Dodgers Rumors: Three Players that will Regress in 2017

Adrian Gonzalez

It hurts me, a lot, to say this. I am perhaps as big of an Adrian Gonzalez fan that you can find. His leadership, attitude, and play have made me love him as much as anyone else. Gonzalez just seems like he is meant to a Dodger, yet, as his career is winding down, we are going to witness his production slowly dip.

It is a testament to how long Gonzalez has been able to play at the level he does. At 34, turning 35 in May, Gonzalez is still a pretty good option at first base. We have seen first baseman flare out into the abyss, like my old favorite player Ryan Howard. While Gonzalez likely won’t regress to that level, due to his fielding and better pure hitting ability, we will see his numbers take a further dip in 2017.

We saw it start to slightly take form last season. Gonzalez’ batting average was indeed higher, but he slugged ten fewer home runs and hasn’t driven in 100 runs since his 116 mark in 2014. Don’t get me wrong, he is putting up good numbers, but we will see them slightly dip more.

I do not see any real problem with Gonzalez’ production next season, as he will likely still be an anchor in the middle, but we may see some slight regression. The big thing to watch for is his performance next season, as it is his last season under contract. With top prospect Cody Bellinger waiting to get brought up, we may see Gonzalez dealt in 2018.