Early Look at Dodgers' Hot Start

Checking in on the team's top performers and areas for improvement

Apr. 14, 2026 at 1:55pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A cubist-style painting featuring sharp, overlapping geometric shapes in Dodger blue, red, and white, capturing the energy and movement of a Dodgers baseball game in an abstract, deconstructed manner.A cubist interpretation of the Dodgers' fast-paced start to the 2026 season, with players and action fragmented into a dynamic visual composition.Los Angeles Today

The Los Angeles Dodgers have gotten off to a strong 12-4 start to the 2026 season, putting them on pace for 122 wins. This article takes an early look at how the team's key players are performing, with batting averages ranging from Dalton Rushing's scorching .538 to Mookie Betts' .179. On the pitching side, Shohei Ohtani and Alex Vesia have been dominant out of the bullpen, while some starters like Roki Sasaki and Ben Casparius have struggled.

Why it matters

The Dodgers are one of the preseason favorites to win the World Series, so their early-season performance is closely watched by fans and analysts alike. This breakdown provides insight into which players and aspects of the team are thriving and which ones need improvement as the long season unfolds.

The details

The Dodgers' top hitters so far include Dalton Rushing (.538), Andy Pages (.417), and Alex Call (.417), while Freddie Freeman (.273) and Mookie Betts (.179) have gotten off to slower starts. On the mound, Shohei Ohtani (0.00 ERA), Alex Vesia (0.00 ERA), and Blake Treinen (0.00 ERA) have been standouts in the bullpen, while starters like Roki Sasaki (6.23 ERA) and Ben Casparius (9.64 ERA) have struggled. The team is also monitoring closer Edwin Diaz, whose velocity has been down early in the season.

  • The Dodgers are 12-4 through their first 16 games, putting them on pace for 122 wins.
  • Mookie Betts played in 8 games before getting injured.

The players

Dalton Rushing

A Dodgers prospect who is off to a scorching .538 start at the plate in his first 4 games.

Andy Pages

The Dodgers outfielder is leading the majors in batting average, hits, and RBIs early in the season.

Shohei Ohtani

The two-way star is off to a dominant start on the mound with a 0.00 ERA.

Edwin Diaz

The Dodgers closer has seen a dip in his fastball and slider velocity early in the season.

Roki Sasaki

The Dodgers pitcher has struggled mightily to start the season with a 6.23 ERA.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Two miles an hour, that's pretty significant. So I think that's why we sort of flagged it. We wanted to have him down [Saturday] and kind of see what we get. Because a couple days ago there were a lot of throws in there too. So just trying to also, like we've done many times, play the long game with our guys.”

— Dave Roberts, Dodgers Manager

“Teams ask me about him all the time. With the pitching market in this world, Julio could play in a minute. But I think it's about him deciding if it's something he wants to go do right now.”

— Scott Boras, Julio Urías' Agent

What’s next

The Dodgers will continue to monitor Edwin Diaz's velocity and make adjustments as needed. They will also be closely watching Roki Sasaki and Ben Casparius to see if they can turn things around on the mound.

The takeaway

While the Dodgers have gotten off to a strong start, there are still some areas of concern, particularly with the performance of their pitching staff. The team will need to address these issues if they want to maintain their torrid pace and make a deep playoff run.