Los Angeles Dodgers midseason awards: Most disappointing pitcher
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Dodgers are the best team in baseball as we head into the second half but not everything has been positive for the team.
Even after ending the first half with a three-game losing streak, the Los Angeles Dodgers are the best team in baseball heading into the second half and are a lot of people’s pick to win the World Series in 2019.
The team certainly has the talent to do so and will once again be close to full strength when the second half begins. With some great offensive performances and the most talented starting rotation in the majors, the Dodgers have definitely made their case as the league’s best team.
Not everything has been great for the Dodgers, though, especially in the pitching department. Although the starting rotation is extremely talented, the bullpen has struggled and was once one of the league’s worst.
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The bullpen has turned it around in the last month or so and now has the eighth-lowest ERA in the majors.
That does not completely wipe away the disappointment that plagued the bullpen earlier in the year and that is especially true for one certain individual.
You probably already know who this is going to be, but as part of our Los Angeles Dodgers midseason awards, we give you the Dodgers’ most disappointing pitcher of the first half.
Los Angeles Dodgers most disappointing pitcher: Joe Kelly
It couldn’t be anyone else. It does not matter that Joe Kelly has been much better recently as he is still the most disappointing pitcher on the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Kelly was one of few signings that the Dodgers made in the offseason and after Kelly carved the Dodgers apart in the World Series, Dodger fans expected a stone cold killer that could carve batters out with his triple-digit fastball.
Kelly has been anything but that as he enters the break with a 5.28 ERA under his belt.
As previously stated, Kelly has been better in recent weeks and has lowered that number much lower than it once was. He had an 8.35 ERA entering the month of June and it was not until then that he really started to get going.
Kelly has a 0.73 ERA since the start of June with one earned run allowed in 12.1 innings. His only “bad” outing in that span was on June 28 at Coors Field, where he allowed three runs on four hits, albeit all the runs were unearned.
Kelly might be on the upswing but it is safe to say that most Dodger fans still don’t fully trust the flamethrower that was supposed to be the bridge to Kenley Jansen.
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With not that many other bad performances in the first half, especially considering the expectations that Kelly had, this was an easy choice.