As the MLB postseason rolls on towards the World Series, let's take a look back at the season the season that was for the Dodgers. Here are my grades from this past season.
A
Clayton Kershaw - 21-5, 2.88 ERA, 248 strikeouts. An absolute monster season from one of the game's best pitchers. A pleasure to watch every fifth day.
Matt Kemp - A Triple Crown threat until the very end, he erased any doubt about his desire by hitting .324 with 39 homers, 126 RBIs, and 40 stolen bases. Plus his defense in center was top-notch.
Kenley Jansen - Started the season off rocky, but after returning from injury in June, was absolutely untouchable. Finished with an MLB record 16.1 K's/9 innings.
Javy Guerra - Came out of nowhere to go 21-23 in save opportunities with a 2.31 ERA.
Dee Gordon - Mr. Excitement finished with a strong .304 average in 56 games. His blazing speed got him 24 steals, and made even routine grounders into close plays at first.
Hiroki Kuroda - I don't care if he had 16 losses, his 3.07 ERA and 202 innings pitched were the real reasons this was his best season to date.
Mike MacDougal - Quietly had a great year with a 2.05 ERA and 14 holds in 69 appearances. Was a stable force in a bullpen that struggled for most of the year.
B
James Loney - It's hard to believe just how much his season turned around once August hit, as he was as hot a hitter as there was in the majors. Raised his average over 30 points in that span, and perhaps played himself back onto the team.
Scott Elbert - A quiet contributor, he showed some great stuff from the left side with a 2.43 ERA in 47 appearances.
Nathan Eovaldi - A quality starter (but not a reliever). Gave up two or less runs in five of his six starts to perhaps lead the way to a starting spot again next season.
Juan Rivera - Picked up for practically nothing from the Blue Jays, proceeded to drive in 46 runs in 62 games. Gave the Dodgers a legit run-producing threat to pair with Kemp.
Tony Gwynn - Only hit .256, but did steal 22 bases, and flashed some serious leather, especially as a defensive replacement late in close games.
Jamey Carroll - A scrappy, gritty competitor who hit .290 and led the way with his hustle.
Aaron Miles - A non-roster invitee to Spring Training, ended up playing in 136 games. Hit well above .300 in July before sliding some in the last couple of months.
Dana Eveland - Not much of a sample size, but a 3.03 ERA in five starts is pretty darn good. Was fantastic in his three wins (1 run in 20 2/3 innings) and terrible in his two losses (9 runs in 9 innings).
Josh Lindblom - Was up and down between the majors and minors, but showed he can get the job done with a 2.73 ERA out of the 'pen. Another power arm to keep an eye on.
C
Andre Ethier - Might seem a big harsh for a guy who hit .292 and made the All-Star team, but his lack of power (11 homers) and whinny comments made it a season unfulfilled.
Ted Lilly - Bounced back great to end the season, but it was too little, too late. A 5.02 ERA through July is hard to forget.
Rubby De La Rosa - Was lost at the end of July because of Tommy John surgery, but looked pretty good with a 3.71 ERA. Someone to remember in the future.
Jerry Sands - Came in with the reputation of having all the tools, but it's taken him awhile to get on track. Fortunately he did towards the end, as his .342 September average raised his overall to .253.
Rod Barajas - His 16 homers were (sadly) second on the team. Still has good pop, but a .230 average is pretty poor.
Chad Billingsley - Maddeningly inconsistent, as he just never seems to have the numbers to match his stuff. One step forward, and one step back meant an 11-11 record with a 4.21 ERA.
Blake Hawksworth - A solid arm for most of the season, but the wheels fell off the bus at the end, as a lousy last two months raised his ERA from 2.95 to 4.08.
Matt Guerrier - Wasn't bad, but wasn't worth the big contract (3 years, $12 million) either. Ended with a 4.07 ERA in 70 games.
A.J. Ellis - Hit a decent .271, but with only four extra-base hits in 85 at-bats. Still hasn't exactly done enough to show he should even be the backup.
D
Rafael Furcal - Injuries once again left their toll, as he hit a lousy .197 with five stolen bases in 37 games. Traded to the Cardinals at the deadline... where he of course is enjoying postseason success. Figures.
Jon Garland - Was signed to be the #5 starter because of his durability... and then made only nine starts before ending his season with shoulder surgery. Collected a 4.33 ERA in those starts.
Casey Blake - Still plays hard when he can, but his days of starting are clearly over. Hit only .256 as he appeared in a measly 63 games. The ship has sailed.
Ramon Troncoso - He stunk. That's pretty much it.
F
Jonathan Broxton - Had the luckiest seven saves you'll ever see, as he had a 5.68 ERA in 14 games. Elbow injuries ended his season in May, as it's unknown if he'll ever come anywhere close to the All-Star he was only a couple seasons ago.
Juan Uribe - The big free agent signing after winning a ring with the Giants in 2010, proceeded to absolutely suck. Hit .204 with four homers and 60 strikeouts in 77 games. A colossal disappointment.
Eugenio Valez - 0-37. 'Nuff said.
Lance Cormier - Complained after Spring Training that he deserved to be on the big league roster. So he was... and then earned his way off of it with a 9.88 ERA in nine games.
Hong-Chih Kuo - From shutdown All-Star in 2010 to a 9.00 ERA and monumental flop in 2011. Unbelievable.
Marcus Thames - So much for being the power righty in the outfield. Instead hit .197 with two homers in 36 games before being shown the door.
Dioner Navarro - Horrendous effort led to putrid defense, and a .193 average. Was mercifully sent packing in late August.
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