In the abbreviated 2020 season, the Dodgers were one of the best offensive teams in Major League Baseball. In previous seasons the Dodgers were an offensive force in the National League, but with the addition of Mookie Betts and the Designated Hitter rule, the team moved ahead of their American League counterparts in run-scoring and runs batted in.

With the departures of Joc Pederson (Cubs) and Kiké Hernández (Red Sox) via free agency and the NL playing 2021 without the DH, how will the Dodgers offense measure up in the 2021 season? Without sophisticated algorithms or a reliable crystal ball, all we can do is compare 2020 stats for each position (in parenthesis) with career performances of the rostered players. We start with catcher then go around the field.

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Catcher (.258/.371/.454/.824)

Although the Dodgers would be thrilled if their 2021 catching corps average the same slash line achieved in 2020, Will Smith, Austin Barnes, and Keibert Ruiz have the talent to exceed those stats. In his short Dodgers career, Smith has slashed a lofty .268/.363/.574/.973, but he continues to impress with his hitting mechanics, approach, and offensive maturity. Barnes’s offense improved significantly under Mookie Betts’s mentorship, and Ruiz has signaled that he is ready to fulfill his potential. 

First Base (.212/.306/.396/.702)

Whether it was the finger he injured in a summer scrimmage game or the new batters eye in centerfield, Max Muncy was not the same hitter in 2020 that he was in 2018/19. As a Dodger, Muncy has slashed .244/.372/.516/.888, and his backup, Edwin Rios, has even better numbers, including a .972 OPS. Look for a substantial increase in offense from the first base position in 2021.

Second Base (.202/.286/.376/.661)

It isn’t difficult to predict the Dodgers will get better offense from the second base position in 2021, whether Chris Taylor or Gavin Lux play the position. The veteran Taylor has slashed .266/.340/.465/.805 in his Dodger career, and Lux is poised to live up to his immense potential when he was the Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year in 2019.

Third Base (.279/.355/.540/.895)

The 36-year-old Justin Turner is the incumbent at third base, with a new, fat contract and a slimmed-down, stronger physique. As a Dodger, JT has slashed .302/.382/.503/.836, and the odds are good that he will continue to hit in that same range in 2021. Rios will also backup at third base, perhaps the best power hitter on the Dodgers roster.

Shortstop (.273/.336/.521/.857)

The Dodgers had terrific offense from the shortstop position in 2020, but it is reasonable to expect even better production in 2021. Corey Seager has slashed .295/.362/ .500/.862 in his career, but he has now blossomed into one of the best offensive players in MLB, entering his prime years, and has the motivation of free agency after the upcoming season. Backing him up are Taylor and Lux.

Left Field (238/.301/.471/.772)

Losing Joc Pederson in free agency is a loss against right-handed pitching, but a healthy AJ Pollock playing regularly should come close to his career offensive numbers (.269/.335/.474/.809). While his backups in left field, Matt Beaty and Zach McKinstry, do not have the power of Joc, they put the ball in play more frequently against right and left-handed pitching.

Center Field (.273/.365/.573/.938)

Cody Bellinger’s career slash line: .273/.364/.547/.911. The Dodgers will be happy with that performance from their All-Star, Gold Glove player. But there is more there … a lot more. Once Cody works out the kinks in his swing mechanics and figures out the best approach for him, he will move from All-Star status into the elite status like that of his right field partner, Mookie Betts.

Right Field (302/.371/.580/.951)

Mookie Betts is one of the very best players in MLB, and his career slash line is .301/.373/.522/.895. He, too, is entering the prime of his career, and continuing to produce at that level is expected, and with Corey Seager hitting behind him in the batting order, he could have a career year in 2021.

Designated Hitter (.273/.354/.432/.786)

Without a DH in the National League in 2021, the Dodgers will take a step back in offense. Rather than Justin Turner, or Edwin Rios, or Will Smith hitting in the lineup, Dodgers fans will watch Clayton Kershaw, Trevor Bauer, Walker Buehler, and their cohorts hitting – good for baseball purists, bad for offensive stats.

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What do you think Dodgers fans? How potent will the Dodgers offense be in 2021?

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