NL West

So you want to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the playoffs. That's going to be the extreme opposite of easy, what with their steady march toward historic greatness and all.

Still, there might be ways.

We'll get to those in a moment, but it's not a spoiler to admit up front that finding these "ways" involved picking so many nits. It's the best we could do under the circumstances, as these Dodgers just don't offer much in the way of vulnerable exhaust ports.

At 103-45, their .696 winning percentage is presently the 12th-best mark in Major League Baseball's modern history. Of the 11 teams ahead of the Dodgers on that list, nine made it to the Fall Classic, and six won it. Then there are the 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates, who played before the modern conception of the World Series debuted in 1903.

1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣.

The Dodgers are the first team to his the century mark in wins this season pic.twitter.com/sVKTNHwZwS

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) September 18, 2022

The Dodgers' run differential paints a picture of an even more dominant team. At plus-330 with 14 games left to go, they're in position to slot in at third all-time behind the New York Yankees of 1927 (plus-377) and 1939 (plus-411), both of whom won the World Series.

It's a little weird, then, that it actually is possible to find odds that don't overwhelmingly favor the Dodgers to win it all for the second time in the last three years. FanGraphs, for example, sandwiches them in between the Houston Astros and New York Mets with a 28.1 percent chance of getting to the World Series. Of winning it? They're barely on top at 17.4 percent.

This alone makes it possible to imagine the downfall of the 2022 Dodgers in the abstract. As far as what, specifically, could trip them up in reality, let's discuss.

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Psh, Their Offense Isn't So Tough

It is, of course, not true that the Dodgers offense isn't so tough.

At 5.44 runs per game, they lead the league in scoring by nearly half a run. They also rank fourth in the majors with 201 home runs, and they've more recently boosted themselves to a tie for first in that department since the All-Star break. Because home runs tend to correlate with success in October, this is a good omen for them.

As much as Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Trea Turner stand out, what really makes the Dodgers lineup so dangerous is the depth that manager Dave Roberts has to work with. They're the only NL team with as many as six hitters with a 120 OPS+ and 10-plus home runs.

But even if there aren't necessarily easy outs in the Dodgers lineup, there are a few...how to put this....let's say get-able outs.

There's Cody Bellinger, whose OPS+ has fallen about 100 points since his NL MVP-winning season in 2019. There's also Chris Taylor, Joey Gallo and Trayce Thompson, who have been among the most strikeout-prone hitters in the NL since the trade deadline. Gavin Lux is hitting .294, but he has the fewest extra-base hits of any NL hitter with at least 110 knocks.

And if all else fails, opposing pitchers can always try to take away the Dodgers' main power alley.

No offense is a monolith, but this one really, really, really likes to hit the ball to the pull side. Dodgers hitters have pulled 41 percent of their batted balls, placing them comfortably atop the field in that oddly specific obviously telling category.

Not unlike Sauron from The One Ring, pulled balls are where the Dodgers draw their power. They indulge in SLG like no other team when they pull the ball, whereas they're more ordinary when they go up the middle and the other way:

Ah, but is this exploitable? Maybe.

If a pitcher doesn't want a batter to pull the ball, it's considered a good idea for him not to give said batter anything to turn on. And while not a foolproof one, that is generally a good way to limit the damage against the Dodgers.

Whereas their right-handed hitters slug .522 against pitches on the inner half, they drop to .426 against pitches on the outer half. Their left-handed hitters experience a similar drop, from .486 to .406.

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Psh, Their Starting Rotation Isn't So Tough

This, also, is not true.

At 2.68, Dodgers starters have the lowest ERA in the majors this year and indeed the lowest by any starting rotation since Houston Astros starters put up a 2.43 ERA in 1981.

And yet, there are cracks here. As in, real cracks. Not ones that can only be measured in angstroms, a la the ones in the offense.

They're specifically located in the right arms of All-Star right-handers Walker Buehler and Tony Gonsolin. The former underwent his second Tommy John surgery in August, while the latter is "doubtful" to return to the Dodgers rotation this season because of a forearm strain.

Without the two of them, left-handers Clayton Kershaw and Julio Urías are the default aces in the Dodgers rotation. Considering one is a three-time Cy Young Award winner and the other is one of the most purely electric pitchers in baseball right now, this is not a bad thing in the abstract.

Relative to other ace duos in the National League, however, Kershaw and Urías aren't necessarily a worst nightmare matchup for opposing hitters. They're very good without being overpowering, which shows best in how their combined strikeout rate compares to other playoff-bound ace duos in the NL:

1. Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer, NYM: 34.8 percent
2. Max Fried and Spencer Strider, ATL: 29.5 percent
3. Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler, PHI: 27.7 percent
4. Clayton Kershaw and Julio Urías, LAD: 25.6 percent
5. Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove, SDP: 25.0 percent
6. Adam Wainwright and Jordan Montgomery, STL: 20.0 percent

If you're asking how much strikeouts really matter in October, the answer is a lot. Not unlike an offense winning the home run battle, a pitching staff winning the strikeout battle tends to portend victory in October.

There's also a relatively straightforward way for opposing hitters to avoid letting Kershaw and Urías rack up punchouts: just don't chase their pitches.

Whereas the two southpaws are collectively better than the average lefty at drawing whiffs outside the strike zone, it's a different story inside the zone:

Put another way, any batter who doesn't grant Kershaw and Urías extra strikes stands to render them an even less effective strikeout machine.

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Psh, Their Bullpen Definitely Isn't So Tough

This should be yet another thing that's not true on the surface, as the Dodgers have gotten a 2.95 ERA and an MLB-high 7.3 fWAR out of their bullpen.

But for all the club's success, the bullpen has surely been the most bothersome thorn in Roberts' side.

This is as much because of the injury bug as anything else. The Dodgers lost a big piece when veteran righty Daniel Hudson tore his ACL in June. They've likewise been without fellow righties Blake Treinen and Brusdar Graterol and lefty Victor González for much of the season, including right now.

So even though there's still time for those three to get healthy for the postseason, the Dodgers are frankly advised not to count on it. If they're going to survive October and play into November, they may have to do it with the guys who have gotten this far.

It's a solid bunch overall, but the link that's supposed to be the strongest is unfortunately the one that's the weakest: Craig Kimbrel.

He may be an eight-time All-Star closer with 394 career saves, but he's also a 34-year-old who looks like, well, a 34-year-old. His 27.4 strikeout percentage is about half his career high of 50.2 from 2012. That tracks with how his fastball isn't a swing-and-miss magnet anymore, which likewise tracks with how rapidly it's losing its speed:

Though Kimbrel's 4.05 ERA is not the worst of his career, it's definitely not one of his best or, really, any kind of good by any kind of reasonable measure for a closer.

Kimbrel is thus far from blameless for the 4.04 ERA that the Dodgers have in the ninth inning. That's the only regulation inning in which they have an ERA in the 4.00s, and it barely puts them in the top 20 in the grand scheme of MLB. So unless he's going to turn back the clock a few years, the Dodgers' lack of a trustworthy closer may continue to haunt them in October.

Even with all this said, let it be understood that our original point about how beating the Dodgers in the playoffs will be the extreme opposite of easy still stands. It's no small deal that you arguably only need one hand to count all the teams that have ever been as good as them in the regular season.

They're not so much perfect, though, as less imperfect than everyone else in MLB right now. Perhaps that doesn't make them beatable, but they're definitely not unbeatable.

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Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.

Seven-time Major League Baseball All-Star Maury Wills died on Tuesday at the age of 89.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, Wills' team for 12 seasons as a player, issued a statement about their franchise legend:

The Los Angeles Dodgers are saddened by the passing of Dodger legend Maury Wills. Our thoughts are with Wills’ family, teammates and friends. pic.twitter.com/zCtmuSUB0o

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 20, 2022

Wills was originally signed by the Dodgers in 1951 and spent eight years in the minor leagues before getting called up midway through the 1959 season.

In his first full big-league season, Wills finished 17th in NL MVP voting. He led the league in stolen bases in each of his first six full seasons, including a career-high 104 in 1962. It remains the 15th-highest single-season total in MLB history.

Wills was named NL MVP for the 1962 season after posting a .299/.347/.373 slash line and league-leading 10 triples. He was the first Dodgers player to win MVP after the franchise moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles before the 1958 season.

The Dodgers won three World Series titles from 1959-65 with Wills. He hit .367/.387/.467 with three doubles and three stolen bases to help Los Angeles defeat the Minnesota Twins in the 1965 Fall Classic.

After the 1966 season, Wills was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates and spent two years with the club. The Montreal Expos selected the Washington, D.C. native with the No. 21 overall pick in the expansion draft for the 1969 season.

The Expos traded Wills back to the Dodgers midway through the 1969 campaign. He played four seasons with Los Angeles before retiring after the 1972 season.

Following his retirement, Wills spent time working as a television broadcaster for NBC's Game of the Week coverage from 1973-77. He had a brief stint as manager of the Seattle Mariners late in the 1980 season and early in 1981, going 26-56 in 82 games.

Wills is the Dodgers' franchise leader with 490 stolen bases. His 586 career stolen bases rank 20th in MLB history.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher David Price announced his retirement on Sunday after 14 MLB seasons.

Price told USA Today's Bob Nightengale (h/t Maury Ahram of MLB Trade Rumors) that "It's just time" for him to hang up the cleats and that "Everything on my body hurts."

MLB insider Peter Gammons reported near the start of the season that L.A. was looking to trade Price in hopes of finding him an opportunity where he would have the chance to be a starter again. However, he told Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register later in the year that he was content in his role as a reliever, and he also indicated that he's leaning toward retirement at the end of the season.

The decision to stay in L.A. has paid off for the 37-year-old.

He has made 38 appearances out of the bullpen for Los Angeles so far this season and has posted a 2.58 ERA with 37 strikeouts. Price had missed a few weeks early the season after testing positive for COVID-19 and he was sidelined once again in September with a wrist injury.

The Dodgers acquired Price from the Boston Red Sox in February 2020. After opting out of the 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he made 11 starts in 39 appearances in 2021 and went 5-2 with a 4.03 ERA.

The five-time All-Star is in the final year of a seven-year, $217 million contract he signed with the Red Sox in 2016 and has a base salary of $32 million in 2022, per Spotrac.

In his 14 seasons, Price has also pitched for the Tampa Bay Rays, Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays. He had a run of nine consecutive seasons with a sub-4.00 ERA and also won a World Series in 2018 with the Red Sox.

Price won the AL Cy Young Award in 2012 and was also named 2018 Comeback Player of the Year when he bounced back from an injury-riddled season in 2017.

The job isn't done until they win a World Series, but the 2022 Los Angeles Dodgers have already written their name into franchise history.

L.A. improved to 100-44 with Saturday's 7-2 win over the San Francisco Giants. No other Dodgers team has ever secured 100 victories earlier in a season.

First to 100!

This is the fastest the Dodgers have reached 100 wins in franchise history at 144 games. pic.twitter.com/zRAL7xYjIf

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 18, 2022

There are 100 reasons why this #Dodgers team is elite and they all start and end with the letter W.

— Jake Reiner (@Reiner_Jake) September 18, 2022

There has been much talk of what it means if the Dodgers don’t win it all in 2022.

But if they do? It means that in the past six seasons…

- Five NL West titles
- Four 100+ win seasons
- One or two .700+ seasons
- Four NL pennants
- Two World Series titles

Think positive :) pic.twitter.com/EeNkopAmSy

— Jon Weisman (@jonweisman) September 18, 2022

FEELING 💯

DODGERS FIRST TEAM TO 100 WINS

JULIO URÍAS SHOVED

GOING FOR THE SWEEP TOMORROWpic.twitter.com/WIGNunC3vj

— Blake Harris (@BlakeHHarris) September 18, 2022

It's probably only a matter of time before this year's squad notches win No. 107, which will be the most ever for the Dodgers in a single season. They won 106 games in 2019 and 2021.

Los Angeles can mathematically chase down the 2001 Seattle Mariners and 1906 Chicago Cubs for the most regular-season wins (116) in MLB history as well. That will be difficult with only 18 games left, though.

If the past is any indication, then hitting the century mark could be the kiss of death for the Dodgers' championship hopes. They've hit 100 wins nine previous times, and none of those years ended with a World Series title.

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner said he'll be willing to speak with any team once he hits the free-agent market after the 2022 MLB season.

Turner, who spent his first seven years with the Washington Nationals before getting traded to L.A. ahead of last year's trade deadline, said Wednesday he's not going to limit his potential suitors as he did prior to his move from the Nats, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.

"I originally said that so I wouldn't necessarily get traded to certain places. I was trying to control as much as I could—because a lot of it was out of my control," Turner said. "Yeah, I’m an East Coast guy. But with free agency, you get a chance to pick and control it as much as you can in your entire career. I’m open to anything really. Everything is in play."

The 29-year-old infielder has quietly been one of MLB's best players since his breakout year with Washington in 2016. His 31.1 WAR since that season ranks 10th among all hitters, per FanGraphs.

He earned his second All-Star selection earlier this year as part of a season where he's compiled a .305/.350/.488 slash line with 20 home runs and 24 stolen bases in 140 games.

Turner said Wednesday he held discussions with the Dodgers before the campaign, but both sides decided to focus on the season after no serious progress was made in the initial talks.

"So we haven't talked since then," he said. "But I'm sure we'll be talking in a few weeks."

The Florida native, who helped lead the Nats to a World Series title in 2019, added his looming trip to free agency has been on his mind throughout the year.

"Yeah, I think this year mentally was definitely different, a little tougher," Turner said. "I feel like every day you've got something on the line—even though you really don't, but you do."

Barring a late extension with the Dodgers, Turner will be one of the most coveted players available in free agency, and he possesses some positional flexibility to further increase the number of clubs that may have an interest.

While he's primarily been a shortstop throughout his career, he's also played second base and center field. He's also athletic enough to play third base or a corner outfield spot if needed.

The more limiting factor will be on the financial side, as only a select number of teams will likely be able to afford the type of contract he's going to command. It's a short list headlined by the big-spending Dodgers and New York Mets.

That said, it sounds like Turner is at least willing to hear a pitch from any club, whether they're on the East Coast, West Coast or somewhere in between.

The San Francisco Giants agreed to a two-year extension with infielder Wilmer Flores, the team announced Monday.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post first reported the news.

Flores was set to become a free agent at the end of the season, but he is now under team control through at least 2024. The deal will reportedly also feature a mutual option for 2025, per Sherman.

The 31-year-old entered Monday with a .235 average and 18 home runs, which already matches a career high in 132 games. His 26 doubles and 65 RBI are the most in his 10 seasons in the majors.

The defensive versatility has been valuable, appearing in at least 30 games each at first base, second base and third base this season.

Flores also showed his value on Sunday night with a clutch eighth-inning home run against the Chicago Cubs:

Who got me? Wilmer got me. ☝️ pic.twitter.com/qchkhaSSVz

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) September 12, 2022

San Francisco has struggled this season with just a 67-73 record, a far drop from last year's 107-55 mark that led all of baseball. Flores was a key part of the success, hitting .262 with 18 home runs and a .782 OPS.

It came after the former New York Mets prospect broke out with 12 home runs in just 55 games during the shortened 2020 season. He has certainly outplayed the three-year, $9.5 million contract he initially signed with the Giants, including his option for 2022.

The Giants could lose a lot of offensive production this offseason with Brandon Belt and Joc Pederson set to hit free agency, while Evan Longoria has a team option.

Re-signing Flores keeps a valuable piece of the lineup, especially with the ability to line up at multiple positions defensively.

The Los Angeles Dodgers appeared to be headed toward postseason baseball for the 10th consecutive year after Sunday's 11-2 victory over the San Diego Padres.

However, MLB announced Monday that it made an error and didn't account for a scenario where the Padres could still win the NL West over the Dodgers, leaving Los Angeles' magic number sitting at one.

The Dodgers have become the standard by which all other teams in Major League Baseball are measured. They have posted winning records every year since 2011 and are on the verge of their fourth season with at least 100 wins in the past six years.

During this run of success, the Dodgers have won a World Series title (2020) and played in the Fall Classic three times since 2017.

The Dodgers, along with the Houston Astros, have been the best at combining big spending and player development to keep their roster operating at a high level over the past five years.

Even when Los Angeles has allowed key players to leave via free agency (Corey Seager, AJ Pollock), the team has had someone on the roster ready to step in (Trea Turner, Chris Taylor).

The front office also stayed aggressive last offseason by signing Freddie Freeman away from the Atlanta Braves.

It's a testament to how much depth the Dodgers have built that they are on the way toward leading MLB in wins yet again despite numerous injuries to their pitching staff. The fifth starter spot has been in a state of flux virtually all year.

Clayton Kershaw has had two extended stints on the injured list that have limited him to 96.1 innings. Walker Buehler only made 12 starts before being shut down in June with a flexor strain in his right forearm. The 28-year-old was ruled out for the rest of the year in August to undergo Tommy John surgery.

Despite not having those two stalwarts at the top of their rotation, the Dodgers have the best starting staff in MLB because Tyler Anderson, Julio Urias and Tony Gonsolin all have sub-3.00 ERAs.

The offense is good too. They lead MLB in FanGraphs' offensive value by a significant margin over the second-place St. Louis Cardinals (152.5 to 104.0). They rank first in on-base percentage (.337) and slugging percentage (.452).

While the Dodgers haven't officially clinched yet, it remains very likely, barring a historic collapse. They have been the best team in baseball and should be the favorite to win the World Series heading into October.

As the Los Angeles Dodgers approach the home stretch of the 2022 season, veteran reliever David Price will be sidelined for the next few games.

The team announced Sunday that Price has been placed on the injured list because of left wrist inflammation.

Right-hander Ryan Pepiot has been called up from Triple-A to take Price’s spot on the active roster. He's set to pitch the bulk of Sunday's game against the San Diego Padres after opener Caleb Ferguson.

Price, who also missed nearly a month of action earlier this year because of a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, hasn't pitched since Aug. 29. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after Saturday's win over the Padres that Price had been dealing with discomfort in his wrist for much of the season, and he recently underwent an MRI to explore the nagging injury.

In June, Price indicated that he is planning on retiring at the end of the season. The 37-year-old has been effective in his relief role this year, notching a 2.58 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP with 37 strikeouts in 38 appearances. He's had a strong second-half of the season so far, posting a 1.50 ERA in the month of August.

If the 2022 season is his last, Price has the chance to go out in grand fashion. The Dodgers have the best record in the majors at 91-41, and they look like the favorites to represent the National League in the World Series. If Price is able to remain healthy for the postseason, he will give Los Angeles another dependable pitcher as the team chases its second title in three years.

San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr., who is suspended 80 games for violating Major League Baseball's performance-enhancing drugs policy, addressed the media about his punishment for the first time Tuesday.

"I'm truly sorry," he told reporters. "… I have let so many people down. I have lost so much love from people. I have failed."

He also said: "There's no other one to blame but myself … I'm going to remember how this feels, and I'm not going to put myself in this position ever again. I know I have a lot of love I have to gain back. I have a lot of work to do. It's going to be a very long process."

Tatis also explained his immediate reaction to the news of his suspension:

Tatis on leaving unannounced the day the news broke: “I freaked out. I know it was going to be a hard moment.”

Said he needed to be with his family, and knows there are different steps he could’ve taken.

— Darnay Tripp (@DarnayTripp) August 23, 2022

Tatis released a statement following the punishment that said he "inadvertently took a medication to treat ringworm that contained Clostebol." On Tuesday, he said he received the medication for a skin infection prior to testing positive in July but did not have any excuses.

The 23-year-old will not play a single game this season because of the suspension. He was previously sidelined with a fractured wrist that Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune noted he suffered from a motorcycle fall and was on a minor league rehab assignment when news of the suspension broke.

Acee noted Tatis met with team chairman Peter Seidler on Saturday and addressed teammates Tuesday before his press conference with the media.

That was notable because his punishment led to a cold reaction from some within the organization. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported "the Padres remain absolutely livid with Tatis," while president of baseball operations A.J. Preller questioned his maturity:

I'm sure he's very disappointed but at the end of the day, it's one thing to say it. you have to start by showing it with your actions." (2/2)

— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) August 13, 2022

Some teammates also responded:

Some Padres weighed in on Fernando Tatis Jr.'s suspension pic.twitter.com/ebMxbMHmPP

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) August 13, 2022

Preller told reporters Tuesday that he has discussed Tatis' mistakes with the shortstop and there is an understanding in place that he needs to become more mature.

After all, the two-time Silver Slugger is one of the faces of the franchise, especially after he signed a 14-year, $340 million contract extension in 2021. While the team turned heads at the trade deadline by adding Juan Soto, Josh Bell, Brandon Drury and Josh Hader, the impending return of Tatis figured to give San Diego an even better chance at winning the World Series.

Instead, he is sidelined as the Padres attempt to build on their 1.5-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers for the final National League Wild Card spot.

Tatis will also use his time away to get healthier, as Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported he will undergo surgery on his shoulder.

San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. is set to undergo shoulder surgery, he revealed Tuesday while meeting with the media for the first time since being suspended for violating MLB's performance-enhancing substance policy.

Tatis was placed on the injured list three separate times during the 2021 campaign because of a left shoulder injury. However, he opted not to undergo surgery to fix the ailment during the offseason.

The 23-year-old didn't play at all during the 2022 season after breaking a bone in his left wrist and having surgery in March. He was slated to return at some point this year, but his 80-game suspension wiped out the possibility.

The Padres have managed to remain competitive in his absence and are firmly in the wild-card race, and they made the biggest trade splash in recent memory by adding Juan Soto and Josh Bell at the trade deadline in a blockbuster deal with the Washington Nationals.

Add in Manny Machado and a loaded pitching staff, and the Padres are one of the few teams with the star power and talent in the lineup to win while Tatis is out.

But there is no question that the team would prefer to have a healthy Tatis available. He took baseball by storm in 2021, hitting .282 with 43 homers, 97 RBI, 25 stolen bases, 99 runs and a .975 OPS.

That earned him his first All-Star Game nod, and he finished third in the National League MVP voting behind Bryce Harper and his new teammate, Soto. Had he not missed 32 games because of injuries, he might have claimed that award.

Ha-Seong Kim will remain the team's starting shortstop while Tatis is out of action. The Padres will hope to make a deep postseason run with their superstar sidelined.