Why This Will Be Dave Roberts’ Most Challenging Season

Why This Will Be Dave Roberts’ Most Challenging Season

by | Apr 1, 2024 | THE THREE SPOT

Dave Roberts is currently in his ninth season as the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. During his time in L.A. he has surpassed over 750 wins and has a World Series title.

 

Dusty Baker & Dave Roberts Continue To Set The Standard For Managerial Excellence In 2023

On paper, Roberts has had some talented teams, but all he has to show for it is one title. This year, the Dodgers have a team filled with talent yet again, but this could also be his most difficult season.

The Dodgers made headlines during the offseason spending more than $1.1 billion on MLB star Shohei Ohtani and Japanese star Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Not to mention the additions of pitchers Bobby Miller, Gavin Stone, and James Paxton. The Dodgers wanted to add some pieces to their bullpen, but will this bullpen be able to carry this team through the 2024 season and into the playoffs?

Handling Shohei Ohtani Media Attention 

And let’s not forget the Ohtani fiasco at the start of the season with his translator. Roberts has already had a lot on his plate and we’re not even 20 games into the season yet.

Roberts addressing the Ohtani situation regarding his translator

On March 20, ESPN reported the Dodgers had fired Ohtani’s translator, Ippei Mizuhara, after allegations of massive theft.

The allegations centered on wire transfers from Ohtani’s account, totaling around $4.5 million.

“I’m very saddened and shocked that someone who I trusted has done this,” Ohtani said in an NBC News article.

“Ippei has been stealing money from my account and has told lies.”

Roberts talked about the situation and believes the organization will continue to move in a positive direction.

“Actually, I would argue that it’s going to help relations internally,” he said before the Dodgers’ last exhibition game. “Because there’s no longer a buffer. I think that I’ve already seen it in the last couple of days. I think Shohei has been even more engaging with his teammates, and I think there’s only upside with that.”

Roberts wants to make sure the team’s chemistry is strong and that it continues to grow as the season progresses.

Can this pitching staff win games for the Dodgers?

Offensively, the Dodgers have one of the best lineups in all of baseball. Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Ohtani are a recipe for disaster for opposing pitching staffs.

Roberts will not have to worry about his team producing runs, with the offensive threats he has.

Now on the flipside, the pitching is another story. With Ohtani unavailable to pitch for the entire season due to elbow surgery, the Dodgers need to find that guy who can dominate on the mound.

The Dodgers threw a lot of money at Yamamoto and they are hoping he can blossom into a dominant pitcher. In his last start against the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday, Yamamoto had an impressive outing, going five scoreless innings with five strikeouts.

It was a much better performance from his debut when he only lasted one inning giving up five runs on four hits against the San Diego Padres.

“There’s a lot of confidence and there’s a lot of pride and fire,” Roberts said of Yamamoto in an ESPN article. “And appreciating the contract and his part of the deal — I think he takes it personal. And took it personal. He was really intent on pitching well for his home debut.”

Tyler Glasnow is a pitcher the Dodgers will look to have a significant impact this season. The 30-year-old looks to surpass 10 wins for the second straight season. But one thing to note regarding Glasnow is that he’s never pitched over 120 innings in his career.

That could play a factor in the latter part of the season.

 

Roberts will have his hands full this season and all eyes will be on him to see how he leads his team and navigates the ups and downs and media scrutin win his second World Series title as a manager.