The 2009 season for the Dodgers has started off hot, with an explosive offense led by Manny Ramirez and a youthful pitching staff led by Chad Billingsley. After one month, the Dodgers are leading the NL West division by 3.5 games and they're only 1 game back of the Cardinals for the best record.
The MVP for the Dodgers, in my opinion, isn't Manny Ramirez. It would have to be Andre Ethier. With a .306 batting average and a team-high 22 RBI, which is also tied for 4th in the entire league. Ethier is my favorite player, so it's exciting to see him playing well.
The 'stinkiest' player for the Dodgers would have to be Russell Martin, who is batting .205, lowest batting average of any starter on the team. However, without Martin, we are not the same team and his presence is felt whether he's going 4-4 or 0-4, but he's been struggling all season. Many will say it's because he is tired from playing at a high level for Canada in the World Baseball Classic, which I believe is probably it. I'm sure he'll be fine as the season goes on.
Most surprising player...Orlando Hudson, definitely. I remember when he was playing for the Diamondbacks and he always used to give us problems but noticed he was never anything special outside of that. With a .337 batting average, 2nd highest on the team for everyday starters, 32 hits(highest on the team), and 19 runs(tied for 1st on the team with Manny), he has definitely been a key player for us.
Player to watch this month: Jeff Weaver. He was called up before the Padres game and did a pretty good job. I think, especially with how inconsistent our bullpen has been, he could be key for us.
Games to look forward to: May 12-14 at Philadelphia. NL championship rematch. May 22-24 vs. Angels. Always a fun matchup.
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