Dodgers manager Dave Roberts addressed the team's offensive struggles during a press conference on August 16, 2026. Roberts said the recent stretch, marked by increased chasing and swinging along with decreased walks, does not reflect who the team really is offensively. "So those are things that that's just not who we are as an offense," Roberts said.
Roberts noted the stats back up his concern. "The chase is up, the swing percentage is up, the walk percentage is down," he stated, describing the trend as a shared issue rather than one tied to a handful of players. He added that the entire lineup is going through it, not just a few individuals.
Roberts explained that the solution is not about clutch moments but about quality at-bats across the board. "It's not clutch situations. It's about just collectively having good quality at-bats," he said. He noted the fix involves having a clear approach against the opposing starter and sticking to it consistently.
Roberts also pointed to the team's talent level as a reason for higher expectations. "The standards for this talent that we have is higher and it should be," he stated. When asked whether hitters might be tempted to press for results at a hitter-friendly ballpark like Coors Field, Roberts acknowledged the possibility, saying, "that's true." He explained that players need to be willing to live with the results rather than chasing their tail in the batter's box.
Roberts mentioned that the team has historically hit well at that ballpark, noting many of the players have experience there. "We've had a lot of guys that have played here and we've actually swung the bats well here," he said, framing the current stretch as a departure from that track record.