The Los Angeles Dodgers have arguably the most star-studded and reliable top-of-the-lineup in Major League Baseball, led by Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith. Nobody can compete with the Dodgers one through four, and the numbers speak for themselves. The top of the lineup is lethal for L.A. as they rank first in batting average (.299) and OPS (.902).
However, while things are all fine at the top, the same can't be said for the bottom of L.A.'s lineup. The Dodgers' bottom-of-the-lineup is the weakest offensive unit in the majors, and because of this, it's been reported that the team will look to make significant upgrades as the trade deadline approaches. USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported in his latest column:
"The Dodgers will be looking for some offensive help to aid the bottom of their lineup, which has been one of the worst in baseball," Nightengale wrote. "While the top of the lineup with Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith is easily the best in baseball, the bottom of their order is hitting .200, fourth-worst in MLB with a .586 OPS, fifth-worst."
The bottom of the lineup, which consists of a combination of Kiké Hernández, Gavin Lux, Andy Pages, Jason Heyward, Chris Taylor, Austin Barnes, and Miguel Rojas, is atrocious as a unit. The Dodgers' six through nine hitters are batting .200, the fourth-worst in the majors, and have a .586 OPS, the fifth-worst. They rarely walk with a seven percent walk rate, and none of the aforementioned players have provided consistent offense outside of Rojas.
The top of the lineup is doing their job, but the bottom has been underwhelming. After two-plus months of Dodger baseball, it's clear the Dodgers brass needs to make an effort to improve that part of the lineup vastly.
The Dodgers will be buyers in the upcoming July 30 trade deadline, and they'll likely have their eyes on offense.
