These unsung heroes have turned the Dodgers into World Series favorites
With the calendar on the precipice of turning over to September, the Los Angeles Dodgers have a commanding lead over all of baseball.
Despite failing to make it out of the NL Championship Series in their last four postseason appearances, the Dodgers are widely being pegged as the most likely World Series champions this fall. According to FanGraphs, Los Angeles currently has a 36.6 percent chance of making it to the final round and a 19 percent chance of winning the franchise's first title since 1988, both tops in MLB.
Sure, the team with one of the best pitchers in the history of the game, Clayton Kershaw, has a great chance of winning. And rising star Corey Seager is already putting up seven-win seasons as a 22-year-old. But here's a list of other positions where the Dodgers rank among the top two teams in baseball: catcher, third base, left field, and relief pitching.
Los Angeles has indeed paired superstardom with unprecedented depth. Here's a short introduction to some lesser-known Dodgers who could play major roles in eliminating your favorite team down the stretch or in the playoffs.
Chris Taylor, OF
Prior to the 2017 season, Chris Taylor had contributed a grand total of one win above replacement over 120 career games. And across the past two calendar years, he'd actually been sub-replacement level, with a measly OPS+ of 42.
But just over a year ago, Taylor was acquired from the Seattle Mariners for Zach Lee. Since then, Lee has pitched just eight major-league innings for the San Diego Padres and Taylor has been one of the best hitters in baseball.
No, seriously. That's not hyperbole. Taylor ranks 14th in MLB by WAR among qualified batters this year and is hitting 40 percentage points better than the league average. The outfielder has a better batting average than Anthony Rendon, a better on-base percentage than Daniel Murphy, is slugging better than Anthony Rizzo, and now regularly bats leadoff for the best team in baseball.
Brandon Morrow, RP
We know what you're thinking: Being a non-closing relief pitcher for the Dodgers is a bit like being the backup quarterback for the New England Patriots - if they need you, you're probably losing anyway.
However, taking the ball from the starter and shutting things down before handing it over to Kenley Jansen is a task Brandon Morrow has handled more than admirably. Among non-closers with at least 30 innings pitched, Morrow ranks first in FIP. Including closers, he only trails Craig Kimbrel, Roberto Osuna, and Jansen.
Morrow is the only reliever in baseball to have appeared in fewer than 40 games and have a WAR above 1.0 - and he's only appeared in 33. Perhaps the former starter has found a niche - being incredibly effective in limited innings, which is a luxury the Dodgers can afford.
Alex Wood, SP
By now, most people know about the dominance of Alex Wood. But it's certainly not something the Dodgers were banking on when they opened the 2017 campaign with him in the bullpen.
Since officially entering the rotation, Wood has been a huge reason that Kershaw's injury absences haven't cost the team almost anything in the standings. In 114 1/3 innings since April 21, Wood has posted a 2.52 ERA while striking out 119 batters and walking just 24.
The Dodgers acquired Wood just over two years ago in a three-team deal that's turned into a steal. While he isn't a qualified pitcher this season, Wood ranks 14th in WAR among pitchers who've thrown at least 100 innings.
The fact is that Andrew Friedman, Farhan Zaidi, and the rest of the Dodgers' brain trust has done an incredible job at flexing the team's payroll to take chances on players while others can't afford the risk.
This list could also have included bona fide stars like third baseman Justin Turner, who's having his fourth consecutive strong season since being non-tendered by the New York Mets, or catcher Yasmani Grandal, who Los Angeles got as part of the Matt Kemp deal. Even backup catcher Austin Barnes has been nearly a two-win player in just 74 games.
Expect to see a whole lot more from these guys as the MLB season heads down the stretch and into the playoffs.
(Pictures courtesy: Action Images)