LOS ANGELES -- The first half of the 2023 season is in the books, and the Dodgers are happy with where they sit. Well, reasonably happy, anyway.

They certainly have room for improvement, but being 13 games over .500 in spite of all the turbulence they’ve faced has been something of a feat in and of itself.

Still, manager Dave Roberts spoke for everyone when he declared, “We’re excited to get to the break.”

The Dodgers closed things out with a 10-5 win over the Angels on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium, a 10th straight victory vs. the Halos, dating back to August 2021. At 51-38, the Dodgers trail the D-backs by half a game for first place in the National League West. An Arizona loss Sunday would leave Los Angeles tied for first as the All-Star break begins, whereas a win would leave L.A. a full game out.

“I [feel] like we [are] in a really good position,” said Max Muncy, who opened the bottom of the second with his 21st homer. “And saying that, I feel like we also have been playing pretty average baseball for the first half. So I know this team has a lot more in it.”

To be sure, this isn’t how the Dodgers envisioned things going to this point. Their injured list has 15 players, with their starting pitching getting hit particularly hard, as everyone from the Opening Day rotation has landed there at some point.

Beyond that, this Dodgers squad has had a good deal more turnover than in years past; of their 16 free agents from last season, just Clayton Kershaw appeared for them in the first half. It’s also a much younger team than it’s been in a while. L.A.’s current 26-man roster carries eight rookies, not counting players like Gavin Stone and Michael Busch, who’ve made their debuts, but have since been optioned.

Taken together, it’s a situation in which the Dodgers needed a while to find their groove. But it’s also helped them forge a different kind of identity. There’s not as much starpower, but Roberts has sensed a greater level of “urgency” among his players.

“Whether they're veterans or young players, there’s a lot of new players to this organization,” said Roberts. “So I think they all felt that they were in the same bucket, and our guys that have been here received them really well. … I just feel good with the relationships that have been built.”

Of course, the Dodgers’ success is largely due to the lineup’s more established stars. That starts at the top with Mookie Betts, who on Saturday led off with his 26th long ball of the season. His 10 leadoff homers surpassed George Springer’s nine in the first half in 2017 to establish an AL/NL record. It’s also the most leadoff homers in a season in Dodgers franchise history. With 46 leadoff blasts in his career, Betts is tied with Jimmy Rollins for seventh all-time.

Betts, in part, credits the “positive energy” in the clubhouse for his success at the plate.

“Internally, we've always been confident of what we can do,” said Betts. “... We just stuck with it, we're still sticking with it, and we have to continue to ride the wave.”

Right behind Betts are the Dodgers’ other All-Stars. Freddie Freeman went yard in the fourth, giving him three straight games with a homer. J.D. Martinez again proved what a valuable offseason pickup he’s been by smashing his 22nd big fly in the sixth, his second in as many games. Will Smith drove in a pair of runs as he continues to assert himself as one of baseball’s top offensive backstops.

“We've had ups and we've had downs, and this group just came together,” said Freeman. “And I felt like, [with] how we responded the last couple of weeks, we’ve got a pretty special group.”

As the offense continues to hit its stride, the once-tumultuous bullpen picture also seems to have stabilized somewhat. Some key players -- namely, Kershaw and Chris Taylor -- are expected back after the break. The Aug. 1 Trade Deadline should also afford the Dodgers the opportunity to improve in their major areas of need.

There’s plenty of reasons to think that the Dodgers, who went 5-1 on their final first-half homestand, are representative of what this club is and will be capable of.

“I think our best baseball is ahead of us,” said Roberts. “But considering all that we've gone through, no one's wavered, which is great. And we're right in the thick of things.”