Tanner Scott

Fan & Media Sentiment

Tanner Scott's public standing with Dodgers fans sits in neutral territory right now — not a villain, not a hero, just a question mark on an expensive relief arm. The narrative arc is a familiar one: an electric Opening Day performance generated genuine buzz and early goodwill, but that momentum has since been undercut by an injured list stint that has surfaced real durability concerns about a 31-year-old closer the organization is counting on in high-leverage situations. There is also an interesting wrinkle coming from the Dodgers themselves — the coaching staff has been vocal about wanting Scott to be less predictable on the mound, which is a polite way of saying their closer's repertoire has become too readable for opposing hitters, a critique that lands harder when it comes from your own dugout. His on-field production grades out as above-average but not dominant, which means the margin for narrative error is thin — a below-average stretch or another IL detour could quickly tip sentiment into genuinely negative territory. The franchise has been active in adding pitching depth, most notably the addition of Blake Snell, which signals the Dodgers are not standing still while Scott recovers and also subtly shifts some of the closer-role pressure off his shoulders — for now. Credit where it is due: Scott's reported efforts to recruit a free-agent target back to the organization suggest he is invested in the team's success and holds real organizational currency despite the setbacks. The bottom line is that the narrative is stabilizing after a rough stretch, but Scott needs a sustained healthy run of dominant outings to flip this from a lukewarm C to something the fanbase can genuinely rally behind.