Dodgers history of underperforming playoff performances
Historically, the Dodgers have struggled with postseason performance, referred to as “choking,” failing to capitalize on their regular season success when it matters most. The pattern adds a psychological hurdle for the team and, more so, its fanbase, who are all too familiar with near misses and disappointing finishes every season.
Clayton Kershaw, despite being arguably the best pitcher of this generation, exemplifies this postseason dilemma. In the regular season, Kershaw is an MVP award winner, 3x Cy Young award winner, a pitching triple crown title, 5x era title, and a gold glove award, to name a few.
However, his playoff performances have often been lackluster compared to his regular-season dominance, raising questions about his ability to perform under pressure. Kershaw’s struggles are emblematic of the larger team issues in high-pressure games. While his numbers don't look as bad on paper, when it comes to clutch, high-pressure situations, Kershaw doesn't perform to expectations.
Adding to the complexity, the Dodgers' pitching rotation, while talented, lacks the depth needed to contend with the rigors of the postseason. Injuries and inconsistent performances from key starters can expose the team to vulnerabilities, especially against well-rounded opponents. With the injury bug floating around, guys like Bobby Miller and James Paxton needed to step up. Although they were solid options in 2023, 2024 has been a bad year for the pair.
In 10 games this season, Miller has accumulated an ERA of 7.25 with a WHIP of 1.657. A huge step back from his 3.76 ERA in 2023 with a whip of 1.102. As for Paxton, while he posted an 8-2 record in 18 games for the Dodgers, it was not good enough to remain on the team throughout the 2024 season as he was DFA'd on July 22nd. This season, he posted an ERA of 4.43, a WHIP at 1.455, and an ERA+ of 90.
When Walker Buehler returned from Tommy John surgery on May 6th, he was expected to be back into his usual form. This season he continues to struggle on the mound for the team. In 54 innings this year, Buehler has himself an ERA of 5.67, a WHIP at 1.611, and an ERA+ of 70. Not to mention his FIP (Fielder Independent Pitching) of 5.98.
There appears to be an underlying issue with Buehler and every fifth day, he isn't producing the quality starts Dodgers fans are used to seeing from him. The pitching staff overall on this team hasn't looked the same all year and has been the clear outlier on this club. If not for their every dominant offense, the San Diego Padres and/or Arizona Diamondbacks may have caught up to them in the standings, but as of now, the Dodgers still have a 5.5-game lead over the Padres with less than a month to go.
Can the Dodgers iron out the wrinkles before the postseason?
The Dodgers’ situation is further complicated by their transitional phase, moving towards integrating younger players while still depending heavily on veterans. This shift requires a delicate balance to maintain a competitive edge, which can be difficult to achieve during the critical postseason period.
As previously mentioned, the Dodgers haven't had much success this season with their younger guys in the rotation, and this can cost them in high-leverage situations in October, but anything can happen in baseball, especially in the postseason.
There's no question that this is a World Series or bust year for the Dodgers, and taking into account all the money they've spent this offseason, fans are expecting nothing less. But these factors combined—the injury susceptibility, historical postseason challenges, and Kershaw's underwhelming playoff record—form a significant barrier to this World Series aspirations. Unless they can overcome these issues, the Dodgers might find themselves once again falling short of a championship victory, a championship title they haven't had since 1988.
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