As the 2016 Major League Baseball season begins, USA TODAY Sports' baseball staff lays out its bold predictions for the six months ahead:
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It might seem strange that predicting a club with a payroll of $200 million-plus to repeat as division champion should qualify as bold, but the Los Angeles Dodgers’ relatively quiet offseason, coupled with the overhauls by the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks, means few expect the Dodgers to secure their fourth consecutive National League West title.
But the Dodgers quietly remain strong, even after an injury-riddled spring training in which they lost outfielder Andre Ethier and a big chunk of their expected rotation.
Unlike most teams with massive payrolls, the Dodgers maintain plenty of youth on their roster, due to their strong farm system and aggressive spending in international markets.
Joc Pederson, who struggled with contact issues after a hot start to his first full big-league season in 2015, should improve in 2016 with more exposure to major league pitching and adjustments in his swing.
Shortstop Corey Seager, easily the favorite to win the National League rookie of the year award, enters his first full campaign coming off a season in which he hit his way through two minor league levels and graduated to the majors in September to post an outstanding .986 on-base-plus-slugging percentage down the stretch.
And then there’s Yasiel Puig, the divisive but highly talented outfielder who battled injuries and ineffectiveness in 2015.
Puig arrived at camp looking trim, at the Dodgers’ behest. Reports of his bad behavior make it easy to forget he owns a career .858 OPS despite his youth (25) and limited experience in the minor leagues. Based on statistics alone, Puig appears primed for a bounce-back year in 2016.
Given health, the electrifying Cuban defector should boost an already strong offense featuring solid veterans such as Adrian Gonzalez, Howie Kendrick and Yasmani Grandal.
The Dodgers lost pitcher Zack Greinke to the Diamondbacks in free agency this offseason, but the presence of Clayton Kershaw — generally considered the best pitcher in the majors — should give them a solid rotation, despite plenty of uncertainty behind the left-handed ace.
If and when the pitchers after Kershaw falter or get hurt, Los Angeles can turn to two of the game’s best pitching prospects in Julio Urias and Jose De Leon.
And the bullpen, built around extraordinary closer Kenley Jansen, should remain a strength after leading the National League in strikeout rate and strikeout-to-walk ratio in 2015.
