Editorials

Dodgers 2014 Player Reviews: Adrian Gonzalez

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The Los Angeles Dodgers relied on Adrian Gonzalez to be an offensive catalyst this season as well as the everyday first baseman. It’s a tall order for anyone, especially in Los Angeles where the expectations to win are so high. However, Gonzalez arguably had his best season since joining the Dodgers in 2012.

Despite struggling early in the season, the Dodger slugger picked it up after the All-Star break and ended the season hitting .276 with 27 home runs and 116 RBIs (MLB-best) over 159 games. Not only was Gonzalez a staple offensively, he provided a solid glove at first base finished with a .996 fielding percentage.



Gonzalez capped off the 2014 season by winning multiple awards that commended him for both his glove and bat. He won his first career Fielding Bible Award, and a Gold Glove and Wilson Defensive Award. On Thursday, Gonzalez he was then named the recipient of a Silver Slugger Award.

Gonzalez was also honored by Mexico as he won the top award in the country presented to athletes, which comes with a ceremony scheduled for Dec. 1.

2014 Highlight

In tallying the most RBIs in all of baseball, Gonzalez beat out the likes of All-Stars Mike Trout and Miguel Cabrera. Furthermore, Gonzalez was the only National League player to be in the top five in total RBIs. The 116 runs driven in was Gonzalez’s highest total since he was a member of the Boston Red Sox in 2011.

In particular, Gonzalez enjoyed a successful August compiling 20 RBIs for the month while also hitting .337. While in the midst of this span, Gonzalez powered the Dodgers to a 7-4 win over the New York Mets by collecting five RBIs on a night that included a three-run home run off Jacob deGrom.

The game brought Gonzalez out of a seven-game streak in which he failed to produce a single RBI.

2015 Outlook

The 2014 campaign was Gonzalez’s 11th year in the league. However, since joining the Dodgers it was his most productive offensive season yet. Also, since coming to Los Angeles, Gonzalez’s numbers have steadily increased. This season, Gonzalez’s home run numbers increased by five and his RBI totals increased by 16 from the previous season.

The Dodgers hope Gonzalez can do more of the same in 2015. If he can raise his numbers again while maintaining his solid defensive play, he continue to be a steady force in the lineup.

Staff Writer

Staff Writer features content written by our site editors along with our staff of contributing writers. Thank you for your readership.

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