Unfiltered, Fearless Analysis of the Dodgers' Record and Schedule
Baseball Analysis: Are the Dodgers Less Effective Against Stronger Opponents? We Also Rank the Top Ten Shortstops.
Hey there, sports fans! This is Dodgers Dugout, your unfiltered guide to all things LA Dodgers. Today, Houston Mitchell is here to break down the team's record and schedule, offering uncensored insights and no-holds-barred commentary.
First off, kudos to Houston's granddaughter, Riley, for graduating from the fifth grade. She's moving on to the realm of middle school (or as Houston calls it, "junior high," since that was back when us youngsters had to walk barefoot, uphill both ways, and fight off dinosaurs).
Now, let's dive into the nitty-gritty of the Dodgers' performance so far this season.
Competition
While we could continue gushing over Max Muncy, Michael Conforto, Tanner Scott, and more, let's switch things up and focus on something different this edition.
The Dodgers are off to a strong start, sitting at 38-25. But who have they been facing? Let's take a closer look.
- Teams with a winning record (.500 or better): Chicago Cubs, 3-4; Cleveland, 2-1; Detroit, 3-0; NY Mets, 3-4; NY Yankees, 2-1; Philadelphia, 1-2; Total, 14-12, .538
- Teams with a losing record: Angels, 0-3; Arizona, 4-3; Athletics, 2-1; Atlanta, 5-1; Colorado, 3-0; Miami, 5-1; Pittsburgh, 2-1; Texas, 2-1; Washington, 1-2; Total, 24-13, .649
They've done well against both, projecting out to 87 wins if they played a full schedule against winning teams and 105 wins against teams with losing records. That's pretty darn impressive, considering they could potentially win the World Series. Last year, they went 51-41 against winning teams and 47-23 against losing teams. So, it seems they're not performing quite as well as they did in 2024.
But there's good news for the Dodgers: if we examine their remaining schedule, they have the second-easiest schedule the rest of the way among the 30 teams in baseball. The teams with the easiest schedules the rest of the way are:
- Houston (no relation), .467
- Dodgers, .484
- San Francisco, .485
- Arizona, .485
- Cleveland, .488
(Of course, two other NL West teams also make the top five, but that's another story.)
On the flip side, the teams with the most challenging schedules are:
- Chicago White Sox, .527
- Cincinnati, .521
- Colorado, .515
- Miami, .514
- Boston, .512
The Padres are sitting in 14th place with a .502 schedule.
Having the easiest schedule doesn't guarantee anything, but it's better than having the toughest schedule. And here's the weird thing about this season: the Dodgers haven't faced the Padres or Giants yet. The Padres and Giants themselves have only played four times so far.
The NL West will come down to who can pile up the most wins in the Dodgers-Padres, Dodgers-Giants, and Padres-Giants matchups. The Dodgers face the Padres 13 times (beginning with Monday's game in San Diego), and they play the Giants 13 times. If the Dodgers can manage to go 8-5 or better against both, they'll secure a significant advantage in winning the division. Conversely, a losing record would put them at a disadvantage.
The Dodgers' final game against the Padres is slated for August 24. They don't face them again at all in September! That's just terrible scheduling on the part of MLB. They play the Giants for the last time on September 21. They close the season against Seattle! Again, terrible scheduling. MLB needs to have the vision to see how the division races are probably going to play out and schedule the final six games of the season against their rivals. It's little things like this where MLB hurts itself. They can't see the small things that are important to fans of any team. It's like going to a top-notch restaurant, but they forget to give you silverware and the plates are chipped. It makes the main product less appealing.
By the way, last season after 63 games, the Dodgers were… you guessed it: 38-25, the same record they currently hold. They had a seven-game lead in the West.
Tyler Glasnow Update
Not great news for those awaiting the return of Tyler Glasnow. A week after throwing his first bullpen session since landing on the injured list in April with shoulder inflammation, he's been feeling "general body discomfort."
"There was one 'pen, and then [his] body didn't respond," said manager Dave Roberts. "So we're trying to figure out when we can ramp him back up."
When you hear the phrase "general body discomfort," you might immediately think of former Dodgers outfielder Mike Marshall, who might have missed more games due to "general soreness" than any player in history.
Top 10 Shortstops
Enough of the negatives; let's talk about the Top 10 shortstops in Dodgers history. Who are the greats? I, Houston Mitchell, will list my picks, followed by who readers picked.
- Pee Wee Reese: (1940-42, 1946-58, .269/.366/.377, 68.4 WAR, 99 OPS+, 10-time All-Star)
Pee Wee Reese is the undisputed No. 1 shortstop in Dodgers history and a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. He also finished ninth in the last time we did reader voting for the greatest Dodgers of all time.
- Maury Wills: (1959-66, 1969-72, .281/.330/.331, 32.1 WAR, 87 OPS+, 1 MVP Award, 2 Gold Gloves, 6-time All-Star)
Wills popularized the stolen base again. In his rookie year as the Dodgers' shortstop, he led the league with 50 stolen bases, becoming the first National League player to steal 50 since Max Carey stole 51 in 1923. His 104 steals in 1962 broke Ty Cobb's 47-year-old record and earned him the National League MVP Award.
- Bill Russell: (1969-86, .263/.310/.338, 31.3 WAR, 83 OPS+, 3-time All-Star)
Russell slots ahead of Corey Seager due to his longevity with the Dodgers. He played more games than anyone in LA history and was the shortstop on four Dodgers World Series teams, winning one (1981). Despite criticism for his fielding, Tommy John called Russell the best shortstop he ever played with.
- Corey Seager: (2015-21, .297/.367/.504, 20.9 WAR, 131 OPS+, Rookie of the Year, 2-time All-Star)
Seager was selected in the first round of the 2012 draft and made the Dodgers in September 2015. He contributed significantly to the team's postseason run and made the All-Star team as a rookie the following year. Despite missing much of the 2018 season with Tommy John surgery, he still made a lasting impact with his bat.
- Rafael Furcal: (2006-11, .283/.351/.406, 15.7 WAR, 100 OPS+)
Furcal was signed as a free agent before the 2006 season and helped the Dodgers improve from 71-91 in 2005 to 88-74 and a postseason berth in 2006. Despite a serious back injury that sidelined him for much of the 2008 season, he returned for the postseason.
And so on down the list...
Stay tuned for more Dodgers Dugout insights, as we'll soon be revealing the Top 10 catchers in Dodgers history!
Until next time...Have a comment, suggestion, or something you'd like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Drop me a line at houston.mitchell@your website, and follow me on Twitter at our websitehouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
- Despite their strong start, the Dodgers have performed less well against winning teams this season compared to last year.
- If the Dodgers maintain a winning record against both winning and losing teams in their remaining schedule, they could potentially win the World Series.
- Having the second-easiest schedule for the rest of the season is better than having the toughest one, but it doesn't guarantee anything.
