The Los Angeles Dodgers put it all together in the shortened 2020 season. They had the best offense in the league and paired it with strong pitching, snagging another World Series Championship. They’ve brought their World Series title total to six and have their eyes set on another in 2021. It’s hard to critique a team that banded together so perfectly when the unusual season of 2020 struck, but we’ll attempt to. Are the Dodgers a team you can trust at the sportsbook to pull off another title? Or could last year be an anomaly, and they let you down at the book this season?
2020 Results
The strange season of 2020 ended spectacularly for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who hoisted their seventh World Series Championship at the end of it.They finished the regular season snagging the best record in baseball at 43-17, with the closest team being three games behind. It’s hard to argue with the statistics of a team that had a firm hold on the National League. The closest team was their NL West counterparts, but the San Diego Padres were six games behind. Incredible pitching was met withmore impressive offense, and as far as seasons go, the Dodgers had a nearly perfect one.
Key Additions
The Dodgers made sure to have a stronger pitching presence when they signed RHP Trevor Bauer to a three-year, $102 million contract. Bauer was the 2020 NL Cy Young award winner, who received 27 of 30 first-place votes. That signing nearly solidified over the offseason that the Dodgers would have the best pitching group in MLB. Although this is truly a blockbuster signing which usually comes along with losing players, the Dodgers were able to keep their team intact. Being able to sign a player like Bauer to the roster will only increase the odds that the Dodgers can snag another title in 2021. BetUS has their odds to win the World Series as +325, ranking as the most likely to win.
Big Losses
The Dodgers have traded a couple of players over the offseason, but they’ve done well to replace them. Naturally, a team usually has to part with critical players after a signing like Bauer. They traded P Adam Kolarek and RF Cody Thomas to the Oakland Athletics but received 3B Sheldon Neuse and RHP Gus Varland in return. They have, however, placed RHP Tommy Kahnle on the 60-day injured list while he recovers from Tommy John surgery. That loss only damages the depth of the Dodgers bullpen slightly, though. The Dodgers did well to make key acquisitions through the offseason without losing players in the process, which bodes well for 2021.
Pitching
Even before the addition of Bauer, the Dodgers were the best pitching team in the MLB. Boasting an ERA of 3.02 and 5 shutouts, the Dodgers were not a team to be trifled with on the mound. This season, the Dodgers should be even more of a force with Bauer, who led the league in ERA and was third in strikeouts. What we should pay close attention to is SP Clayton Kershaw, who finished spring training with an ERA of 10.22. Although it’s only spring training, that kind of performance is not something you want to see from a starting pitcher.
Offense
Could the team that led the league in home runs do it all over again? The short answer is “absolutely.” The Los Angeles Dodgers led the 2020 home run department by 15 and still have their heavy hitters. They also led the league in runs with 349, the Atlanta Braves following at 348. They were second-best in RBIs at 327 and had the fifth-best on-base percentage. It’s no secret that the Dodgers offense has to be considered the best in the league after their 2020 performance. Considering they have six players that qualified for the batting title in 2020, I would expect them to perform well in 2021.
3 Key Players
Bauer signed a huge deal and expected to perform accordingly.Kershaw will have to shake off spring training and kick it into gear. Although we have an entire season this year, the Dodgers need to start strong. Lastly, the Dodgers will need another strong outing from RF Mookie Betts, who tied for the team’s leading home run hitter at 16.
Schedule Breakdown
The Dodgers have a favorable opening series starting with the Colorado Rockies, who finished second to last in the NL West in 2020. The remainder of their schedule shouldn’t faze Los Angeles much, considering they have the best odds to win the World Series, per BetUS. They also have the best odds to win the National League Pennant at +150. If you are new to sports betting, please check out our MLB betting hub page to get started. Frankly, the Los Angeles Dodgers are likely to be the most trustworthy team at the sportsbook this year. With the acquisitions they’ve made to bolster their team, they’re also likely to hoist their seventh championship in 2021.
