3 Los Angeles Dodgers playing their way off the postseason roster

Dodgers playing their way off the postseason roster: 1. Austin Barnes

Austin Barnes has been one of, if not the worst, offensive catchers in MLB. He hasn't started all the games but has played in 55. In that sample size, he has struggled massively. He currently holds an OPS+ of 28, which means the average hitter is 72 percent better than him, or you would need around four of him to make a league-average player.

In 55 games, he has hit .169 with two home runs and 11 RBIs. He has never been a good hitter, but the Dodgers only have him on the MLB roster because of his connections with the pitchers and because he is decent defensively. He has been with the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2015 and has grown and played with most of their current pitchers, which is his main advantage.

In the postseason, you need the best hitters. So if he even sees one at-bat, I would be surprised since they have another All-Star catcher on the team in Will Smith (not the actor), who has been on a tear in 2023. Believe it or not, most of his struggles could be due to getting unlucky. He holds an XBA (Expected Batting Average) of .207, which would be more manageable.