That's gotta be weird, man. You're away for like 8 years, playing in New York, Pittsburgh and Toronto, you come back...and the team's changed...but they're still really good. Like, everything changed but the standings, I think.
The only person who is still on the Dodgers from before Russell Martin left is Clayton Kershaw. Everyone else has either retired or fled. And yet the team is still hot as hell, with a strong start after a failed World Series attempt. The team is tighter than ever, even without Alex Wood and Yasiel Puig, and the talents of Cody Bellinger, Joc Pederson, AJ Pollock, Enrique Hernandez and, yes, even Russell Martin, have never been so consistent across the board.
The things you would think would stop this team...haven't. They had to start Julio Urias last week, and he pitched beautifully. They've been without Kershaw for a week or so, and Hyun-Jin Ryu has stepped up as the ace, which is something that would have been scoffed at three years ago. Even Alex Verdugo, who was messy at best during 2018, has been phenomenal off the bench. Hell, even Kenley Jansen's heart has behaved so far.
This team may have already improved on its 2018 incarnation...partially because instead of catching fire halfway through the year, they're starting hot. They're starting tight, and are hoping to keep the fire burning for the rest of the season, which is trickier, but with everyone hot and healthy, it definitely could work.
All I'm saying is if a team is planning on being THIS GOOD...for the rest of the year...the rest of the league better watch out.
Coming Tomorrow- The team they played in the WS. And...they're not doing too hot.
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