June 9th, 2020 at 8:00 am 
by Ron Cervenka Quick, without looking, name the switch-hitters currently on the Dodgers 40-man roster.
If you came up with 21-year-old Dodgers top catching prospect Keibert Ruiz, who has appeared in exactly zero major league regular-season games thus far, you are among the elite of the elite of Dodger fans … or you looked.
Granted, the Valencia, Venezuela native, whom the Dodgers signed in 2014 for $140,000, did appear in six Spring Training games in 2020 and had 10 plate appearances, but he never reached base, going 0-for-10 with four strikeouts.
The point here is that having a good – or even a decent – switch-hitter on your active roster is a valuable asset, especially when trying to chase an opposing pitcher from a tight game with runners on base.
…or is it?
Is having a good – or even a decent – switch-hitter really that big of a deal when your 2019 team led the National League with 279 home runs and 861 RBI, and has won seven consecutive NL West titles?
Probably not.
National League MVP Cody Bellinger led the Dodgers with 47 home runs in 2019. Joc Pederson slugged 36, Max Muncy 35, and Justin Turner 27 – career highs for Belly and Joc, and career ties for Max and JT. Of these four, only Turner bats right-handed. Bellinger finished the season with a career-high .305 batting average and Turner a career-high .290 batting average.
For those old enough to remember, the Dodgers have had several very good switch-hitters in their storied history, perhaps none better than former Dodgers speedy shortstop Maury Wills and former Dodgers outfielder/first baseman Reggie Smith. They even had switch-hitting Hall of Famer Eddie Murray on their roster in 1997, albeit for only nine games. Murray is ranked as MLB’s fourth-best switch-hitter of all time behind only Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle, Chipper Jones, and (Hall of Fame snubbed) Pete Rose.
(AP photo)
Although having a good switch-hitter – or even a Cy Young award winner (or two) – on your team is definitely a good thing, the bottom line is that “Chicks dig the long ball,” as noted in the extremely popular 1999 Nike commercial.
Oh, by the way, if you didn’t look it up, Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen is also listed as a switch-hitter but, well… you know.
Play Ball!
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Wes Parker, Jim Lefebvre, Maury Wills, and Jim Gilliam is the answer to one of the Dodger’s best trivia questions.
Those were good days; terrific group of switch hitters. Another trivia question. Most career home runs by Dodgers switch hitter?
I’ve seen many switch hitters that probably should have, and many one way hitters who could not lefty or eighty pitching. So unless we’re talking about a true quality switch hitter I think it is overrated.
Good point. There have been many “switch-hitters” in name only as they were much better from one-side than the other. But that was not the case with the Dodgers all switch-hitting infield of Parker, Lefebvre, Gilliam, and Wills.