Dodgers: Gavin Lux’s Red Hot Start By the Numbers

After a slow start to his major league career, Gavin Lux may have found something this offseason. The shortstop turned utility man is off to great start this season. Lux looks comfortable in the box and has thrived in the bottom part of the Dodgers order. 

His patient approach this year has produced some strong hitting statistics.

Gavin Lux’s 2022 By the Numbers

• wRC+: 152
• OPS: .888
• BB%: 18.9%
• K%: 16.2%
• AVG: .276
• SB: 2

Through Tuesday, Lux also leads the Dodgers in walks and runs scored. He’s also in the top-two percent in all of baseball in expected weighted on-base average (.488) and hard hit percentage (66.7%). Note, any ball put in play with an exit velocity over 95 miles per hour is considered “hard hit”.

To that point, Lux is also in the top-seven percent in average exit velocity (94.2 MPH) and walk rate.

Now, it’s unlikely that Lux is going to finish as one of the best hitters in baseball by year’s end, but it speaks to the talent that made him Baseball America’s 2019 minor league player and, at one time, the Dodgers top prospect.

It’s also the reason why the Dodgers weren’t ready to throw in the towel on Lux after 532 largely disappointing plate appearances over the last three seasons. It’s probably also part of the reason why LA traded away AJ Pollock. The organization wanted to try to give their former top prospect one more year of regular at-bats.

Final Lux Thoughts

If Lux can continue to provide consistent offense throughout the year, it could also factor into the club’s decision on whether or not to extend, or re-sign, superstar shortstop Trea Turner. Which, will not be cheap. 

Lux isn’t, and will never be, Trea Turner, but a full year of quality offensive production could make him the Dodgers shortstop of the not-so-distant future. 

It’s still very, very early, but it might be time to board the Lux bus.

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