{"id":122874,"date":"2026-05-28T23:26:48","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T03:26:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=122874"},"modified":"2026-05-28T23:26:48","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T03:26:48","slug":"dodgers-andy-pages-homegrown-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/05\/28\/dodgers-andy-pages-homegrown-star\/","title":{"rendered":"Dodgers Have a Homegrown Star on Their Hands"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Los Angeles Dodgers have a lineup full of stars. Everybody knows Shohei Ohtani<\/a>, Freddie Freeman<\/a>, and Mookie Betts<\/a>. However, it appears they have another star flying under the radar. If he continues to be as productive as he has been through the first third of the season, he won’t remain hidden. His name is Andy Pages<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Dodgers Striking Gold with Homegrown Star Andy Pages<\/h2>\n

The Trade That Fell Through<\/h2>\n

The year was 2020. The Dodgers needed infield depth, and they thought they had an agreement with the Los Angeles Angels for Luis Rengifo<\/a>. The return package? right-handed pitcher Ross Stripling<\/a>, outfielder Joc Pederson<\/a>, and top outfield prospect Andy Pages, who was flourishing in the minor leagues. Pages was not even 20 years old, but his swing was eye-catching. For whatever reason, Angels owner Arte Moreno stepped in and nixed the deal. In retrospect, the Dodgers are so glad he did.<\/p>\n

Growing Pains<\/h2>\n

Pages continued competing in the minor leagues until a series of injuries made his major-league debut possible. Initially, he took advantage of his chance. Upon his arrival, he was in the top ten in batting average. Eventually, pitchers started to adjust, and then a shoulder injury ended his season early.<\/p>\n

Fast forward to 2025, and the learning curve continued. About this time last year, Pages was fighting to keep a roster spot. He was mired in a month-long slump in which his batting average dipped to .137.<\/a> \u00a0The strikeouts were up, as the young hitter was prone to chasing out of the zone and struggled to take a walk. In addition, he had a habit of running into outs on the bases and ignoring directions from the third base coach.<\/p>\n

The Nadir<\/h2>\n

Pages’ glove needed work, too. On a road trip to Philadelphia, he struggled in center field<\/a>, misreading several fly balls, giving the Phillies extra outs, and they took advantage of them and won the series. Nevertheless, manager Dave Roberts<\/a> continued to preach patience, saying that they would continue to give the center fielder \u00a0“runway.” Now, the manager’s patience is being rewarded, and it started in last year’s Fall Classic when Pages made a game-saving and World Series-saving catch<\/a> against the Toronto Blue Jays, despite being in a major postseason slump.<\/p>\n

What a Difference a Year Makes<\/h2>\n

To start the 2026 campaign, Pages was hitting toward the bottom of the batting order. He has spearheaded the best six-through-nine hitters in baseball and stabilized a struggling Dodgers offense<\/a> whose top stars were slow to find their swing at the beginning of the year. As Pages continues to blister the ball, he continues to move up in the lineup. He has a .300 batting average, with 12 home runs. One of the most impressive feats in this offensive run is that he has 50 runs batted in, as of May 27th. All this, as he bats in the two-hole in the lineup.<\/p>\n

One of the most memorable offensive accomplishments at the plate happened on the most recent road trip, against the San Diego Padres’ Mason Miller<\/a>. In a tie game, Pages faced the fireballer closer with a runner at third and one out. He endured a nine-pitch sequence, fouling off numerous offerings over 100 miles per hour before hitting a sacrifice fly to get the winning run home. Los Angeles is going to need him to continue to do his part as they weather recent outfield injuries.<\/a><\/p>\n

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The best at bat of the season from Andy Pages against Mason Miller<\/p>\n

Wow pic.twitter.com\/C0dlUbO6yu<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Blake Harris (@BlakeHHarris) May 20, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n