It was the summer of the "Absolute Unit." If you spent any time at Chavez Ravine that year, you remember the feeling. The air was different. The 2017 Los Angeles Dodgers roster didn’t just look like a division winner; they looked like a team sent from the future to redefine how baseball was played. They won 104 games. At one point, they went on a 43-7 tear that defied every statistical law of averages. It was absurd.
But when people talk about this specific group of players now, the conversation usually turns to what happened in Houston or the heartbreaking Game 7 at home. We tend to focus on the ending. Honestly, that’s a mistake. To understand why that 2017 season remains the most "what if" moment in modern franchise history, you have to look at how Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi actually stitched this thing together. It wasn't just about a high payroll. It was about a weird, perfect alchemy of homegrown superstars, "island of misfit toys" veterans, and a pitching staff that felt invincible until the very last week of the year.
The Core That Defined an Era
The heart of the 2017 Los Angeles Dodgers roster was, without question, Clayton Kershaw. By then, he was already a living legend, but 2017 felt like a mission for him. He went 18-4 with a 2.31 ERA. When he stepped on the mound, you basically assumed the Dodgers were starting the game with a 1-0 lead. It was a foregone conclusion.
Then there was the emergence of Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger. This was peak "Baby Dodgers" energy. Seager was coming off a Rookie of the Year campaign, and Bellinger—who didn't even start the season in the big leagues—came up in late April and just started launching moonshots. He hit 39 home runs that year. He was a 21-year-old kid playing with the confidence of a ten-year vet. He won the NL Rookie of the Year unanimously. You had this incredible dynamic where the veteran leadership of guys like Chase Utley and Adrian Gonzalez was being fueled by the raw, chaotic talent of the young core.
Justin Turner was the glue. People forget he was basically a utility castoff from the Mets a few years prior. In 2017, he was an All-Star hitting .322 with an OBP nearly at .415. He and Yasiel Puig provided the emotional extremes of the team. Turner was the steady, red-bearded professional. Puig? Puig was "Wild Horse" personified. He had 28 homers and played some of the most electric right field defense we’ve ever seen in Los Angeles.
The Mid-Season Magic and the Yu Darvish Trade
By the trade deadline, it was clear this team was special. But the front office knew they needed one more hammer for the rotation. Enter Yu Darvish.
Getting Darvish from the Texas Rangers felt like the final infinity stone. On paper, a rotation of Kershaw, Darvish, Rich Hill, and Alex Wood (who, let's not forget, went 16-3 with a 2.72 ERA that year) was unfair. It was a video game roster. Kenta Maeda was moved to the bullpen for the postseason, which turned out to be a stroke of genius by Dave Roberts. Maeda became a high-leverage weapon that nobody saw coming.
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The Pitching Depth
- Clayton Kershaw: The undisputed ace.
- Alex Wood: The breakout lefty with the funky delivery.
- Rich Hill: The curveball specialist who once took a perfect game into the 9th.
- Kenley Jansen: The closer. He had 41 saves and an ERA of 1.32. If the Dodgers led after eight innings, the game was over. Period.
Why the Bench Was the Real Secret Sauce
Most teams have a massive drop-off once you get past the starting nine. The 2017 Los Angeles Dodgers roster was different. Their depth was terrifying.
Chris Taylor is the prime example. He started the year as a Triple-A afterthought and ended it as the NLCS co-MVP. He became the leadoff hitter they desperately needed, providing speed and surprisingly elite power. Then you had guys like Enrique "Kike" Hernandez. Who could forget his three-homer game in the NLCS against the Cubs? He could play seven different positions and hit for power. It gave Dave Roberts the ability to "platoon" better than any manager in baseball history.
They weren't just playing a nine-man game. They were playing a 25-man game. If a starter was struggling, Austin Barnes was there to push Yasmani Grandal. If an outfielder needed a day off, Andre Ethier—in his final season—was ready to provide a veteran at-bat. It was a relentless wave of talent that wore teams down.
That Ridiculous Summer Streak
Between June and August, this team forgot how to lose. They went on a run where they won 43 out of 50 games. Think about that. In a sport designed for failure, where the best teams lose 60+ times a year, they went nearly two months barely dropping a game.
It wasn't just that they won; it was how they won. Walk-off hits. Ninth-inning rallies. Kyle Farmer hitting a walk-off double in his first-ever career at-bat. It felt destined. Fans started using the "Best Team Ever?" headlines. Even Sports Illustrated jumped on the bandwagon with a cover asking if they were the greatest of all time. Of course, that’s usually a jinx.
Then came September. They lost 16 out of 17 games in a stretch that made everyone in L.A. panic. It was a bizarre cold snap. But looking back, it might have just been the law of averages finally catching up. They steadied the ship just in time for the playoffs, sweeping the Diamondbacks and dismantling the defending champion Cubs in five games.
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The World Series Shadow
We have to talk about the elephant in the room. The 2017 World Series against the Houston Astros.
Looking at the 2017 Los Angeles Dodgers roster today, it's impossible to separate the names from the scandal that broke years later. We know now about the trash-can banging and the sign-stealing. It adds a layer of "what if" that is genuinely painful for the players involved.
Clayton Kershaw's legacy was unfairly dragged because of his Game 5 performance in Houston—a game where he didn't get a single swing-and-miss on his slider. Knowing what we know now, that makes sense. Yu Darvish was blamed for Game 7, accused of "tipping pitches." The man’s reputation was shredded for years until the investigation proved there was more to the story than just poor pitching.
The 2017 roster deserved a parade. They didn't get one. But in the eyes of many fans, that 104-win squad remains the "true" champion of that era, regardless of what the record books say.
Final Thoughts on the Roster Construction
The 2017 Dodgers were the blueprint for the modern "super-team." They didn't just buy stars; they developed them. Seager, Bellinger, Puig, Jansen, and Kershaw were all homegrown. They combined that with savvy trades (Taylor, Hernandez, Wood) and targeted free agency (Turner, Hill).
If you're looking to study how a front office should build a sustainable winner, this is the year to analyze. They had the highest payroll, sure, but their most valuable players were often their cheapest.
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Actionable Insights for Baseball Fans and Historians:
If you want to truly appreciate the depth of this specific roster, go back and watch the 2017 NLCS Game 5. It is a masterclass in how a deep bench and a versatile bullpen can dismantle an opponent. Pay close attention to the defensive shifts—the 2017 Dodgers were pioneers in using spray charts to position fielders, a trend that eventually led to the shift ban years later.
For those researching player stats, compare Kenley Jansen’s 2017 K/BB ratio to almost any other closer in history. He walked only 7 batters in 68 innings while striking out 109. That is a statistical anomaly that likely won't be repeated anytime soon.
Lastly, check out the "Backstage Dodgers" documentaries from that season. It gives a raw look at the chemistry between Adrian Gonzalez and the younger players, showing that veteran presence matters just as much as Launch Angle.
The 2017 Los Angeles Dodgers roster was a perfect storm. It was a team that had everything—except the trophy they earned.