The Los Angeles Dodgers enjoyed a big offseason, which was highlighted by signing superstar Shohei Ohtani to a historic contract. Los Angeles added plenty of other talent and they already featured an impressive roster. So when it comes to selecting just one X-factor, the choice is quite difficult.
In all reality, the Dodgers' X-factor would probably be one of the best players on any other ball club. With so much talent on the roster, though, a star can indeed be LA's unsung hero.
Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman are also superstars. They will help Ohtani lead the offense. Will Smith, Max Muncy, Gavin Lux, and James Outman are other position players who are more than capable of making important impacts.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Walker Buehler, Tyler Glasnow, and Bobby Miller will lead the starting rotation. And the rotation, which dealt with uncertainty in 2023, projects to be a strength.
One thing about this Dodgers team is that they are often going to have the lead late in games. As a result, relying on a closer who consistently finds a way to hold leads will be of the utmost importance.
Dodgers' 2024 X-factor: Evan Phillips
Dave Roberts' unwillingness to officially name a closer early in the 2023 season left Evan Phillips' name off some fans' radar. The harsh reality is that when you are a reliever, unless you're a superstar closer, you don't always receive much attention.
But Phillips clearly became the Dodgers' closer in 2023. He ultimately recorded 24 saves while pitching to a sparkling 2.05 ERA across 62 appearances. That followed a 2022 season that saw Phillips post a spectacular 1.14 ERA in 64 contests.
As long as Roberts doesn't delay his closer decision again, Phillips has an opportunity to truly emerge as a star in 2024. He will still probably be overlooked given the amount of all-around star-power on the team. Nevertheless, Dodgers fans will unquestionably take notice of his contributions.
Phillips recently discussed the closer role while speaking to Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA at 2024 DodgerFest, via Dodger Blue on YouTube.
“We haven't had any communication about anything specific at this point,” Phillips said. “I would expect to contribute in a very important way. I'd love to continue closing games, but my mindset has always been to do whatever it takes to help us win. If they approach me with different ideas… Sure, I'll be open to it. But at this current point I expect to be closing games for the team.”
Although it took a while in 2023, manager Dave Roberts did eventually reveal that Phillips was the Dodgers' closer. On July 29, David Vassegh of SportsNet LA shared the news on X (formerly Twitter).
“For the first time this season, Dave Roberts acknowledged Evan Phillips is his closer, with the caveat he would still be used in high leverage innings before the 9th inning if necessary,” Vassegh wrote.
Dodgers' bullpen outlook in 2024
The Dodgers' bullpen is expected to be a strength overall. Even if Phillips does not close for some reason, which seems unlikely, he will still be a valuable piece to the puzzle.
Brusdar Graterol, Alex Vesia, Joe Kelly, and Blake Treinen are all other relievers who will impact the ball club. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Michael Grove, who is big league ready but doesn't have a spot in the rotation. He could become an important reliever for Los Angeles as well during the '24 campaign.
It would not be surprising to see the Dodgers attempt to add another reliever or two, but with Evan Phillips leading the charge this bullpen projects to be one of the better units in the sport.
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