Before the trade deadline passed, the Los Angeles Dodgers attempted to load up on pitching. They acquired starters Mat Latos and Alex Wood, and also snagged reliever Jim Johnson. The Dodgers did this in hopes of adding some much needed pitching depth as they make their into the playoffs as the favorite to win the World Series.
Unfortunately, the trio of acquisitions have done very little to help the Dodgers. In fact, they’ve been downright terrible. Here’s a breakdown of each newly acquired Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher and why they’ve struggled to be productive.
Mat Latos
Latos came to the Dodgers from Miami with a poor 4.48 ERA but a much better 3.38 FIP. Los Angeles’ front office realized he was pitching better than what his ERA claimed. But that’s changed since he’s come to LA. In 14.2 innings over three starts, Latos has allowed 11 earned runs. His strikeout rate has fallen by over 8 percent (which is very worrisome going forward), while his home-run-to-fly-ball ratio has skyrocketed. But that could be due to park factors, as Dodger Stadium is more hitter friendly than Marlins Park.
I wouldn’t fret over Latos’ poor performance just yet. His peripherals are still, for the most part, decent, and adjusting to a new team/new park takes some time. Yes, his huge dip in strikeouts is something to keep an eye on going forward, but it’s too early to freak out.
LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST 14: Pitcher Alex Wood #57 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws against the Cincinnati Reds during the second inning at Dodger Stadium August 14, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Alex Wood
Wood was having a very good season with the Atlanta Braves before they shipped him off. He accumulated 1.9 WAR 119.1 innings, putting together a 3.54 ERA with an equally impressive 3.42 FIP. Adding a left-handed pitcher of his caliber to the rotation was sure to help the Dodgers. But through three starts, the results have been unimpressive (5.09 ERA and 4.29 FIP). A big reason for his sudden fall from grace is his lack of control. With the Braves, he walked just 2.72 batters per nine innings. With the Dodgers, however, his BB/9 has shot up to 4.08. Additionally, like Latos, he’s had a tough time keeping the ball in the yard (25 HR/FB%). The good thing about Wood’s time in LA is that he’s finding his strikeouts again. His K rate has risen from 17.7% to 20.5% since joining the Dodgers.
If Wood can somehow find his control again and keep putting down hitters with the strikeout, his stats should stabilize to where they were around the time he was in Atlanta.
PHILADELPHIA, PA – AUGUST 05: Jim Johnson #54 of the Los Angeles Dodgers delivers a pitch in the eighth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on August 5, 2015 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Dodgers won 4-3. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)
Jim Johnson
Along with Wood, Johnson also came to Los Angeles from Atlanta. And like Wood, he was having a fine year. In 48 innings out of the bullpen, Johnson posted a very impressive 2.25 ERA while forcing a 60.8% groundball rate (his overall GB% is the 10th-highest in MLB). But in a very small sample size (5.1 innings), Johnson has looked lost on the mound. His ERA sits at 20.25. He’s allowed three fly balls as a Dodger and two of them have gone for home runs. Not to mention he’s allowing a .611 batting average on balls in play. That’s bad luck if you ask me.
Johnson has been terrible with the Dodgers, but his small body of work and rotten luck makes it impossible to judge him.
