Los Angeles Dodgers' best-case, worst-case and most realistic scenarios for 2024
By Bill Felber
Dodgers' Most Realistic Scenario
Even in the unlikely event the pitching collapses, the Dodgers can still fall back on Betts, Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith and an offensive cast of thousands. It’s basically the same group that finished second in the majors in OPS last season, and that’s before adding Ohtani at DH.
As for the potential pitching concerns, that’s becoming routine in LA. Last year, Dodger manager Dave Roberts worked around the various issues limiting Buehler, Julio Urías, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May, and still brought the staff home with a collective 4.06 ERA that beat the MLB average by more than a quarter of a point.
If the Dodgers don’t win the NL West, it would be the surprise of the season. The problem is the unpredictability of October. Dodger fans want to tell themselves that Andrew Friedman has ‘built for October,’ as if anybody knows what that means.
They would be advised to remember the sage advice of Oakland A’s boss Billy Beane, who said you build for the regular season because October is too unpredictable. Beane was and still is right. That $1 billion the Dodgers spent this year almost certainly bought them a pass into the postseason. Beyond that, they basically own a very expensive lottery ticket.
Arizona Diamondbacks' best and worst-case scenarios for 2024 (calltothepen.com)
Atlanta Braves' best and worst-case scenarios for 2024 (calltothepen.com)