2020 Position Series: Left Field

(Photo by Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

(Editor’s Note: Throughout the offseason, Dodger Insider will recap each position group from the 2020 season. The series continues with left field.)

Previous Editions: First Base Second Base Shortstop Third Base

by Rowan Kavner

OVERVIEW

The Dodgers had a number of options to consider in left field, and they used them in 2020. It was the only position on the Dodger defense that didn’t see a player log 200 or more innings, but AJ Pollock came close.

Pollock led the group with 198 innings played at the spot while posting the best slugging percentage (.566) and OPS (.881) of his career and tying for the team lead with 16 homers. He demolished left-handed pitching in particular (.345/.367/.818 slash line). Joc Pederson and Chris Taylor each also logged more than 100 innings at the position.

(Photo by Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

PLAYING BREAKDOWN

· AJ Pollock: 22 starts, 27 appearances, 198 innings · Joc Pederson: 20 starts, 23 appearances, 165 innings · Chris Taylor: 14 starts, 19 appearances, 137 2/3 innings · Kiké Hernández: three starts, five appearances, 32 innings · Matt Beaty: one start, two appearances, six innings

TEAM STATS (LF)

(Note: The following stats are accumulated for players who played that position at the time of the at-bat. For example, only Ríos’ stats while playing third base are included rather than his overall stats for the year.)

(Note: The following stats are accumulated for players who played that position at the time of the at-bat. For example, only Taylor’s stats while playing left field are included rather than his overall stats for the year.)

AVG: .238 (15th in MLB) OBP: .301 (T-19th) SLG: .471 (8th) OPS: .772 (10th) HR: 14 (4th) R: 40 (T-3rd) RBI: 34 (T-9th) **wOBA (Weighted On-Base Average): .327 (13th) [wRC+](https://www.fangraphs.com/library/offense/wrc/)(Weighted Runs Created Plus): 107 (T-11th) K%: 20.2 (T-8th best) BB%: **7.3 (22nd)

BASERUNNING

SB: 3 (T-12th) CS: 2 (T-3rd most) **rBR (Baserunning Runs): **-1 (T-24th)

DEFENSE

**Def (Defensive Runs Above Average): -3.5 (18th) [UZR](https://www.fangraphs.com/library/defense/uzr/) (Ultimate Zone Rating):-0.7 (18th) [DRS](https://www.fangraphs.com/library/defense/drs/) (Defensive Runs Saved): -3 (T-20th) Errors: 2 (T-18th most) Fielding %**: .981 (T-23rd)

TOP THREE (BY PLAYING TIME)

· AJ Pollock *Regular Season* Overall (175 PA) — .276/.314/.566, 16 HR, 30 R, 34 RBI, 2 SB, 132 wRC+, 1.0 FanGraphs WAR, 0.9 Baseball Reference WAR As LF (95 PA) — .275/.295/.560, 8 HR, 16 R, 16 RBI, 1 SB Fielding, As LF — 1 E, .966 FP, -5 DRS, -19.6 UZR/150 Postseason Overall — **.220/.273/.268, 0 HR, 4 R, 2 RBI, 1 SB

(Photo by Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

· Joc Pederson *Regular Season* Overall (138 PA) — .190/.285/.397, 7 HR, 21 R, 16 RBI, 1 SB, 55 wRC+, -0.1 fWAR, -0.3 bWAR As LF (69 PA) — .148/.235/.328, 3 HR, 9 R, 7 RBI, 0 SB Fielding, As LF — 0 E, 1.000 FP, -2 DRS, 0.7 UZR/150 Postseason Overall — **.382/.432/.559, 2 HR, 4 R, 8 RBI, 0 SB

(Photo by Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

· Chris Taylor **Regular Season Overall (214 PA) — .270/.366/.476, 8 HR, 30 R, 32 RBI, 3 SB, 131 wRC+, 1.5 fWAR, 2.1 bWAR As LF (66 PA) — .291/.400/.491, 2 HR, 13 R, 7 RBI, 2 SB Fielding, As LF — 1 E, .971 FP, 3 DRS, 9.2 UZR/150 Postseason Overall — **.207/.270/.328, 1 HR, 8 R, 3 RBI, 0 SB

HIGHLIGHT MOMENTS

• Chris Taylor finished the first of a number of tight series battles against the Padres with a Dodger win on Aug. 5. His catch and throw home to get Trent Grisham tagging was one of the top defensive plays of the year and sealed a 7–6 victory.

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• AJ Pollock entered in the seventh inning of a 2–2 game against the Padres on Aug. 4 and proceeded to hit a go-ahead double and a home run to seal the Dodgers’ 5–2 win.

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• Pederson went 4-for-6 in the third game of the National League Championship Series against the Braves, including a three-run homer in the Dodgers’ record-setting 11-run first inning.

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LOOKING FORWARD

Pederson and Hernández are both free agents, which will likely open up more time for Pollock in left field with Taylor continuing to mix in. The Dodgers also have a number of young outfielders — some who have yet to make their Major League debuts and others with limited MLB experience — on the 40-man roster, including DJ Peters, Zach McKinstry, Luke Raley and Zach Reks.