Three Promising Trends vs. Deceptive Mirages: Watching the Dodgers in the Second Half

The Los Angeles Dodgers are riding high as they enter the second half of the season. They have won five straight series and are 20 games over .500. As a result, they hold a six-game lead over the division rival San Diego Padres. There is a lot to be happy about if you are wearing Dodger Blue. Here are three trends to watch as the Dodgers look to maintain a 100-win pace en route to the postseason.

Three Dodgers Trends to Watch in the Second Half

Third Base Stability

It is no secret that Max Muncy struggled early this season. He was hitting below a .200 average with a high strikeout rate. To make matters worse, his defense was wanting. To be fair, Muncy has never been known as a Gold-Glove third baseman, but he seemed to struggle with routine plays at the hot corner at critical times. This led to the speculation that the Dodgers might trade him for someone like Nolan Arenado . Muncy apparently took exception to the hue and cry in some quarters and turned his fortunes around in a drastic way.

Since May 31, the third baseman has had three games with at least six runs batted in, three multi-home-run games, and two grand slams. This is poignant when one considers that the top third of the Los Angeles lineup of Ohtani-Betts-Freeman is hitting for a combined .200 average. It is a pretty safe bet that Max Muncy isn’t going anywhere.

Can Thin Air Cure What Ails You?

When the Dodgers signed Michael Conforto this winter, many thought that he would thrive in the star-studded lineup. Unfortunately, the left fielder has struggled mightily . His batting average has hovered below .200 for most of the season. Los Angeles has been incredibly patient to this point, giving the veteran a longer leash than 150 at-bats, and manager Dave Roberts is committed to keep running him out there. This signals that the Dodgers don’t really want to trade for a left fielder at the deadline.

Conforto has made some changes. He has added a leg kick and has a wider stance at the plate. Will it make a difference? It’s probably too soon to say, but in the last three games, Conforto is batting .385 with five hits, including homers in back-to-back games. Yes, it’s a small sample size. Yes, it’s Coors Field, but you have to start somewhere. Roberts said that the next few weeks will be “critical” for Conforto. Los Angeles has shown a willingness to part with veterans when they feel it necessary. The clock is ticking.

Will We See Fewer Bullpen Games?

At one point in the season, the Dodgers had a major league-high 14 pitchers on the injured list. Los Angeles had two bullpen games a week. Not a good trend for a team that was once considering a six-man rotation earlier this year. It appears that Tyler Glasnow will join the starting rotation in July, and it seems likely Emmet Sheehan , who just made an impressive season-debut , will do the same. That is, once he has built up to five innings in length in the minors. Ben Casparius and Justin Wrobleski have filled in admirably as well. One would hope that bullpen games will soon be a thing of the past, but we have seen that injuries are unpredictable. Still, hope springs eternal.

Whatever the second half of the season holds, the Dodgers are hoping to be the first back-to-back World Champions in 25 years, and that is one trend they would be willing to set.

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