EXPECT A BREAKOUT SEASON FROM GAVIN LUX

Why not?

With the re-signing of Justin Turner, the Dodgers lineup is set for 2021 at every position. And with the painful departures of Kiké Hernandez and Joc Pederson, a lot of at-bats are up for grabs. Gavin Lux is poised to capitalize on these opportunities and have a breakout season.

Last year’s No. 2 overall rated prospect only got 69 plate appearances in 19 games. That resulted in three homers and a dreadful slash line of .175/.246/.349. His performance even has DodgerYard’s Mykal Konu questioning what to think of him.

The good news is his career chase rate is at 20.2%, considerably lower than the league average. Let’s also factor in his minor league breakout season of 2019. Across Double-A and Triple-A, he hit 26 homers, eight triples, and 25 doubles in 113 games. His OPS was 1.028. He also got his first postseason home run in the NLDS against the Nationals, playing in four of the five games.

2020 comes, Covid hits, and the baseball season is shortened to 60 games. If we played a 162-game season, I’m sure Lux would’ve gotten more at-bats and the chance to settle in as the Dodgers’ everyday second basemen.

That didn’t happen, though, and the Dodgers relied heavily on both experience and defense in the short season. Those aren’t Lux’s specialties, and the Dodgers ultimately benefited from playing Chris Taylor and Hernandez at second base, winning the 2020 World Series.

We haven’t seen Lux hit his stride at the major league level, but the likelihood of that happening grows as he gets more comfortable at the plate. Expect a breakout season from Gavin Lux.

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