Why Dodgers have MLB's top-ranked playoff rotation even without Shohei Ohtani

1 month ago 27

The Los Angeles Dodgers got some tough news in early July when Shohei Ohtani was taken off the mound and forced into a DH-only role for a while.

With his attempt to return to the mound not going well, he's not expected to pitch again for the Dodgers this season. When he comes back off the IL, he'll slot into the DH role as usual. But the Dodgers' rotation is more than capable without him.

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel ranked the Dodgers' rotation as the best in baseball, even if Ohtani isn't there. The reason why is simple: Los Angeles is stacked with starting pitchers, both in terms of high-end options and depth pieces.

Why Dodgers' rotation is best in MLB for playoffs even without Shohei Ohtani

"Yep, the Dodgers are still tops in this category -- even with the currently injured Shohei Ohtani likely not pitching again this season -- and by a pretty good margin," McDaniel writes. "They could start four arms over a seven-game series that are all better than any one arm on five or six of the teams listed below."

Of all the postseason teams this year, the Dodgers' rotation has four starters who could be those teams' No. 1 starting pitchers.

Tarik Skubal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are the Dodgers' best starters, and they'd likely be the Game 1 and Game 2 starters if the Dodgers could choose who takes the mound.

After those two are Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell, two incredible starters who have a very high ceiling and would be the No. 1 starter for teams like the San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, and Chicago White Sox.

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That four-man starting rotation is probably more than good enough to consider this Dodgers' rotation the best in baseball. But they also have some incredible depth options.

Justin Wrobleski is an incredible No. 5 starter. Kris Bubic and Emmett Sheehan probably won't start a playoff game for the Dodgers, but they would be capable No. 4 starting pitchers on most playoff teams.

For the Dodgers, those two are likely to be key bullpen arms. That's not to mention Roki Sasaki, who's going to return to the bullpen for the Dodgers in October as they look to win a third straight title.

The Dodgers have eight starting pitching options that could reasonably start a playoff game, and no one would bat an eye. It's an incredibly deep rotation, and that's without factoring in Ohtani. That's how good this rotation is. No other team can compare.