The Los Angeles Dodgers are proving the importance of versatility

One of the strongest aspects of the Los Angeles Dodgers last season was the depth. That, in large part, was due to their fantastic versatility and bench.

The Los Angeles Dodgers were 27 outs away from a World Series trophy in 2017. With most of the team’s key pieces returning in 2018, the Dodgers look to make that same push. 2017 was a near record-setting season with one of the hottest stretches of baseball we have ever seen.

Despite ultimately losing to the Houston Astros in game seven of the World Series, the Dodgers arguably were the most talented team in baseball last year. LA got cold at the wrong time, Houston got hot and it still took them seven games to dispose of the Dodgers.

This was because of the fantastic bench manager Dave Roberts had at his disposal. The perfect blend of youth and veteran leadership, the Dodgers’ bench allowed Roberts to be flexible when he needed it most.

Adrian Gonzalez, Enrique Hernandez, Chase Utley, Austin Barnes and Joc Pederson all played a pretty significant role last season. Down the stretch, guys like Curtis Granderson and Andre Ethier played a role. Early in the year, Andrew Toles provided outfield depth.

Most of these guys could play several positions on the field. If he wanted, Dave Roberts could back up all eight outfield positions with just Hernandez and Barnes (which may be unfair since Hernandez plays seven of the eight).

Regardless, most of the guys on the Dodgers’ bench showed immense versatility. Chase Utley dabbled in first and third base, Barnes was a middle infielder as well as a catcher. In the starting lineup, that flexibility was evident as well.

Chris Taylor could play all eight outfield positions if he wanted; Logan Forsythe could play four infield positions as well as the corner outfield; Cody Bellinger could play first base as well as all three outfield positions.

That kind of versatility is huge and is a large part of why the Dodgers are so successful. Los Angeles can cover practically the entire field with a handful of guys.

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This was a narrative that surprisingly did not emerge during the World Series. If the Los Angeles Dodgers were to win, they needed to exploit the lack of depth in the Astros bench; the lack of flexibility. The Dodgers are built as the prototypical NL team.

Teams often try to shy away from this multi-positioned narrative that the Dodgers have created. I would say it is safe to say that it is a common misconception that too much movement in the field could produce worse results.

In fact, the 2017 Los Angeles Dodgers proved otherwise. Four of the top six in FanGraphs Def measurement were versatile players. Forsythe, Barnes, Taylor and Hernadez joined Corey Seager and Yasmani Grandal atop the list.

This is what has allowed the Dodgers to juggle injuries and remain competitive. This is what allowed the Dodgers to have six guys hit 20 or more home runs. Los Angeles built a quirky, mix and matched roster full of guys who could play anywhere on the field; similar to a video game.

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And it is absolutely beautiful and has led, and will continue to lead, the Los Angeles Dodgers to great success.

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