Dodgers: Five players who will improve the most in 2018

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LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 25: Enrique Hernandez (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

5. Enrique Hernandez

Enrique Hernandez is one of the most popular players on the Los Angeles Dodgers and plays a huge role off of the bench for the team. Hernandez can essentially play anywhere in the field and does so for the Dodgers. The only position that Hernandez has not suited up at for the Dodgers is catcher. This flexibility gives the Dodgers the insane depth that makes them who they are.

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Hernandez has some other perks as well. He hits left-handed pitching fairly well and is the Madison Bumgarner killer. Hernandez is 9-20 with two home runs and three doubles against one of the most dominant pitchers in the MLB.

Ironically, though, despite all of Hernandez’ positives his production was not that great in 2017. Everyone remembers his three home run game in the NLCS last season which clouds over his true production. In 140 games, Hernandez had just a .215 batting average with 11 home runs and 80 strikeouts.

That is not very good and if it was not for Hernandez’ flexibility he likely would not have a job on the Dodgers. However, all of this will improve in 2018 as Hernandez made some pretty big strides in the postseason.

Sure, the postseason is a very small sample size, but Hernandez played good and always seemed to come up with the big hit. Hernandez hit .320 in the postseason with three home runs and eight RBIs. A lot of that may have come in game five of the NLCS, yet Hernandez was showing an improved, patient approach at the plate.

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Hernandez definitely will not be an all-star by any stretch, but we will begin to see less of the random explosion games and more constant production. With that, Hernandez will see a huge improvement in his game in 2018.

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