Quick – without looking it up, name the Dodger player who has been the hottest hitter since the All-Star break.

If you answered Dodgers newcomer and four-time All-Star Manny Machado, you’d be wrong.

Since being acquire the day after the 2018 Midsummer Classic, the 26-year-old Hialeah, Florida native and Baltimore Orioles 2010 first round draft pick (out of Brito Miami Private School in Miami) is 7-for-27 (.259) with one double, one triple, zero home runs, and one RBI. He has also walked four times and struck out six.

No, the hottest Dodger since the second half began on July 19 is 26-year-old Palo Alto, California native and Dodgers 2010 11th round draft pick outfielder Joc Pederson, who is 10-for-18 (.556) with three doubles, no triples, one home run, and two RBI. He has also walked once and struck out three times.

Pederson’s fourth-inning home run on Monday had an exit velocity of 112.7 mph, the second-hardest home run of the season by him and the team. (Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)

Taking it one step further, in the six games in which Machado has appeared since the break (all starts), his slash line is .259 / .355 / .370 for a .725 OPS; not bad, but not great either.

In the six games (four starts) that Pederson has made since the break, his slash line is a remarkable .556 / .579 / .889 for an absolutely insane 1.468 OPS.

Now granted, six games and 27 and 18 at-bats respectively is a ridiculously small sample size and not a true reflection of what Machado’s and Pederson’s year-end numbers will be. In fact, Machado’s current 2018 slash lines is .311 / .385 / .561 / for a .946 OPS, and Pederson’s .269 / .350 / .542 for a .892 OPS. Additionally, although Machado has yet to hit a home run in a Dodger uniform, he had 24 round-trippers prior to his July 18 trade to the Dodgers, whereas Pederson slugged his 14th home run in Monday’s 7-6 win over the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.

There is zero doubt that the addition of Machado to the Dodgers everyday lineup will significantly help the team pursue their sixth consecutive National League West division title … no doubt whatsoever. But the simple truth is that it will also take guys like the currently red-hot Pederson, Max Muncy and his team-leading 25 home runs, Matt Kemp and his current National League sixth best .315 batting average, a currently ice-cold Cody Bellinger (but with 17 home runs and 44 RBI), a currently lukewarm Chris Taylor (with his 12 home runs but with the second most strikeouts in the NL at 118), and a suddenly heating up Yasmani Grandal (with his 16 home runs and 50 RBI) to achieve that goal and (hopefully) beyond.

Although 2017 National League Rookie of the Year Cody Bellinger is currently slumping at the plate, his defense at first base and in center field has been Gold Glove-caliber. (Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)

It will also, of course, take great pitching by the current Dodgers starting rotation of Clayton Kershaw, Ross Stripling, Kenta Maeda, Alex Wood and Rich Hill.

But the Dodgers current glaring weakness, one that could be a roadblock in achieving that sixth consecutive division title (etc.) is their bullpen.

Even though the Dodgers activated beleaguered reliever Pedro Baez from the disabled list prior to Wednesday’s ugly 8-6 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi must, absolutely must acquire additional bullpen help prior to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline which, as of this writing, is five days away.

It’s your move, F&Z.

…but until then – and far beyond – stay hot, Joc!