Simply stated, the Los Angeles Dodgers are a problem for opposing pitching staffs.
The Dodgers, who will open a three-game road series against the Miami Marlins on Monday, are second in the majors in homers (54) and third in runs scored (182). The Marlins, in contrast, are 19th in homers (30) and 16th in runs (147).
The disparity in payroll is even greater. While the Dodgers have the most expensive collective salary in baseball at more than $331 million when factoring in the deferral money to designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, Miami’s payroll is the lowest in the majors at $67.9 million.
Based on payroll numbers, it’s not hard to guess which team is the reigning World Series champion and which is coming off a last-place, 100-loss season.
The Dodgers, who had their seven-game win streak snapped on Sunday night in a 4-3 loss against the host Atlanta Braves, have an array of stars.
Atop the list is Ohtani, who has won a league MVP award three times in the past four years. He was second in the fourth of those years.
Last year, Ohtani became the first player to hit 50-plus homers and steal 50-plus bases in the same season, finishing with a 1.036 OPS. This season, he has eight homers, nine steals and a .970 OPS.
“Shohei is back to doing what he does well,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said over the weekend. “The guys at the top of the order are carrying us right now.”
That includes Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez.
Meanwhile, the Marlins, who have lost seven of their last eight games, are forever looking to find proverbial diamonds in the rough.
That’s primarily corner outfielder Kyle Stowers, who leads the team in batting average (.321), RBIs (25), on-base percentage (.387) and OPS (.928).
But there are other potential gems, too. Xavier Edwards, a switch-hitting shortstop, leads the Marlins in steals (eight). Rookie catcher Agustin Ramirez is off to a solid start with an .825 OPS.
And then there’s center fielder Dane Myers, who has a .922 OPS and several highlight plays on defense on his resume. He threw a runner out at the plate on Sunday in the second inning of the Marlins’ 3-2 loss to the Athletics.
Myers, 29, is trying to overcome the reputation of a career minor-leaguer, having played just 90 games in the majors. He says his approach this season has made a difference.
“I think I’m at my best when I’m relaxed and trying to go to right field,” the right-handed hitting Myers said. “I usually don’t try to pull the ball. That’s usually when I get myself into a rut, trying to do too much. I’m trying to use the whole field. If I react and pull it, that’s fine.”
The Marlins are hoping that Monday’s pitching matchup favors them as they will start 2022 Cy Young Award-winner Sandy Alcantara.
But the right-hander, who missed all of last season due to elbow surgery, is off to a slow start (2-3, 8.31 ERA). His numbers are scarier against the Dodgers: 2-4 with a 9.66 ERA in seven career starts.
The Dodgers will start Ben Casparius (3-0, 2.91), who normally pitches in relief, to begin a bullpen game.
Casparius, the Dodgers’ fifth-round pick in 2021 out of Connecticut, made his debut in the majors last year.
So far, he is 5-0 with a 2.70 ERA in 14 appearances, including one start. In that start, which came against the Cubs on April 23, he pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings with four strikeouts.
Casparius has never faced the Marlins.
–Field Level Media
