Tanner Scott

The C+ performance grade on Tanner Scott reflects MVP-caliber peaks alongside cooler stretches. At 31 years old with a decade of established veteran experience, Scott has built credibility in high-leverage spots, but his 2026 campaign tells a story of inconsistency masked by pockets of dominance—the 30 strikeouts across 28 appearances shows he still possesses lethal stuff when locked in, yet the single win and recent injured list stint expose the durability and availability questions now shadowing a closer the Dodgers are betting on for October baseball. The strikeout rate represents his clearest strength, demonstrating the velocity and command that earned him the Opening Day closer role in the first place, but the Dodgers' own coaching staff has publicly flagged that his arsenal has become too predictable—a damning internal critique suggesting mechanical or strategic issues that batters are beginning to exploit. His availability has emerged as the defining vulnerability: the injured list detour mid-season, combined with media framing around his unpredictability concerns, signals that consistency and durability cannot be taken for granted at his age, a liability the Dodgers cannot ignore when they need their closer healthy and reliable down the stretch. The narrative shift from spring training optimism to current skepticism is stark—early heroics generated real organizational goodwill, but that momentum has evaporated, and the Dodgers' recent signings of additional relief depth subtly reflect a front office hedging its bet on Scott's ability to shoulder the entire closer burden. Right now, Scott remains one sustained stretch of dominant outings away from flipping this narrative from cautious uncertainty into something the fanbase can genuinely lean on in October.

Peers ranked by Performance grade among players at the same position. Tap any name for their full profile.