There are some who consider a team that does not hit a lot of home runs a “small ball” team. And while the 2016 season is only two days old, the Dodgers have yet to hit their first home run.

But does this make them a small ball team? I’ll let you be the judge of that.

The Dodgers have sent a total of 84 batters to the plate through their first two games. Of those 84, 23 have reached base by way of a hit. Of those 23 hits, nine were doubles (39%) and two were triples (8%) – both by Yasiel Puig. Yet during spring training, the Dodgers had 314 batters reach base via hits – 61 doubles (19%), 11 triples (3%) and 36 home runs (11%).

Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig has had some of the best at-bats of his career through his first two games of the new season. If this trend continues, the possibilities are mind-boggling.
(Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)

Needless to say, it’s difficult to call a team with 108 of its 314 spring training hits (34%) and 11 of its 23 regular season hits (48%) a small ball team.

So why the power surge through their first two games then?

The answer is actually very simple – the Dodgers are playing smart ball, not small ball.

Of the 84 Dodgers that have stepped into the batters box thus far this (early) season, they have seen a total of 312 total pitches. This averages out to be 3.7 pitches per Dodger batter. In other words, the Dodgers aren’t having good at-bats thus far this season, they’re having great at-bats.

Whether this early success is because of new manager Dave Roberts, bench coach Bob Geren or new hitting coach Turner Ward and assistant hitting coach Tim Hyers is unknown, but whatever it is, the early returns have resulted in the Dodgers posting a .302 team batting average and, more importantly, an MLB-leading .522 batting average with runners in scoring position.

With guys like Adrian Gonzalez, Joc Pederson, Yasiel Puig, Justin Turner and soon Yasmani Grandal and Howie Kendrick in their lineup, the home runs will come – and probably very soon and probably quite often. However, if they can continue to have the type of at-bats that they have had through their first two games, the Dodgers could very well see multiple guys with batting averages above the coveted .300 mark by season’s end.

…and that usually leads to a trip to the postseason.