Dodgers Team News

Alex Verdugo to Make Opening Day Roster

Alex Verdugo may finally get his shot to prove he can manage the load of a full major-league season. According to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, Verdugo is expected to be on the team’s Opening Day roster.

Verdugo has been one of the Dodgers’ top prospects for quite awhile now and although he has underperformed in a small MLB sample size, his prospect pedigree is still there.

It is quite exciting to see what Verdugo could do over the course of a full major league season. However, he is still battling another left-handed hitter in Joc Pederson for outfield at-bats.

The team most likely will not bring up Alex Verdugo if they do not plan to play him, so that bodes well for Dugie.


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Across 25 spring at-bats, Verdugo has registered 7 hits and a .669 OPS. That .669 OPS is exactly what he has posted across 100 major league at-bats over the last two seasons.

Across 208 career games in AAA, Verdugo has hit 16 homers and swiped 17 bases to go along with a .321/.389/.452 batting line.

If Verdugo can get even close to the numbers he put up in Oklahoma City, he will be a welcome addition to the club.

This move does force some playing-time questions for multiple players, including Verdugo himself. This could also mean Cody Bellinger playing more first base and Max Muncy playing less than originally perceived. Although unlikely, this could mean the Dodgers are moving on from Joc Pederson who had been mentioned last month in trade talks with the Chicago White Sox, according to multiple sources.

Fully expect Verdugo to be in the lineup nearly everyday against right-handed pitching and occasionally against southpaws to aid the woeful Joc Pederson against that handedness.

It appears that a key piece of the future might be here to stay.

Daniel Preciado

My name is Daniel Preciado and I am 19 years old. I am a sophomore Sport Analytics major and Cognitive Science and Economics dual minor at Syracuse University. When I am not in New York, I live in Whittier, California --- not too far from Chavez Ravine. I am pretty old-school for being an analytics guy and I will always embrace debate. Also, Chase Utley did absolutely nothing wrong.

7 Comments

  1. I’m for one glad they have hel on to Verdugo, its about time he gets his opportunity to to play at the MLB level I’m excited to see what he can do in a full season his playing time at the major league level has been to small of a sample size to really know if he is going to be any good at this level.

  2. Verdugo has excelled at every level. He makes contact, gets on base, has good speed defensively and can steal some bases. His defense is very good and he can play any outfield position and has a cannon of an arm.

    Perderson has become a one dimensional hitter and less than average defensively.

    Not really a contest. Personally I would trade Pederson and bring up one of the Outfield guys in the Minors like Rios, Peters or perhaps another utility player like Beaty or Miller.

  3. I’m crossing my fingers that the Dodgers decision-makers actually give Verdugo a OF(position) and Not just a part-time, just to give one of the OFs(Pollack for example) a day-off. I would bat Verdugo lead-off in the spring(Arizona) to see how he does. I know he’s more of the contact/base-hit instead of the “swing-for-the-fences” e.g. Pederson, Bellinger, Muncy that the team has.

  4. Watched a few spring training games on TV, Verdugo had a hard hit through the infield to drive in a run and also avoided a DP by a 100% effort running to first earlier in the game. last night. Plays hard. I would like to see him move around the outfield, give Pollock rest, split with Joc, play right when Bellinger is at frst. Also bring him in for defense when he does not start. Make him earn a starting spot when the games.count. By the end of the first.half, he may be a fixture. Also as a side note–looks like Kemp has gained some weight??? And Jeter roped one for a base hit for us last night and his swing is a .300 hitter swing.

    1. Really like the way Verdugo plays.

      Watching the Dodgers play the Rangers SOS man on first and Taylor on first and strikes out swinging does not move the man over. Turner doubles so men on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out and Muncy strikes out swinging!! New hitting coaches not helping… Same selfish BS as last year.

      Texas gets lead off man on the next batter grounds out so runner on second. Next guy singles and a run scores!! How about that….

  5. Why am I getting videos of non- dodgers? I don’t care, and dont want to see them. I am a Dodger fan only

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