Dodgers Begin 2019 Season With Three Big Offensive Questions

Before we begin, I have a few questions.

One of the main reasons the Dodgers have won a franchise record six consecutive NL West titles is due to depth and consistency. Each and every year, the Dodgers have been able to confidently rely on the production of some of their biggest stars. Even when those stars get hurt, the Dodgers seemingly always have someone on the depth chart to step up and fill the void.

If Los Angeles has their hearts set on a seventh straight division crown, they will need that same level of consistency this year from players whose productivity could be in question entering the 2019 season.

Here are the three players with the biggest questions surrounding them as the season begins:

Corey Seager

Two-time All-Star shortstop and 2016 NL Rookie of the Year winner Corey Seager returns to the Dodgers this season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and arthroscopic hip surgery during the 2018 calendar year.

One major surgery is enough cause for concern, but two serious surgeries definitely have fans wondering if Seager will return to the same level of play as he did in his first two years in the big leagues.

The front office slow-played Seager out of the gate, and he didn't get his first taste of Major League action until last week as the Cactus League came to its conclusion.

In just 17 plate appearances during spring training, Seager had only two hits and three strikeouts to go with a .182 batting average.

Seager is expected to be ready for Opening Day, but surely he'll show some signs of rust after not competing in nearly a year. 

Chris Taylor

After a breakout year in 2017, including a leadoff home run in Game 1 of the World Series against the Houston Astros, utility player Chris Taylor struggled at the plate last season.

The Virginia native had a slash line of .288/.354/.496 in 2017 with an OPS of .850. Taylor saw his numbers dip in nearly every offensive category in 2018 (.254/.331/.444), including a NL-leading 178 strikeouts. Taylor toyed with his swing throughout the year, but never was able to completely regain the stroke that saw him once win the NLCS MVP.

In the offseason, the Dodgers hired Taylor's personal swing coach, Robert Van Scoyoc, as their new hitting coach, in the hopes of helping Taylor find his 2017 form.

With the second base job available following the retirement of Chase Utley and the departure of Brian Dozier in free agency, Taylor had every opportunity in spring to win the starting job.

However, Taylor continued to struggle in spring, batting .214/.411/.701 with a team-leading 20 strikeouts (tied with Max Muncy). Taylor lost the starting job to the hot-hitting Kiké Hernandez and is now back in a familiar place as a utility player off the bench.

Max Muncy

"Mad Max" Muncy was the surprise of the 2018 season as the Dodgers once again unearthed a diamond from the rough (or Triple-A Oklahoma City).

After two seasons with the Oakland Athletics, Muncy was given a chance with the Dodgers in the minor leagues in 2017. Due to injuries, he was called up early in 2018, and quickly ascended to one of the best hitters on the team.

Muncy shattered his previous career-high of three home runs by hitting 35 dingers for the Dodgers in 2018. Muncy easily led the team in home runs and also hit the first World Series walk-off home run since Kirk Gibson in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, when he put the exclamation mark on the longest game in MLB postseason history with a walk-off home run in the 17^th inning to beat the Boston Red Sox in Game 3.

However, like Cody Bellinger before him, most people believe a natural regression will take place for Muncy in 2019. Whether that's due to the league and teams having more video to watch, or pitchers figuring out how to get him out, Muncy furthered those fears by struggling in spring training, batting .196/.281/.294 with no home runs and a team-high 20 strikeouts.

Whether or not "Mad Max" will be able to replicate his success from the previous year is another major question entering the 2019 season.