More than batting average: How the Dodgers' new-look offense formed a juggernaut identity
It hasn't been a typical recipe for success.
After leading the majors in scoring during their historic 111-win campaign last season, the Dodgers lost three All-Stars in free agency, then their starting shortstop to an injury in spring training.
They filled those voids with unproven rookies, established-but-aging veterans, and other low-cost additions that led to scrutiny over the winter.
Beyond their top three bats — Freddie Freeman, Will Smith and Mookie Betts — almost every other hitter in their lineup has slumped through at least some stretch of the season's first two months, leading to a long list of potentially troubling indicators:
A team batting average of .242, ranking 21st in the majors.
A combined strikeout total of 507, more than all but five teams.
And on most nights, a batting order filled with inconsistent producers, several of whom are flirting with the Mendoza line (a .200 batting average).
"When we put together this ballclub,"
