Dodgers laser-focused on World Series title

LOS ANGELES -- With back-to-back National League pennants and six consecutive NL West titles, the Dodgers embark on the 2019 season still seeking an ever-elusive World Series win, which their fans haven’t enjoyed since Ronald Reagan was president.

What's the goal?

The ultimate goal for the Dodgers, of course, is the ultimate goal: Win the World Series after losing the last two and having gone without a championship since 1988. A more immediate goal during the offseason was to create a more balanced roster for a more consistent season.

Injuries led to a slow start last year, and for the first time in nearly a decade, the Dodgers will be without Clayton Kershaw on Opening Day. Streakiness last season made catching up a tougher hill to climb as opponents exploited a heavily left-handed-hitting lineup. The Dodgers needed a 163rd game to win the division title. Not falling behind this season would be a good way to begin.

What's the plan?

The offseason acquisitions of AJ Pollock, Joe Kelly and Russell Martin addressed three areas of need -- a right-handed-hitting center fielder, a setup man for closer Kenley Jansen and a replacement for Yasmani Grandal behind the plate to pair with Austin Barnes, who will get the bulk of the starts.

Even with Kershaw’s uncertainty and having traded away left-hander Alex Wood, the starting pitching is deep, with youngsters Walker Buehler and Julio Urías joining veterans Rich Hill, Hyun Jin Ryu, Kenta Maeda and Ross Stripling. The bullpen has enough hard throwers to cover for inevitable injuries. The heart and soul of the lineup is Justin Turner, who doesn’t get his due outside of Los Angeles. Cody Bellinger and Corey Seager need to regain their Rookie of the Year production, while Max Muncy needs to make the adjustments now that everybody knows what he can do.

What could go wrong?

Even with the Dodgers' rotation depth, and even with his diminished velocity, Kershaw is still an ace, so any lengthy absence would be a strain. Seager appears to be healthy after elbow and hip surgeries, but it’s hard enough recovering from one operation and Seager has two body parts that could be vulnerable. By trading Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp, there’s pressure on Pollock, not only to produce to his career highs, but to stay healthy, which he hasn’t done the last three years.

Then there’s Jansen, coming off a five-hour heart procedure in November. He’s lost 25 pounds and has worked like a bull in camp, but one constant through the organization’s six-year postseason run has been Jansen's ability to close out games.

Who might surprise?

Urias could very well be this year’s Buehler for the Dodgers. The 22-year-old left-hander is now fully healthy after needing the better part of two years to recover from left shoulder surgery. Like Buehler, the Dodgers will try to thread the needle and monitor Urias' innings early in the season to make sure he's got plenty left for October. That was the plan last year, when the he wasn’t a factor until the postseason. This year shapes up as Urias’ breakthrough season, as last year's was for Buehler, who was similarly handled with caution as he returned from Tommy John surgery. With good health, Urias and Buehler could be the best pair of young Dodgers starters since Kershaw and Chad Billingsley a decade ago.