I was worried about the Dodgers for a second. A lot of their recent acquisitions have been guys over 30 like Howie Kendrick, Jimmy Rollins and Scott Kazmir. I was worried they were slowly turning into the Yankees. Thankfully, though, they've managed to be in the race enough to keep the Giants scared, and most of the work is being done by younger guys.
Corey Seager, in his first full year in the majors, is having an amazing season, leading his team in home runs and RBIs, and making a serious case for the Rookie of the Year award. Besides, just last night the guy hit three home runs in a game. He's coming into his own rather quickly, and the Dodgers have been more than accommodating to him. Joc Pederson, while not as astounding as he was last spring, is still doing his best to stay in there.
One of the biggest surprises in LA is Trayce Thompson, yes, Klay's brother, who has more home runs currently than anyone not named Corey Seager...and he's mainly been used off the bench. Right now he's getting a ton more time on the field thanks to an injury to Yasiel Puig, and the fact that the starter, Carl Crawford, was just DFA's. The Dodgers are banking on Thompson to keep the momentum going now.
Kenta Maeda is also having a very nice start, though not exactly blowing the doors off the place. He's pitching well enough to keep a spot in the rotation, and to be trusted upon more than the circus of backups that are coming up.
Seager, Thompson and Maeda are forerunning the youth movement that the Dodgers have so desperately needed for years now. Yes, they can win games with Clay Kershaw and Andre Ethier, but if they want to win seasons, they need people like Seager, and more farm system work, to improve the general team. There's a ton possible here, and people like Corey Seager can help the Dodgers achieve it.
Coming Tonight (?)- His team's tanking, and for the first time in his career, this guy's pitching like a human being.
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