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The Los Angeles Dodgers and their Player Development Machine

By Michael Francis

LOS ANGELES, CA- OCTOBER 27: Max Muncy of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after hitting the game winning home run to defeat the Boston Red Sox 3-2 in the 18th inning of during game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 27, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/Digital First Media/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA- OCTOBER 27: Max Muncy of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after hitting the game winning home run to defeat the Boston Red Sox 3-2 in the 18th inning of during game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 27, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/Digital First Media/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) /
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Los Angeles Dodgers Third Baseman Justin Turner
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 27: Justin Turner #10 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after hitting a double to left field in the sixith inning of Game Four of the 2018 World Series against the Boston Red Sox at Dodger Stadium on October 27, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

Justin Turner

The first major coup for the Dodgers came when they signed utility infielder Justin Turner to a minor league contract before the 2014 season. Turner went on to have a breakout season in 2014 and has developed into one of the game’s best hitters. While the Dodgers have benefited greatly from Turner’s unlocked potential, it is hard to give the Dodgers too much credit for how Turner has developed.

Turner worked meticulously on his swing during the off-season before the 2014 season with former teammate, Marlon Byrd, and independent hitting instructor, Doug Latta. He incorporated a bigger leg kick in his swing in an attempt to better adjust his weight moving forward toward the ball. His aim was to attack the baseball out in front rather than letting the ball carry deeper into the strike zone. He also aimed to get the ball in the air more by swinging with more of an uppercut bat path, thus improving his launch angle. Turner has worked hard to perfect his approach and now boasts one of the best offensive profiles in all of baseball. Credit the Dodgers for accepting how Turner approaches the art of hitting and not trying to change him as many other teams would have.

Turner is a good example of a player profile that a lot of teams are looking for now. Turner had strong contact skills even before he broke out into a super star. Turner carried a 12.83% strikeout rates through over 3100 professional plate appearances leading up to his 2014 campaign. Players with exceptional contact skills have shown that they can adjust their swings to add more power without sacrificing a whole lot of contact.

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