The MLB postseason is approaching fast. Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Round is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, September 30. The Dodgers have the best record in the National League and know they’ll be hosting their Wild Card Round opponent at Dodger Stadium but potentially will not know their first round opponent until after the final game of the regular season.
Unlike years past, where the roster maxed out at 25 players, the roster size of 28 will carry over from the 2020 regular season throughout the postseason. As it stands, 25 Dodgers are guaranteed to make the roster assuming they’re healthy while there’s a few fringe players we will look at.
The locks are as followed:
Pitchers
1. Clayton Kershaw (L)
2. Walker Buehler (R)
3. Julio UrÃas (L)
4. Dustin May (R)
5. Tony Gonsolin (R)
6. Kenley Jansen (R)
7. Blake Treinen (R)
8. Pedro Báez (R)
9. Joe Kelly (R)
10. Dylan Floro (R)
11. Brusdar Graterol (R)
12. Victor González (L)
13. Adam Kolarek (L)
14. Jake McGee (L)
Hitters
15. Will Smith (C)
16. Austin Barnes (C)
17. Kiké Hernandez (INF)
18. Max Muncy (INF)
19. Corey Seager (INF)
20. Justin Turner (INF)
21. Edwin RÃos (INF)
22. Cody Bellinger (INF/OF)
23. Mookie Betts (OF)
24. A.J. Pollock (OF)
25. Chris Taylor (OF)
That leaves three roster spots up for grabs, with 14 pitchers and 11 hitters, nine of those in the starting lineup and two on the bench. Considering it’s a three game series, the Dodgers don’t need to load up on pitching, so I believe those three spots will go to one pitcher and two position players meaning their will be 15 pitchers and 13 position players on the postseason roster. Who those spots will go to will be broken down below:
Joc Pederson (OF)
Pederson has personal matters occurring at home, which could be the underlying factor to his unproductive 2020. Pederson is batting .177 with 6 HRs and 12 RBIs. The Dodgers are unsure they will have Pederson after the Wild Card round, but despite a slow start, Pederson has had his fair share of big postseason home runs in years past, and it’s hard to ignore that magic. If the Dodgers face a team primarily composed of right-handed starters then it’s hard to imagine he’s left off. Although they did leave him off the NLDS roster in 2017.
Gavin Lux (INF)
The favorite to win Rookie of the Year to enter the season was a late addition to the roster in 2020. Lux hasn’t been much of a factor this season with a .169 batting average and .602 OPS with 3 HRs and 8 RBIs. Lux has gone ice cold over his last 7 games hitting at a .130 clip and has seen a decrease in playing time. The potential is absolutely there, and Lux will have a more defined role in the future.
Matt Beaty (INF)
Beaty was viewed as a clutch bat off the bench in 2019, but 2020 has not come with the same success. Beaty has had limited playing time this season, which has resulted in a .220 batting average and 2 home runs. Beaty is more of a dark horse candidate to make it at this point, as he’s been at the Dodgers Alternative Site and hasn’t appeared in a MLB game since September 6.
Keibert Ruiz (C)
The Dodgers might prefer to keep Will Smith in the lineup every game, which would mean he would be the DH during games started by Clayton Kershaw, since Barnes and Kershaw are a battery you don’t mess with. The logical contingency plan may then be carry 3 catchers in case one of Barnes or Smith are injured during a game. Ruiz did hit 1 home run this season and he’s ranked as one of the top prospects in baseball, so maybe he’s brought on as insurance.
Alex Wood (P)
2020 did not go as planned for Alex Wood. He signed with the Dodgers because he believed he had a great opportunity to be in their rotation all season. Injuries and a subpar performance have prevented Wood from achieving his goal. In just 11 innings pitched, Wood has a 6.35 ERA and 1.76 WHIP. Obviously the Dodgers could keep Wood in the bullpen just in case one of these games goes well past extra innings.
Scott Alexander (P)
The left-handed sinker ball thrower was off to a great start in 2020, but September 1 was his last MLB appearance. We don’t know what he’s been up to at the Alternative site, but with a 2.92 ERA over 13 games, Alexander has to be in consideration as a lefty specialist.
Dennis Santana (P)
Santana pitched 17 innings over 12 games for the Dodgers this season, but that came with a 5.29 ERA. The young right-hander did pitch in some significant innings, but his last MLB appearance was September 6. He would make the postseason roster for the same reasons that Alex Wood would.
Those are some of the Dodgers in consideration for the Dodgers postseason roster. Share your thoughts on social media.
Author: Kevin Klein
Follow me on Twitter @Klein25
Listen to The Incline: Dodgers podcast on your favorite streaming service.