The summer is turning up in LA early, and the Dodgers are the reason for the heat. Bursting out on the young season as the team to beat in the NL and the World Series can’t come fast enough. Mookie is in MVP form, and Ohtahi is off to the hottest start of his career, but all is not ace in Tinsel Town. The Dodgers have a massive problem in the infield named Gavin Lux.
Gavin Lux is facing numerous challenges in Los Angeles. Lux was initially handed the starting shortstop position by the Dodgers in 2023 but was sidelined early in the season due to a knee injury. After recovering from surgery, Lux returned to the team with high expectations for the 2024 season.
Unfortunately, Lux’s performance has fallen short of expectations, particularly in the field. Lux’s throwing issues, which plagued him during his first big-league spring training in 2019, have resurfaced, leading to costly errors. In recent games, Lux has struggled to make accurate throws to first base, resulting in defensive lapses that have cost the Dodgers valuable runs. Although he has not produced an actual error in 128 innings in 2024, his defense has been unspectacular.
More importantly, we need to talk about his bat; Lux’s offensive production has been abysmal. He is a promising hitter at 26 years old, but Lux has failed to consistently and constantly deliver at the plate, leaving a massive void in the Dodgers’ lineup. He currently is below the
Let’s look deeper; in 17 games with 54 ABs, he has just eight hits. He is striking out at 4x the rate he takes a walk, only walking four times. Of those 12 on-base appearances, he has produced six runs, telling us his teammates, in particular Mookie Betts, are batting him home at an astounding 50% of the time he gets on base. His -.3 WAR is seriously dragging the team down.
His struggles have raised concerns about his ability to handle the pressures of being a starting infielder in a championship-or-bust-caliber team. All of this, while Michael Busch flourishes in Chicago,
The Rise of Michael Busch
Michael Busch was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019 with high hopes for his future in the organization. Busch quickly made his way through the Dodgers’ farm system as a highly regarded prospect, showcasing his talent and potential. In 2023, he earned a spot on the Dodgers’ major league roster but was unfortunately unable to secure a consistent role due to limited playing time.
However, the Dodgers’ decision to trade Busch to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Jackson Ferris and Zyhir Hope has proven to be a boon for the young second baseman. Since joining the Cubs, Busch has been given the opportunity to play regularly and has made the most of it. He is on pace for 54 Home Runs and 118 RBIs with a .317 avg. and a 1.067 OPS.
Busch is holding a WAR of 0.9; he has 19 hits and nine BBs in 60 ABs. Applying the Dodgers RBI rate for Lux at 50% minus Busch’s six long balls, a run differential of 47 Runs is projected for the season.
What does this mean for the Dodgers? Not too much, as the rest of the team has them in the No.1 slot on the power ranking, and they are already leading the NL in wins. But the Braves are good and are gunning for the Dodgers, and they don’t have a Gavin Lux-sized hole on their roster. If Lux can’t improve ASAP, he will be the number one issue addressed at the trade deadline; perhaps the Yankees’s Gleyber Torres will be the target?
