Los Angeles Dodgers: Predicting the 2020 rotation

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The Los Angeles Dodgers have been scrutinized this offseason for their lack of moves, so what will the rotation look like?

The Los Angeles Dodgers haven’t won a World Series since 1988. And you know what else they have failed to do? Upgrade the rotation and keep Hyun-Jin Ryu or Rich Hill.

And for a team that has such high aspirations like the Dodgers do, that is troublesome. Teams that will be contending with them next season like the Washington Nationals, Atlanta Braves, and Philadelphia Phillies have done what they haven’t: upgrade the rotation/keep some of their free agents.

And to make matters worse, they struck out on Stephen Strasburg (if they even had a chance), Anthony Rendon (to the team down the freeway), and Gerrit Cole.

Ryu and Hill were very good for the Dodgers at different times in their LA careers with Ryu nearly getting the Cy Young in 2019.

But getting back to the current group of players, what will the rotation look like on Opening Day?

5. player. 71. . . . Dustin May

For this exercise, I am assuming they don’t add any more starting pitching despite rumors. So, Dustin May should be the #5 starter in the rotation.

He has started for the Los Angeles Dodgers before–4 games–so it wouldn’t be foreign to him.

Dave Roberts‘ other options for the five spot would be Ross Stripling or Tony Gonsolin, and I don’t think they would be as consistent as May would be.

. Julio Urias. 4. player. 71. .

Julio Urias has spent the last couple of years out of the bullpen for the most part, but when you lose two of your starters in free agency like the Los Angeles Dodgers did, then some of the bullpen has to replace them.

Urias was able to pitch well for Dave Roberts out of the bullpen in 2019, pitching to a 2.49 ERA in 37 games (and 8 starts).

As a starter in his career, Urias has a 3.66 ERA with a .335 opponent on-base percentage compared to a 2.21 ERA and .287 opponent on-base percentage as a reliever.

Kenta Maeda. 3. player. 71. . .

Kenta Maeda has been a very streaky pitcher in my opinion with the Dodgers. He has only made 30 starts once in his career and it was his rookie season. After that his starts have gone down and the homers went up (except 2018).

In 2019, he started 26 games and pitched in 37 total with an ERA over 4 along with allowing more than 50 home runs.

Maeda will have to perform in 2020 if the Dodgers want to blow past the rest of the division like the up and coming Padres starting staff because the front of their rotation is not going to have great starts every time out.

(Photo by Scott Varley/MediaNews Group/Torrance Daily Breeze via Getty Images) /

71. . . . Clayton Kershaw. 2. player

More from Call to the Pen

Yes, Clayton Kershaw is not the ace of the staff any longer.

I hate to say it but he has consistently underperformed in the postseason and the guy in front of him has, so he deserves the Opening Day start more than Kershaw does.

Of course, Kershaw gave up the game-tying home run to Juan Soto in the NLDS after surrendering a homer to the batter before that, Anthony Rendon.

That is the moment for me that made him the #2 starter. Being the Opening Day starter is something that should mean something, and should go to the best starter on the roster–and it is Walker Buehler.

71. . . . Walker Buehler. 1. player

Walker Buehler deserves to start Opening Day. Not only did he make his first All-Star appearance in 2019, but he pitched 182.1 innings in the regular season and averaged over 10 strikeouts per start.

In the two games he started vs the Nationals in the NLDS, he combined for 12 2/3 innings, allowing just 1 earned run with 15 strikeouts.

He gave his club a chance to win in both of those starts, and he was the one that gave Kershaw a lead in the decisive Game 5–and we all know what happened.

Next. 2020 Fantasy Baseball: Top 10 Catchers. dark

Walker Buehler does what an ace should do: consistently give their team the opportunity to win and ‘show up’ in the biggest games.

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