Dodgers: Analysts Are Not High on LA's Projected Lineup for 2023

With a huge roster turnover, the MLB rankings come at little surprise

There's no question the Dodgers' roster is still among the best in the league. Leading off at the top of the batting order will likely be Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith but even with the star-studded cast, analysts have ranked the Dodgers below the top five. 

The Dodgers came into the 2022 season as the number-one ranked lineup, and rightfully so. The Dodgers were unable to reach the World Series but there was still plenty to be proud of including their 110-game winning season.

The biggest reason for the drop in the rankings belongs to losing their All-Stars Trea Turner, Cody Bellinger, Tyler Anderson, and Justin Turner, as well as their lack of replacement in the lineup (via MLB).

It didn’t show up in the National League Division Series vs. the Padres, but this was the best lineup in baseball last season, hands down. The Dodgers were No. 1 in every category that matters. The drop from No. 1 to No. 7 on this list is really not as big a deal as it seems, because these are all quality lineups. But I am dinging them for the losses of the Brothers Turner -- Trea and Justin (no, they’re not really brothers), both of whom had wRC+ marks around 25 percent better than league average.

The Dodgers went from Trea Turner to Miguel Rojas? Oof.

— Randy Wilkins (@pamsson) January 11, 2023

But Miguel Rojas is just one of the many players the Dodgers signed this offseason including J.D. Martinez, Noah Syndergaard, and Jason Heyward who could all bring a little of that veteran leadership the Dodgers lost in Justin Turner. 

Preseason rankings give fans something to think about, but of course, all that matters is production during the season. The team still has to gel together but thanks to the leadership, the team still has along with their strong pitching unit, the Dodgers can easily be higher than a top-seven team.