"Despite a bumpier-than-expected path, the Los Angeles Dodgers might still repeat as World Series champions, becoming the first team to do so since the New York Yankees of the late 1990s. If that comes to pass, few would be surprised. At the same time, based on what we've seen since Opening Day, few would be surprised, also, if they fall."
"Thus the Dodgers' season can't yet be labeled a success or a failure. If the Dodgers win another title, that's an obvious success. Failure is a little harder to define, but consider that L.A. is one of five teams on pace to finish more than 10 games under their preseason baseline forecast. They're also leading the tough National League West. Success or failure?"
"The answer is complicated. Baseball is the most quantifiable and projectable of the major sports, and forecasts are invaluable in setting our expectations for what might happen, and how to react to what actually comes to pass. Yet baseball is also paradoxically and wonderfully unpredictable. Teams and pundits alike enter the season with a good idea of what each club's strengths and weaknesses are, yet those observations tend to fly out the window when confronted by the reality of an actual season."
The Los Angeles Dodgers remain a plausible repeat World Series champion while also showing signs they could falter. L.A. leads the National League West but is among five teams projected to finish more than 10 games below preseason baseline forecasts. Forecasts provide valuable expectations and reaction frameworks, yet baseball retains deep unpredictability. Preseason perceptions of strengths and weaknesses frequently change when confronted by season realities. The season-long measure of success or failure depends on final outcomes versus preseason baselines. Arizona's positive developments have been driven largely by position players, led by a career year from Geraldo Perdomo.
Read at ESPN.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]