Trayce Thompson Is Another Epic Product Of Andrew Friedman
The Dodgers have done it again. It’s been a trend since President of Baseball Ops Andrew Friedman came into the scene in 2014. Players like Justin Turner, Chris Taylor, and Max Muncy were once disregarded by teams and found massive success as Dodgers. Trayce Thompson is the newest one.
To preface, this is Trayce Thompson’s second stint with Los Angeles. He was on the team in 2016 but battled injury. After that season, he bounced around, spending a lot of time in the minors with multiple organizations and never quite establishing himself.
In 2022, he is now 31 years old. He started the season as a member of the San Diego Padres. He struggled, with only one hit in 14 at-bats. The team designated him for assignment soon after. The Tigers snagged him afterward and sent him to the minors. Detroit traded him for cash considerations to LA.
At the same time, fellow outfielder Cody Bellinger is having arguably the worst season in his professional career. The former MVP is slashing an abysmal .199/.262/.382.
He then began to take off. With these offensive struggles inflicting the Dodgers outfield, they needed Thompson. So far in 56 games, Thompson is batting an insane .282/.374/.544 with eight home runs and 29 runs batted in. Over a 162-game pace, that’s 23 home runs and 83 runs batted in.
Trayce’s 2022 season mirrors the turnaround Justin Turner was able to accomplish upon coming to Los Angeles. Andrew Friedman “saved” Turner’s career. In his first season at age 29, he batted .340/.404/.497 with seven home runs and 43 runs batted in. Mets fans are still saddened by this.
There is a strong possibility Thompson makes the Dodgers’ Postseason roster. If this performance sticks, we could be looking at a potential All-Star in the coming years. Andrew Friedman certainly has a knack for players like these and makes them into absolute studs.
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