Kershaw makes unusual statement: “San Diego-Mets, big-spending teams have to do better”
Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, 35, has made an unusual statement about the performance of other teams.
“I think people want the team that spends the most money to do well, to have a good record,” Kershaw recently told the San Diego Union-Tribune, “and that’s what I want as a player. “I think San Diego and the New York Mets are definitely going to get back to where they need to be,” he said.
The Mets ranked first out of 30 teams in payroll this season with a total of $348.47 million. San Diego was third, behind the New York Yankees, with $246.82 million. However, the performance of both teams this season has not matched their payrolls.
As of Sunday, the New York Mets are 43-50 on the season with a .462 winning percentage, good for fourth place in the National League East. They are a whopping 18.5 games out of first place Atlanta.
San Diego is in similar shape. They are 44-50 on the season with a .468 winning percentage and are in fourth place in the National League West. They have a 10-game lead over the division-leading Dodgers.
San Diego is also eight games back in the National League wild card race. The Mets are 8.5 games back, so a second-half rebound is desperately needed if both teams want to make the postseason.
“In the major leagues, ultimately, the teams that spend the most money are the ones that are going to be rewarded,” Kershaw said, adding that he believes “over the long haul, you’ll definitely see that that’s the way to be successful.”
The Dodgers spent $228.04 million in total roster payroll this season, ranking fifth in that category. The Dodgers also struggled early in the season with their offense, at one point falling to fourth place in the National League West. But as if to prove Kershaw’s point, they quickly jumped to the top of the division with a 53-39 record (.576 winning percentage).바카라사이트
It will be interesting to see if San Diego and the New York Mets can live up to Kershaw’s words and rebound in the second half of the season.