The Los Angeles Dodgers are driving excessive as they enter the second half of the season. They’ve received 5 straight collection and are 20 video games over .500. Because of this, they maintain a six-game lead over the division rival San Diego Padres. There’s a lot to be comfortable about if you’re carrying Dodger Blue. Listed here are three tendencies to observe because the Dodgers look to take care of a 100-win tempo en path to the postseason.
Three Dodgers Traits to Watch within the Second Half
Third Base Stability
It’s no secret that Max Muncy struggled early this season. He was hitting beneath a .200 common with a excessive strikeout charge. To make issues worse, his protection was wanting. To be truthful, Muncy has by no means been often known as a Gold-Glove third baseman, however he appeared to wrestle with routine performs on the sizzling nook at vital instances. This led to the hypothesis that the Dodgers would possibly commerce him for somebody like Nolan Arenado. Muncy apparently took exception to the hue and cry in some quarters and turned his fortunes round in a drastic means.
Since Could 31, the third baseman has had three video games with not less than six runs batted in, three multi-home-run video games, and two grand slams. That is poignant when one considers that the highest third of the Los Angeles lineup of Ohtani-Betts-Freeman is hitting for a mixed .200 common. It’s a fairly protected guess that Max Muncy isn’t going wherever.
Max Muncy’s 2nd grand slam in his final 3 video games was a no-doubter 💪 pic.twitter.com/Qkt7QbE1lu
— MLB (@MLB) June 26, 2025
Can Skinny Air Treatment What Ails You?
When the Dodgers signed Michael Conforto this winter, many thought that he would thrive within the star-studded lineup. Sadly, the left fielder has struggled mightily. His batting common has hovered beneath .200 for a lot of the season. Los Angeles has been extremely affected person thus far, giving the veteran an extended leash than 150 at-bats, and supervisor Dave Roberts is dedicated to maintain working him on the market. This indicators that the Dodgers don’t actually need to commerce for a left fielder on the deadline.
Conforto has made some adjustments. He has added a leg kick and has a wider stance on the plate. Will it make a distinction? It’s in all probability too quickly to say, however within the final three video games, Conforto is batting .385 with 5 hits, together with homers in back-to-back video games. Sure, it’s a small pattern dimension. Sure, it’s Coors Discipline, however it’s a must to begin someplace. Roberts mentioned that the following few weeks can be “vital” for Conforto. Los Angeles has proven a willingness to part with veterans after they really feel it vital. The clock is ticking.
Will We See Fewer Bullpen Video games?
At one level within the season, the Dodgers had a serious league-high 14 pitchers on the injured checklist. Los Angeles had two bullpen video games per week. Not an excellent pattern for a crew that was as soon as contemplating a six-man rotation earlier this yr. It seems that Tyler Glasnow will join the starting rotation in July, and it appears seemingly Emmet Sheehan, who just made an impressive season-debut, will do the identical. That’s, as soon as he has constructed as much as 5 innings in size within the minors. Ben Casparius and Justin Wrobleski have stuffed in admirably as properly. One would hope that bullpen video games will quickly be a factor of the previous, however now we have seen that accidents are unpredictable. Nonetheless, hope springs everlasting.
Regardless of the second half of the season holds, the Dodgers are hoping to be the primary back-to-back World Champions in 25 years, and that’s one pattern they’d be prepared to set.
Most important Photograph Credit score: © David Frerker-Imagn Photos
