Temperatures are soaring in Southern California just in time for the Boys in Blue to do their thing.
The Major League Baseball season gets underway this week with fans hoping the Dodgers and Angels will make the playoffs in October.
The Dodgers are stacked with talent. So much so that manager Dave Roberts risked ratcheting up the pressure on his players when he said recently that the club would definitely win the World Series this year.
Was that admirable or just reckless?
“I think both of those adjectives work,” says Jorge Castillo, who covers the Dodgers for the LA Times. “On paper, the Dodgers are the best team in baseball. They have the most expensive payroll. They have a bunch of stars everywhere … so it makes sense that they're confident.”
The Dodgers lost some major contributors to their recent run of success, including shortstop Corey Seager, outfielder A.J. Pollack, and closer Kenley Jansen. But they also picked up a pair of perennial All-Stars in Freddie Freeman and Craig Kimbrel.
“The Dodgers have a way of replenishing talent, whether it's acquiring players from other teams, or bringing guys up in the minor leagues,” says Castillo.
He says the two big unknowns for the Dodgers this year are the depth of their starting pitching, and whether left-handed slugger Cody Bellinger can bounce back after a miserable 2021 season.
“He struggled a lot in spring training, changing his batting stance every at bat, which is never a good sign,” Castillo says. “He's a guy who was an MVP a couple years ago. He was Rookie of the Year when he first came up, but other than that, he hasn't been just as good as you would expect.”
Even if Bellinger falters, Castillo says the Dodgers have a loaded roster that can pick up the slack and put them in the playoffs, and perhaps bring another title to Los Angeles.
The Dodgers start their season on the road Friday against the Colorado Rockies.