When a team is forced to temporarily replace players the caliber of Cody Bellinger and Mookie Betts, it is expected that the win-loss record will suffer, but that has not been the case for the Dodgers. With Chris Taylor more than filling in for Bellinger, and Zach McKinstry doing his best to imitate Betts, the team continues to win at a record pace.

Reminiscent of the 1988 Dodgers stuntmen (Mickey Hatcher, Franklin Stubbs, Danny Heep, Rick Dempsey, Jeff Hamilton, and Dave Anderson), the 2021 Dodgers have begun their quest for a World Championship repeat, with the bench playing a vital role in the team’s early success. Through the team’s first nine games of the season, utility players McKinstry and Taylor and backup catcher Austin Barnes have been vital run producers and defensive replacements.

Characterizing the 31-year-old Barnes as a backup may not be entirely accurate, as he is considered to be sharing the catching duties with Will Smith. But for all practical purposes, Smith is the team’s primary catcher and middle of the batting order hitter. But in his support role, Barnes has slashed .333/.412/.400/.812 in his first 17-plate appearances.

Taylor has been a Dodger since the 2016 season when he was acquired from the Seattle Mariners for Minor League pitcher Zach Lee. The 30-year-old Taylor has been a jack-of-all-trades for the Dodgers, playing every position other than pitcher, catcher, and first base. In his Dodger career, he has slashed .267/.343/.464/.781. For 2021, Taylor has improved to .300/.517/.550/1.067 while playing excellent defense wherever Dave Roberts inserts him into the lineup.

Zach McKinstry is a rookie who will celebrate his 26th birthday on April 29 when the Dodgers visit the Brewers team in Milwaukee. McKinstry went to Spring Training in February competing for the bench position left vacant when Kiké Hernández signed a free-agent contract with the Boston Red Sox. Zach not only earned a spot on the active roster, but he has excelled offensively and defensively. He has not only slashed a respectable .280/.321/.520/.841, but is tied with Corey Seager with 7 RBI (Justin Turner leads with 9) and has scored 4-runs.

It may be too early to compare Barnes, Taylor, and McKinstry to the 1988 stuntmen, but they are off to a good start in 2021. Without their contributions, the team would not be leading the NL West.

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