Tanner Scott was able to parlay a strong 2024 season in which he put up an ERA of 1.75 across 72 games (72.0 innings) into a four-year, $72 million contract with the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The expectation was that he would come in to fortify even further what was already a strong enough bullpen, making it even easier for the Dodgers to win ballgames with some additional ninth-inning security.
Scott, however, hasn't quite played up to expectations in his first season with the Dodgers. While he didn't play a part in the Dodgers' embarrassing meltdown against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday when they allowed three runs in the top of the ninth inning en route to a 9-6 defeat, Scott has struggled to come up with answers to his inability to pitch up to the standard he's set for himself — even admitting at one point that “baseball hates him”.
But with the playoffs looming, the Dodgers reliever is simply resorting to an approach rife with nonchalance, just leaving it all out on the line and letting the chips fall where they may.
“Well, I kind of just have the (to heck with it) attitude right now. I don’t know. I’m just trying to go out there right now and not think. Just say, ‘F**k it,'” Scott said, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. “I mean, that’s how I always pitched. I kind of lost it this year. Now I’m back to ‘F**k it.’”
Perhaps the pressure from the big contract or playing for the Dodgers is getting to Scott's head. But it's not too late for him to figure it out anyway, as he could erase all the memories of his poor 2025 play if he pitches well when it matters the most.
Tanner Scott's rough 2025 season proves that baseball is hard
In the major leagues, everyone is athletically gifted that even the smallest of margins matter when it comes to one's performance. A slight dip in velocity or a slight drop-off in confidence may be all it takes to rattle anyone. And Scott's rough debut season for the Dodgers, where he's currently sporting a 4.82 ERA, proves that playing at the MLB level is extremely difficult.
“You always want to perform to the standard that you believe you are and the team and the fans see you as. When (stuff) goes south, you never want it to happen. But if baseball was easy, everyone would be playing it,” Scott added.
