know what their fans expect from them, and they did a good job of keeping their composure through their struggles.
“There’s an expectation when you come to the Dodgers,’’ Relief pitcher Daniel Hudson said. “That you should win 60 to 70 percent of your games. The boo-birds come out, and it’s justified. I’d probably boo if I were a fan, too. We lost three straight series at home, seven of 10 games, and we played like [expletive]. The expectations this organization has brought upon a good fan base. They expect us to win almost every game. When we don’t, we go on a little run where we lose seven of 10 games, everyone is surprised by it, including us. But this group is just so professional that we all knew we would turn it around at some point.”
In a 162 game season, another poor stretch is likely bound to happen. It's a good sign to see that they were able to quickly get this first one out of their system.
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