Dodgers Move Up Slightly in Latest Offseason Power Rankings

The Dodgers are sixth in ESPN's latest MLB power rankings, a ranking that makes sense but has some faulty logic behind it if you read their description.

A couple weeks ago, the Dodgers showed up in seventh place on an MLB power rankings list. Since then, very little has changed for LA or any other team, but in ESPN's latest power rankings, Los Angeles is all the way up to number six.

The blurb for the Dodgers was written by Alden Gonzalez, and he lays out why they're so low after winning 111 games last year.

The Dodgers' lineup has been deep, decorated and flat-out overwhelming in recent years. But now -- on paper, at least -- it feels relatively lacking, with Trea Turner and Cody Bellinger gone and not necessarily replaced. The Dodgers essentially swapped Justin Turner for J.D. Martinez, the latter of whom will absorb most of the playing time at designated hitter. But it looks like they will fill most of their remaining holes internally.

Center field and left field are a major question, and three of the infield spots -- second base, third base and shortstop -- will be filled by the foursome of Gavin Lux, Max Muncy, Miguel Vargas and the recently added Miguel Rojas. Will infield defense be a problem, particularly in a year with shift restrictions? And will their promising crop of young players be good enough to make up for major losses?

I'm not saying the Dodgers should be number one on the list or anything, but when one of the reasons for the ranking is "How will they replace the 550 plate appearances of 78 OPS+ they got from Cody Bellinger last year?" then maybe things aren't quite as dire as they're saying. Los Angeles will definitely miss Trea Turner, and there are certainly question marks as to who will play where.

Bellinger was worth 1.2 WAR last year; James Outman definitely has the potential to match that. Miguel Vargas probably won't match Trea's 4.9 WAR, but he could easily do half that or more. Throw in bounce-back seasons from Chris Taylor and Max Muncy, and it's entirely feasible that the 2023 Dodgers won't take much of a step back at all.

I wouldn't bet money on LA winning 111 games again, but I also wouldn't bet against them winning 100. Maybe sixth place in the power rankings is the right spot for them, since Vargas and Outman haven't proven anything yet and the bounce-backs from Taylor and Muncy are both still theoretical. But miss me with this "Who will replace Cody Bellinger?" mess.