Los Angeles Dodgers left-handed pitcher Clayton Kershaw reacted to the team no longer being the favorite to win the National League, wrote USA TODAY Sports MLB columnist Bob Nightengale in a Sunday article.
“It’s just the nature of the beast,’’ Kershaw tells USA TODAY Sports. “I think the people that make the biggest splashes in the offseason have the most excitement coming into spring training. It just so happens that we usually are those guys doing that.
“It is a little bit of a different perspective for us this spring training, which may not be a bad thing.’’
The Dodgers won an MLB-leading 111 games in the 2022 season, placing themselves at the top of the National League ahead of the 101-win Atlanta Braves and New York Mets. Clayton Kershaw went 12-3 for the Dodgers in 2022, striking out 137 of the 493 batters he faced during his 23 starts. The team's red-hot season ended at the hands of the San Diego Padres, who took a 3-1 victory in the NL Division Series after the Dodgers made the World Series the year before.
“We never really cared when we were the subjective favorite,’’ Clayton Kershaw said, “and we really don’t care that we’re not now. I think with [the Padres] getting their attention, it’s just a different vibe.
“That might not necessarily be a bad thing.’’
Dodgers infielder Max Muncy had a bold message of his own during an interview on MLB Network Radio.
“Well, you know, I think everyone is talking about the Padres right now, probably rightfully so,” Muncy said. “They made a lot of big moves in the offseason, and they did eliminate us in the playoffs, but we are still the defending NL West champs.
“We’ve taken the division nine out of the last ten years, or whatever it is.”
The Dodgers will face the Milwaukee Brewers at 3:10 p.m. EST on Saturday in American Family Field. The game will be broadcasted on SportsNet LA.
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