2012 MLB Season Preview: Los Angeles Dodgers
2012 Los Angeles Dodgers Season Outlook
The 2012 Dodger have much less to worry about. Their main focus will no longer be who their owner is, how their owner will pay their checks, or what scandal ESPN will be breaking next. Instead, the team can focus on something crazy; winning.
With the 2011 Cy Young Award winner at the top of the rotation, the NL MVP runner up looking to prove he
deserved the award, and Andre Ethier bouncing back, the Dodgers are a stacked team. It’s strange that more people don’t see it. James Loney at first base is solid. Dee Gordon will steal a ton of bases. Juan Uribe will swing out of his shoes. And those are just the role players. Combine them with the rest of the Dodgers we all know and love/hate, and this team has a real shot at winning the division.
The Arizona Diamondbacks were a surprise team, and they certainly didn’t get any worse during the off-season. They will be a major road block to an NL West crown. The Giants likely won’t take much of a step forward. While improved, the Padres are about a year or two off from being taken seriously. And the Rockies are just confusing. This is a prime year for the Dodger to reclaim the division title.
The Dodgers managed to win 82 games last season despite all the uncertainty surrounding Frank McCourt and the ownership situation. While not completely resolved, the Dodgers now have a sense of direction. They have comfort in knowing the team will soon have a new owner, but in the mean time Major League Baseball will be watching over them (not always a comforting thought, but in this case it is). With the sheer talent this team has, they should easily find themselves with 8-10 more wins. At 92 wins, the Dodgers have a legitimate shot at winning the division and surprising everyone except me.
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