Top 25 MLB stories of 2017, from Aaron Judge to Houston Strong

13. The Dodgers chase history

For nearly four months last season, the Los Angeles Dodgers were on track to win more games than any team in MLB history. Their record stood at 91-36 and they had gone 81-24 since April 26. The Dodgers were rolling unlike any team since the 2001 Seattle Mariners.

Everything came crashing down from August 27 to September 11 as the Dodgers lost 16 of 17 games. With the NL West title already well within hand, manager Dave Roberts was able to begin resting his stars down the stretch to get ready for the playoffs.

Rookie Cody Bellinger was the spark the Dodgers needed after starting the year 10-12. After his debut on April 25, the team kicked it into high gear. Bellinger became the National League’s answer to Aaron Judge and hit .267/.352/.581 with 39 home runs and 97 RBI in 132 games.

The Dodgers also got another fine season from Justin Turner, who hit .322 in 130 games. Corey Seager followed up his Rookie of the Year season with 55 extra-base hits. Yasiel Puig took real steps towards becoming a mature adult, and Chris Taylor blossomed into one of the most surprising stars of the year.

Starting pitching was also a major factor in keeping the Dodgers on record pace for most of the year. Of course, Clayton Kershaw was brilliant, finishing with an 18-4 record and 2.31 ERA in 27 starts. Left-hander Alex Wood forced his way into the rotation and surprised by going 16-3 with a 2.72 ERA. Ultimately, the Dodgers came up short in their first trip to the World Series since 1988, but they are still set up well to make a return trip in 2018.