The Dodgers’ best start in franchise history and perfect record were lost due to their on-base errors.

The 2023 Los Angeles Dodgers were expected to be one of the top teams in Major League Baseball, with a rich roster of star players, experienced managers, and a history of success. As the season began, fans and analysts alike anticipated that this team might challenge for the best start in franchise history. But, despite a remarkable record that initially suggested a dominant campaign, the Dodgers’ perfect record was ultimately derailed by something less glamorous than an opponent’s fiery pitching staff or devastating lineup—errors in their own base-running and on-base discipline.

The Dodgers’ start to the 2023 season was something to behold. At the forefront of their success were seasoned stars like Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Clayton Kershaw, and the team also had new talents that seemed to provide a perfect complement to the experienced roster. With an established culture of excellence under manager Dave Roberts, expectations were high. Early in the season, their bats were firing, their pitching staff was elite, and their defense appeared solid.

But, as the old saying goes in baseball, “it’s not how you start, but how you finish.” As the Dodgers’ perfect record was gradually chipped away, it became clear that the team’s downfall was not simply due to the dominance of other teams but rather self-inflicted mistakes, particularly in the form of on-base errors.

The Dodgers’ Impressive Start to the Season

When the 2023 season kicked off, the Dodgers seemed ready to prove their supremacy. The team’s offense was potent, and their pitching staff, led by Kershaw and with young guns like Julio Urías and Tony Gonsolin, looked poised to dominate. The Dodgers began their season with an astonishing run, winning their first 13 games and setting the stage for what could have been one of the most historic seasons in franchise history.

This remarkable start was not just about the team’s star players performing at the highest level, but also about how well-rounded the team was. Mookie Betts was continuing to show his versatility and ability to impact the game in every way possible. Freddie Freeman, a perennial MVP candidate, was the offensive anchor, and the Dodgers’ pitching staff, traditionally one of the league’s best, was firing on all cylinders.

By early April, the Dodgers were not just winning, but winning convincingly. The offense was putting up runs, and the pitching staff was keeping opponents at bay. The team seemed poised to make a real run for the best start in franchise history. The city of Los Angeles, along with the team’s fanbase across the country, began to buzz with excitement, speculating whether this could be the year they would set a new standard for excellence.

On-Base Mistakes: A Growing Issue

As the season progressed, however, an alarming pattern started to emerge. While the team’s overall performance remained strong, the Dodgers were beginning to make costly mistakes on the base paths and at the plate—errors that were fundamentally hurting their momentum. These mistakes were not coming from defensive errors, such as dropped fly balls or botched grounders, but from mistakes that happened once the Dodgers got on base.

At first glance, the Dodgers’ offense seemed potent, with players consistently getting on base through hits and walks. But it was the decisions they made once they reached base that were causing problems. Miscommunication, missed signs, and poor decision-making started to surface in pivotal moments, frustrating not just fans but the players and coaching staff as well.

One of the first signs of this creeping issue came during a series in mid-April against the San Diego Padres. With runners on base in multiple innings, the Dodgers found themselves stranding men on base time and time again. In several cases, runners were thrown out trying to steal bases or caught in rundown situations after misreading signals from the third base coach. In other situations, Dodgers batters would fail to take advantage of key opportunities, swinging at bad pitches or failing to work deeper counts when it mattered most.

The Base-Running Woes: A Deeper Issue

While many of the Dodgers’ mistakes on base were forgivable at first, they soon became more frequent and more costly. Base-running errors, particularly those involving players getting picked off or failing to read the ball off the bat, were some of the most glaring. Mookie Betts, who had been one of the most efficient base-stealers in the league, was caught stealing in a crucial game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. His failed attempt came with the game tied in the later innings, and the Dodgers were unable to recover.

Freddie Freeman, who had been a model of consistency throughout the season, also made his share of blunders. During a game against the Colorado Rockies, Freeman got caught attempting to take an extra base on a hit that wasn’t deep enough to warrant such a move. With runners on second and third and no outs, Freeman’s ill-fated attempt to advance to third base resulted in an easy out, which ultimately halted what could have been a game-winning rally.

For a team with so much talent and experience, these types of mistakes were incredibly frustrating. The Dodgers had relied heavily on their ability to execute well in high-pressure situations, but their on-base errors were starting to show that they weren’t always able to make the necessary adjustments when it mattered most.

A Ticking Time Bomb: The Impact on Team Morale

While the on-field errors were a problem in and of themselves, they also began to take a toll on the team’s morale. The Dodgers’ veteran players, accustomed to a high standard of play, began to express frustration at the lack of execution in crucial moments. Manager Dave Roberts, who had been known for his calm demeanor, started to show signs of frustration as well, though he never publicly singled out players for their errors. Nevertheless, the cracks in the team’s once-impenetrable armor were beginning to show.

The constant base-running mistakes were a sign of a deeper issue—one that went beyond simple mistakes and pointed to a breakdown in discipline and mental focus. Players like Betts and Freeman were no longer their usual selves, making decisions that seemed out of character for individuals who were known for their baseball IQ and awareness. As the Dodgers’ winning streak started to falter, it became clear that their once-perfect record was slipping away, and much of that could be attributed to these fundamental errors.

The Ripple Effect: More than Just Base-Running Errors

As the Dodgers began to lose games they should have won, the impact of these errors extended far beyond the players directly involved in the mistakes. Base-running blunders can alter the entire complexion of a game. For example, getting thrown out on the base paths can squander a scoring opportunity, leaving pitchers with fewer runs of support and putting added pressure on the defense. Over time, this creates a domino effect—leading to more tense, tight games where the margin for error becomes razor-thin.

The Dodgers’ bullpen, which had been a strong point early in the season, started to show signs of fatigue as the offense failed to provide consistent support. The team’s starting pitchers, who had been near-perfect in the opening weeks of the season, also began to feel the weight of the losses caused by base-running mistakes. With fewer runs to work with, pitchers became more susceptible to mistakes themselves, further compounding the team’s struggles.

What Went Wrong and the Road Ahead

So, what went wrong for the Dodgers? At their core, the issues they faced were not the result of a lack of talent or effort. Rather, the team’s errors on the base paths and at the plate were a product of a breakdown in fundamentals, focus, and execution. A team that was once flawless in their ability to capitalize on opportunities and execute small ball strategies was now struggling with the basics—running the bases smartly and avoiding unnecessary outs.

As the season moved on, the Dodgers found ways to correct some of their mistakes, but their perfect start was officially lost. Though they continued to contend for a playoff spot, the early-season momentum was gone, and they were forced to rebuild the confidence they had lost through their base-running and on-base mistakes.

In hindsight, the 2023 season would be remembered as a cautionary tale—one in which even the best teams can lose their way due to seemingly small, fundamental errors. For the Dodgers, the lessons learned from their base-running mistakes would likely shape their approach to the remainder of the season, and the hope would be that they could reassert control over their fundamentals before it was too late.

In the end, the Dodgers’ perfect start was lost, but the journey of growth and adaptation that followed could ultimately help them build a stronger team for the future. Baseball is a game of ups and downs, and no team is immune to mistakes. But how a team responds to those mistakes can define their season. For the Dodgers, their resilience would be tested—but their spirit would not be broken. The key was recognizing that even the best can stumble and that the most important thing is how you rise from those stumbles.