In a World Series matchup with the coasts battling it out, the New York Yankees will face the Los Angeles Dodgers. It’ll be the best of seven for the trophy, and bragging rights.
While both teams possess many weapons that got them to the final games, the Dodgers have three keys that could be game-changers against the Yankees.
Ohtani
We could see how excited Ohtani was during the post-NLCS celebration. It’s his first postseason as the champagne flowed.
Shohei Ohtani:
“Hey, you’re sober!”
We’ve seen sides of Shohei that were bottled up when he was in Anaheim. Dude is having the time of his life with the Dodgers.
— Doug McKain (@DMAC_LA) October 21, 2024
After the Dodgers signed him to a 10-year contract as a free agent, the money appears to be paying off.
He had his fourth All-Star selection after .slashing 310/.390/.646 with 54 home runs, 130 RBI, and a 190 OPS+. He also became a member of the 50/50 club after stealing 59 bases.
Ohtani looks to get his third MVP honor as well. This time for the National League.
He will go toe-to-toe with Aaron Judge who looks to get the AL MVP honor after a stellar season of his own.
October Kiké
Dodgers manager David Roberts said it himself: “The reason we got him this year was to win 11 games in October.” (via MLB.com’s Sonja Chen)
In 81 playoff games between the Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox, Hernandez is slashing .278/.356/.533 with 15 home runs. He credits visualization and the confidence October brings him as to why something clicks in the postseason.
He especially made a statement during NLDS Game 5 when he took San Diego Padres starter Yu Darvish yard in the eventual 5-0 win.
Bullpen management
Roberts’ ability to weave together a strong bullpen in high-leverage situations is something to be admired.
It began in the 8-0 shutout against the Padres during the NLDS. The all-hands-on-deck approach worked in the 10-5 win over the New York Mets on Sunday. Seven pitchers in total went for L.A. with Michael Kopech opening.
Kopech is part of the bullpen that possesses strong arms. Anthony Banda, Blake Treinen, Daniel Hudson, and Evan Phillips have contributed greatly to punch a ticket to the Fall Classic.
So, should Jack Flaherty’s velocity continue to decline or Yoshinobu Yamamoto, they’ll have plenty of weapons.
[MLB.com]
