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The Los Angeles Dodgers are Major League Baseball’s lone 60-win team at the All-Star break.
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The reigning two-time World Series champions are heavily favored to win a third, and it feels the team will only get better as they get healthy over the next few months.
The Dodgers entered the season with the best team on paper, and thus far, they’ve lived up to the billing. How they’ve lived up to the billing hasn’t been exactly as expected, though.
The Dodgers have had their fair share of surprises and disappointments in 2026. Here’s the biggest one of each at the midseason mark.
Dodgers’ Biggest Surprise: Left-Handed Pitcher Justin Wrobleski
There’s a few candidates for this category including outfielder Andy Pages, right-handed pitcher Edgardo Henriquez and left-handed pitcher Eric Lauer.
None, however, have been as surprising as left-hander Justin Wrobleski.
Wrobleski entered the 2026 season as an afterthought in a rotation full of All-Stars. It would be hard to find anyone who believed he would join that list when the All-Star break rolled around.
And yet, Wrobleski has gone 10-2 with a 2.69 ERA across 100.1 innings this season. While not initially named an All-Star, he made the team as a replacement, and couldn’t have been more deserving.
“I was not happy that I wasn’t going to be a part of it,” Wrobleski said. “But to be able to go there and do it is super exciting. Wide range of emotions, but at the same time, doesn’t necessarily change kind of the rest of the year for me. I think the goal is always the same, and just go out there and continue to get better and see where it takes me.”
Wrobleski began the year in the bullpen, but shifted into the rotation as the sixth starter during the second turn. He appeared to be a stopgap in the rotation as Blake Snell made his way back from shoulder fatigue. However, he played too well for the team to ever consider removing him.
Now, Wrobleski’s spot in the rotation is more than secure moving forward. He’s been arguably the team’s most consistent pitcher in terms of limiting runs and providing the team with length. They’ll continue to rely on him in the second half, even when Snell and Tyler Glasnow ultimately return.
Dodgers’ Biggest Disappointment: Outfielder Kyle Tucker
There’s been no bigger disappointment on the 2026 Dodgers than Kyle Tucker. There’s arguably been no bigger disappointment in baseball this season than Kyle Tucker.
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While Tucker’s numbers don’t jump off the page as “biggest disappointment,” the expectations that come with a $240 million contract place him into this category.
When the Dodgers signed Tucker over the offseason, it appeared to be a case of the rich getting richer. Instead, he’s been just about average offensively, while being well below average defensively.
Through 91 games, Tucker is hitting .244 with seven home runs, 47 RBIs and an OPS of .716. He has an OPS+ of 100 that indicates he’s been exactly league average. His wRC+ of 102 indicates he’s been just 2% above league average.
Defensively, Tucker ranks in the 7th percentile in terms of Outs Above Average. He ranks in the 25th percentile in terms of Fielding Run Value.
It’s been a constant struggle for Tucker to find any sort of consistency. He’s done seemingly everything he can to break out of this elongated slump.
“It sucks sometimes, but you can only do so much,” Tucker said last month. “I’m trying my best out there. I want to help our team win. I don’t really necessarily care about my personal stats. As long as we’re winning games and I’m able to contribute to that, that’s all I can really try and do.”
All in all, Tucker has been a below average player who’s earning more than every player in MLB. With three more years left on his contract, Tucker needs to turn things around sooner rather than later.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/dodgers/onsi as The Biggest Dodgers Surprise And Disappointment of the First Half.
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This story was originally published July 14, 2026 at 10:30 AM.