2013 Report Card

(Note: This is my annual report card, but for the regular season only.  I will be back with a postseason report card very soon.  To view my mid-season report card, click below.)

2013 Mid-Season Report Card

A

Clayton Kershaw - The soon-to-be Cy Young Award winner was everything the Dodgers could've hoped for.  Led the NL in ERA (1.83), WHIP (0.92), and K's (232), while finishing third in wins (16) despite a horrible lack of run support for much of the season.

Zack Greinke - A rough start because of injuries eventually gave way to an ace-like end.  A 1.85 ERA in the second half paved the way to a 2.63 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and a 15-4 record.

Kenley Jansen - Saved the day in the bullpen, as one of the key moves to turnaround the season came in early June when he took over the closer's role.  Finished with 28 saves and a fantastic 13.03 K/9.

Hanley Ramirez - Playing in only 86 games was tough, but was terrific when he was in there.  Hit .345 with 20 homers and 57 RBIs, and made the offense a whole lot better just by being in the lineup.

Adrian Gonzalez - Played through neck pain early in the season, which led to some uncharacteristic errors at first.  But he finished with 157 games played, hitting .293 with 22 homers and 100 RBIs, and was a steady influence all season long.

Yasiel Puig - There's no denying the electricity this guy brought at a time the Dodgers desperately needed it.  Ended up hitting .319 with 19 homers, 42 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases, not to mention the eight assists from the outfield.

Juan Uribe - Who knew?  This guy totally changed his career around, becoming a vacuum at third base, plus hitting 12 homers and 50 RBIs.

Brian Wilson - Even though he only appeared in 18 games at the end, was the perfect setup man with an 0.66 ERA.  Definitely proved his arm troubles are a thing of the past.

J.P. Howell - Quietly had a 2.03 ERA and 1.05 WHIP as one of the primary left-handed relievers.

Paco Rodriguez - Faded at the end, but you can't forget how good he was for so long.  Still fresh out of college, pitched in 76 games to a 2.32 ERA and 0.90 WHIP.

Hyun-Jin Ryu - Wasn't expected to be more than maybe a #4 guy, but outpitched those expectations  by going 14-8 with a 3.00 ERA and 1.20 WHIP.

B

Andre Ethier - His numbers continue to be unimpressive (.272/12/52), but something should be said about his versatility in the outfield, especially with so many injuries to others.  Still plays very solid defense.

Carl Crawford - Had his usual ups-and-downs as far as injuries go, limiting him to 116 games with some days of rest mixed in.  Only had 15 stolen bases, but is still somewhat of a threat at the plate as he worked his way back from Tommy John.

Mark Ellis - His days as a starting second basemen could be over with the signing of Alexander Guerrero, but still sets a great example of how to play hard.  Hit .270, but remains great on defense.

Ricky Nolasco - Started his Dodger tenure a house of fire... but oh, those last three starts.  ERA shot up from 3.14 to 3.70, and probably cost himself more starts in the playoffs.  But, went 7-0 in his first eight starts, which played a big role in the summer run.

Chris Withrow - The flamethrower hit the rookie wall towards the end, but still had a 2.60 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 43 K's in 34 2/3 innings.  A power arm to keep an eye on in middle relief.

A.J. Ellis - Turned himself into one of the final candidates for a Gold Glove, where he's valued most.  Only hit .238, but his 52 RBIs included some big ones along the way.

Nick Punto - Gets upgraded because of his ability to play three infield positions (third, short, second), which was big because of the revolving door of injuries to everyone else.

Michael Young - Did a solid job by hitting .314, even though he was short on power.  Plus, he appeared at all four infield positions.

C

Matt Kemp - Somehow played in 73 games, even though it seemed like much less.  Once again his season was derailed by one injury after another, and you have to question if his body is too brittle to ever be a star player again.  Never thought he'd have 6 homers and 33 RBIs for the whole season.

Scott Van Slyke - Never really took advantage of any sort of playing time he was given, hitting .240 with 7 homers and 19 RBIs in 53 games.  Seemed like he should've made a bigger impact.

Skip Schumaker - Wasn't bad, but never really was the good pinch-hitter he was signed to be, hitting only .263 in 319 at-bats.  At least he pitched two shutout innings, though!

Carlos Marmol - Definitely was better off in LA after a disastrous stint with the Cubs, and did have a solid 2.53 ERA.  However, his 1.55 WHIP showed his control problems will never go away.

Stephen Fife - More injuries disrupted his season, but had four wins with a 3.86 ERA, so wasn't too bad.

D

Dee Gordon - Got passed over by Justin Sellers (Justin Sellers!) for shortstop when Ramirez was hurt to start the season, and proved again why he'll never be an everyday player with an awful .234 average.

Tim Federowicz - Maybe there's a reason A.J. appeared in so many games - this guy was pretty bad.  Had nearly as many strikeouts (56) as total bases (57), and never gave Don Mattingly a reason to play him more.

Ronald Belisario - Mr. Inconsistency was just that - inconsistent.  Is no longer a strikeout pitcher, and a 3.97 ERA and 1.47 WHIP showed how unreliable he is.

Chris Capuano - Speaking of inconsistent, there's him.  One start he'd look good, the next start he'd get bombed en route to a 4.26 ERA and 1.41 WHIP.  His best days are clearly behind.

Jerry Hairston - Left off the playoff roster because of a pitiful .211 average with no pop at all. 

F

Brandon League - An absolute abomination as the closer.  And to think, his numbers actually IMPROVED to a 5.30 ERA and 1.55 WHIP after being demoted.  That says it all right there.  A horrible deal by Ned Colletti.

Matt Magill - Failed to take any soft of advantage of spot starts, bombing his way to a 6.51 ERA and 1.99 WHIP.

Matt Guerrier - Earned his way to Chicago with a 4.80 ERA and 1.47 WHIP.  Remember how he was signed to be the primary setup man?  Yikes, that's a scary thought.

Peter Moylan - Pathetic numbers with a 6.46 ERA and 1.96 WHIP.

Ramon Hernandez - Was given 17 games to prove his worth.  Well, he did by hitting .208, earning him a ticket out of town.

Justin Sellers - A horrendous choice to start the season at short, hitting .188.  Ouch.

Luis Cruz - Had one of the biggest downfalls I can recall in recent memory.  Had third base all to himself over Uribe, yet hit .127 in 45 games, and more than played his way to the waiver wire.  Boy was he bad!