First to Cursed

 

There is a subject I don't like mentioning on the blog, but it's inevitable here. 

Y'see, a couple months ago, the New York Knicks were going on an absolute tear in the finals, they were outdoing the Spurs on every level. The Spurs only won one game of that series, and it was at the Garden, with...um...a guest. 

Recently. The Los Angeles Dodgers made a visit to this guest's current place of residence, or one of them at least. And since visiting said place of residence, they have won 5 games, and lost ten, including two against division rivals the Arizona Diamondbacks. More proof that no sports team is safe from being ruined at the hands of a massive...er, jinx. 

And at least the Knicks eventually won the Champs, but because it's only a 7 game series, all it takes is just getting the jinx out of the room. I think some Knicks fans did some cleansing rituals, a little sage, maybe something from a nearby halal cart, anything that could possibly work. And so, the Knicks won in 5, as depicted on the walls of the Sistine Chapel. But in a long season like this, it's gonna take more than just a game to pass for the stink to completely go away. So the Dodgers are still very much mired in this losing streak, and are gonna need to really rethink policy and outreach in order to come back from it.

There's at least good news, and it's that some pieces of this team that haven't had the proper time to really excel this season are finally getting there. Mookie Betts is one of them, as he was injured for most of the year, then took a while to really make an impact. He currently has 13 home runs and 36 RBIs in 80 games, plus the usual brand of excellent play at shortstop. Teoscar Hernandez also missed some time, but has been much better in the last few weeks, hitting .279 since the ASG break, with 3 homers and 5 RBIs. Tanner Scott is now a very viable ninth inning option again, with a 2.31 ERA and 16 saves, which is a very good thing because Edwin Diaz suddenly isn't. Roki Sasaki has been piling together more and more quality starts, and has his ERA down to 4.50. 

The frustrating part is the continued setbacks, the lighter bench work, the fact that both catchers are now injured and Hunter Feduccia is suddenly the top backstop on the team, and the knowledge that the Red Sox, Cubs and D-Backs all can find the leverage to top these guys. Yes, having Tarik Skubal helps, but the ESPN smear campaign is already in full effect to hide the fact that his first start was A.) during a loss and B.) nowhere near as effective as his Tigers starts. Blake Snell will be back soon, but for how long? Will Ohtani be pitching again anytime soon? Or are they gonna be stuck with Wrobleski and Lauer making crucial postseason starts?

The cracks have finally formed. And though the Dodgers are still a lock for the playoffs and a very good team, they are no longer unstoppable, and now may need to work harder to procure that all-important threepeat. I'd suggest maybe giving the guy who had them over a cease and desist.

Coming Tomorrow- He's not even playing his best baseball anymore, but he's still a crucial performer for a 1st place team, so that's definitely something. 

Top 10 Trade Deadline Deals of 2026

 Well...a lot happened this time around. 

Following the brass today was HARROWING. So much was happening, and so quickly. Almost evenly displaced as well, like there'd be a move, I'd have time to make a custom of them, and the next two moves would be up. And I think it was all a well rounded bunch. Last year the emphasis was on relief pitching, this year it was a little of everything. Some teams needed starting help, some teams needed outfield bats, some teams needed catchers [and some needed catchers and somehow forgot to deal for any]. A lot went down, even to the point where, after the BIG MOVE happened a few days ago, I was worried nothing would top it. And...I mean, we'll get to it, but there certainly was competition. 

I have a lot of other posts planned for deadline week, I have a 'best of the rest' one planned, I have a 'the ones I didn't understand' post in a bit. But we've got to do the top 10. This kept sliding by the whole day and got to the point where it is now. One spot stayed the same. And...yeah.

Anyway, we start with one I really didn't think was gonna happen this deadline:

#10: Heliot Ramos to the Yankees, 2 prospects to the Giants

So, the Yankees went into the deadline looking for bullpen work and a catching upgrade, and got neither. So Heliot Ramos, a very savvy lineup addition, makes it to the end of this list without going forward. Let me just stress that I love this move, Ramos is young, controllable, and powerful. He's been hurt for a bit but he's hitting .264 with 9 homers and 34 RBIs in 74 games. He's a ferocious hitter with a huge upside and a lot to accomplish, and...he gets to hit in Yankee stadium. The tricky part is it crowds the outfield a bit. Right now it's Ramos/Jones/Dominguez/Grisham, and eventually Bellinger and Judge are gonna come back and it's gonna get even more crowded. It's bad enough that Paul Goldschmidt's gonna have even less at-bats now [more on that in another post], now we're crowding the active roster. It's gonna be worth it if Ramos continues his very strong work, which is very likely.

#9: Taylor Ward to the Mariners, 3 prospects to the Orioles

The Mariners have the kind of team that should work more in concept, because you have Randy Arozarena, Brendan Donovan, Julio Rodriguez, Dominic Canzone and Josh Naylor there and the contact game is ailing. So in comes Taylor Ward to make it even more ridiculous. Ward's having another excellent season, but it's a very contact heavy one without much need for power. He only has 7 homers and 30 RBIs, and that is appalling from a guy who's had 100 RBIs and 36 homers JUST A SEASON AGO. Wouldn't a trip to Seattle be a fun time to start power-hitting? Ward's an excellent outfield bat with some versatility and perks, and he could be the lineup piece that the Mariners need to save their season. I just think he really fits with what they're doing in Seattle. I'm also really happy the Mariners didn't deal Kirby or Emerson. Yes, that prevents against the possibility of stretch Kade, but their rotation is excellent and didn't need to be broken up beyond Castillo.

#8: Kevin Gausman to the Cubs, 2 prospects to the Blue Jays

The Jays had a really weird deadline, because they both sold and bought at the same time. And arguably they should have committed more to one than both. Ultimately, they chose to part with one of their longest-tenured stars, the mighty Kevin Gausman, where he will become something the Cubs have desperately needed this year: an actual ace. Justin Steele's been hurt, Cade Horton's out for a while, Shota Imanaga's struggled. They need stability, and Gausman is a veteran arm with postseason experience who can back up the already strong offense. This is a downslope of a year compared to his peak, as he is 5-10 with a 4.38 ERA, but he's still a fundamentally strong pitcher with a lot of great starts left in him. I think he will greatly aid the Cubs down the stretch. Perhaps not as much as someone a little further down, but enough to land on this list.

#7: Luis Arraez and Caleb Killian to the Phillies, 2 prospects to the Giants

This is arguably a little low, but it's down here because the Phillies really needed a better option at fourth or fifth starter and didn't get one. They also needed an outfield bat...and didn't get one. So Luis Arraez, as good as he is, is an odd consolation for so many pieces of this lineup that needed help, and if we miss out on a World Series, it could be Dombrowski's fault for not going further. However...the Phillies now have Luis Arraez. And that's a very good thing. One of the best contact hitters in the game, and a terrific defensive 2nd baseman, joins this lineup, and moving Stott, Bohm and Harper around supremely improves the defense in general. Arraez is electric wherever he is, and the Phils could see that fully going forward. We also got Caleb Killian, who's a terrific bullpen arm with a great upside. Very much a win for Philly, even if the team isn't fully improved by this deadline.

#6: Foster Griffin to the Guardians, 4 prospects to the Nationals.

The Guardians had a sneakily good deadline, bringing on a lot of pieces that lift this team up to where they can really chase Chicago. Foster Griffin was their best move, because their fifth man in the rotation was Slade Cecconi, and as good as he can be, they could do better. Their rotation is now Messick, Williams, Bibee, Griffin and Cantillo, and that's among the best in the bigs. Griffin isn't an ace, but he's an excellent mid-rotation arm with 12 wins and a 3.05 ERA under his belt, and that's from playing for a very okay Nationals team. He'll thrive in a playoff environment in Cleveland, and build on this belated rookie season to become an even bigger force going forward. 

#5: Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor to the Cubs, Francisco Rojas to the Mets

This one ways a little more than Gausman to me for the Cubs pitching additions, because Holmes, until the injury, was having the best season of his career, and one of the only good seasons on the Mets. Through 9 games he had a 2.39 ERA, and was proving that the Mets moving him to the rotation was a good idea after all. The idea is that once Holmes is active [as well as Braxton Garrett], he'll be able to aid the Cubs rotation, and I see him as a front-facing integral arm that could lead them through some postseason games. Tyrone Taylor's also an excellent outfield depth option for this team, and could be very helpful on a postseason roster. The Cubs weren't fully ready before, and now they are.

#4: Freddy Peralta to the Rays, 3 prospects to the Mets

This deal will work out if the thesis, that the Mets were just a really poor fit for Peralta, is true. Peralta succeeded in Milwaukee, a small market team built on contact and pitching. That's also the Rays. Low budget, small core, close wins, and an impressive rotation. Peralta levels it up, as good as Rasmussen and Martinez have been. Shane McClanahan's gonna miss some time, and Peralta will be relied upon to deliver Brewers numbers as an ace for a Rays team with a shot at a #1 seed. Peralta's 4.99 ERA will need to come down if the Rays want to take advantage of this deadline, and I have a feeling it will. Meanwhile, Jett Williams is still chilling in the Brewers' farm system, and Brandon Sproat is getting all kinds of starts, so...lolMets.

#3: Liam Hicks to the Rays, Brayden Taylor and 2 prospects to the Marlins.

I like this one a little better for the Rays, simply because it fixes a lot of problems. It ups their catching game, ensuring Nick Fortes doesn't have to start behind the plate as much. It also gives them a proven contact bat with some kick against righthanded pitchers, and a very well-trusted lineup presence. I think he's just one of those guys who can pop into any lineup and just dive right in with excellent production, so I think he'll love Tampa. And also, he drains the Rays' farm system a little more so other teams can have a chance. Just a really cool, sneaky move by the Rays that positions them further towards a late run.

#2: Adley Rutschman and Jake Rogers to the Red Sox, Carlos Narvaez and 4 prospects to the Orioles.

I would say since Varitek left, the Red Sox have had a revolving door at catcher. So many guys that could have been the one, or should have. Victor Martinez, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Sandy Leon, Christian Vasquez, Connor Wong, Carlos Narvaez, and the list goes on and on. So to finally have an answer at catcher, and for it to be Adley Rutschman a terrific hitting catcher whose team already foreshadowed this move by signing Samuel Basallo to a multi-year deal...that is huge. Rutschman's having another great season, but it did feel like this O's team was moving past the need for him. With this Boston team he'll fit right in, and be another huge lineup piece of a team that's quickly becoming a serious wild card threat. Very much a case of giving a team exactly the guy they need going forward.

But of course...nothing was gonna top the #1 piece on the board. Even if you disagree with its existence, this deal needed to be #1.

#1: Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers, River Ryan, Zyhir Hope and 1 other prospect to the Tigers

So. The best team in baseball got the best pitcher in baseball. In 16 starts, Skubal had a 2.79 ERA, 7 wins, 116 Ks and a 2.9 WAR. He's still in his peak, is effortlessly brilliant, and was never gonna stay in Detroit. The Dodgers taking him happened because they had a well-stocked farm system where even their lower tier prospects were more than other teams were offering. It's disappointing that, like a lot of recent Dodger developments, nobody else could stop it from happening. But now Sku gets to help the Dodgers go for a threepeat, and it's gonna make electric October baseball even if they don't get all the way. It's also gonna add fuel to the fire that Skubal will, in all likelihood, choose to stay in LA going forward. Definitely shifts the balance of the game, which is what the trade deadline is for. 

So yeah. A lot happened. A lot of teams won. And now the Dodgers are even scarier. Sets up the last third perfectly.

Sometime tomorrow there'll be a 'best of the rest' post most likely, with a lot of other deals that didn't make this list. 

Wake Up, Edman

 

So, Yankees-Dodgers was this weekend, which means it was high time for the Yankee fans to complain that they can't win anything and are still spiraling despite the fact that they had to play a very good team, with a very good lineup, and are missing Aaron Judge. Calm down, we're gonna flash forward two months and the worrying will have been for nothing.

The Dodgers continue to be annoyingly perfect. Obviously still flawed, but not flawed enough for anything to go wrong. Like, okay, Will Smith's out for another month and the everyday catcher is Dalton Rushing, a power hitter with a foul mood whose inability to get on the same page as Shohei Ohtani on the mound might lead to Ohtani just not pitching til Smith comes back. On any other team that could be a 'trouble in paradise' headline, a 'maybe they're not as good as we thought' moment. Nope, they're still winning games. Kyle Tucker, the big offseason acquisition, is hitting .244 with only 7 home runs. No big deal, he's still in the lineup virtually everyday and Alex Call can go in for him. Edwin Diaz, the other big offseason acquisition, is hurt for probably the rest of the year, leaving them without a working closer. Well, of course this is the part where Tanner Scott actually figures his shit out, brings his ERA back to 2.50 and notches 14 saves. The whole bullpen is ridiculous actually. It's 5 guys that just get up there, only allow a run or so and make their next appearance. And then maybe occasionally Eric Lauer is needed for long work. Even something that was supposed to work differently snaps into something that's efficient anyway.

Tommy Edman was hurt for a bit, as he tends to be, and now he's back and immediately one of the best hitters on the team again. In 23 games he's hitting .343, with 2 home runs and 12 RBIs, including that needed home run last night in the Bronx [that, of course, was their only run in that game]. This wasn't even a needed burst of offensive help, they have Teoscar Hernandez and Andy Pages, but Edman is that extra piece guy that makes a team like this better. Usually it's Kiké Hernandez, he's been hurt. To this point it was Alex Call, he pales in comparison. Edman's versatile defensively, he's contact-friendly and he can just go on a tear when you need him to. I have no idea how the Cardinals convinced themselves they'd be better off without him and with Erick Fedde. J.J. Wetherholt is nice and all but you need an x-factor guy like Edman to come in and do everything. It's why guys like David Freese and Jedd Gyorko were so important to these teams last decade.

The Dodgers are the frontrunner yet again, and the most efficient and successful team in the bigs, again. Their challenge will be to carry this all the way into October again and pull off the all-too-rare threepeat. Remember, the Chiefs couldn't do it. They went into New Orleans thinking the threepeat was on the horizon and then the Eagles kicked their asses. And they were never the same. The Dodgers, if they're not careful, could end up like that. It's not the most likely outcome, it's also likely they could once again waltz to the end without anyone stopping them and set up a lockout. But we'll have to see what develops. Because we don't know how long Ohtani will be missing starts for, and we don't know how long it'll take Tucker and Betts to heat up, and we don't know if somebody else can get hotter, like in 2019 and 2022. For now, I'll just expect the Dodgers' story to remain the same and brace myself for the idea of a hard right turn.

Coming Tonight: The Orioles tried to make this guy their relief ace. It didn't work. So of course the Rays have more success. 

Fred Over Heels

 

Realistically, there probably aren't going to be a lot of new members of the 3000 hit club in the next decade or so. The time of people shooting for 200 hits instead of 50 homers and 200 strikeouts is over, and it's made it difficult for career hits totals to keep stacking up over time. Pujols, Ichiro and Cabrera got past the mark because the 2000s still valued contact hitting. Freddie Freeman has over 2500 hits, and is theoretically young enough, and in enough of a peak period, to cross that threshold. But he's also 36, and he only has one more year on his contract. Plus, even if he doesn't get to 3000 hits, Freeman's still a Hall of Famer. It's obvious now, and the 2024 World Series cemented that case. The 3000th hit would just be frosting rather than the key to entry.

This mostly says a lot about just how great Freddie Freeman's been for his whole career. There's only one season in sixteen full ones that ended with a WAR total lower than 2, and that was Freeman's 2011 rookie campaign, where he hit 21 homers with 76 RBIs and a .282 average. Literally every other season has been a 2 or higher WAR, with five seasons reaching 5 WAR or higher. Every season since 2013, Freeman's sported an .800 OPS or higher, and his lowest batting average in this period was a .276 average in 2015. Freeman is classic in the sense that in an era where nobody really has a reason to hit .300, he consistently does so and in a way that really helps whatever team he's on. The Dodgers picking him up in 2022 really was perfectly timed, and since then Freeman's continued to give his absolute all, with four straight All-Star Game nominations [followed swiftly by a fifth very shortly]. Where many people figured Freeman would start trailing off, he's stayed consistent, and is still a very crucial piece of the Dodgers' offensive output.

Right now, Freeman has a .293 average, 13 homers, 46 RBIs and a 2.6 WAR. Which is very good. And yet because this team has Shohei Ohtani, Andy Pages and Max Muncy on it, it may look comparatively pedestrian. Pages is having an incredible year, with a league-leading 60 RBIs. Ohtani's got 18 homers and 50 RBIs, and he's going 8-2 with a 1.58 ERA in addition. Muncy's got 17 homers and 37 RBIs, and might be starting an ASG along with Freeman. That's your core, that's your central guys...and that doesn't even include Mookie Betts and Kyle Tucker, who are both having down years, Will Smith, who's hurt, or Teoscar Hernandez, who was just activated from the IL. The team is that good, and Freeman is both crucial and taken for granted at the same time.

Not a ton of flaws from this Dodgers team recently. Maybe Sheehan and Sasaki could be doing a little better, but when the top 3 are Ohtani, Yamamoto and Wrobleski, and Eric Lauer's hanging out as a very sharp 6th guy, it's not the biggest issue. 

The Dodgers have to play the Padres this weekend. If you've been around the last few years, you know what this means. The Padres are 12 games behind LA this time, so it's not like a 'if they sweep, they take the division' situation like the last few Padres-Dodgers series'. Basically, every time the Padres are getting good, they have to play the Dodgers and can't capitalize. But here the Padres have nothing to capitalize on so maybe they'll actually win.

Coming Tonight: Shane McClanahan, I'm sorry, but you might not be the ace in Tampa anymore. That is, unless the Rays decide to trade this guy very soon.

There's No Need to Panic..

 

Now, I know the Guardians are going through injury troubles of their own right now, but how'd you like this to be you: one of your best starters leaves with a hamstring injury after keeping the opposing team down, then your best hitter, who's also your best pitcher, leaves after his knee, the same knee he spent a while rehabbing, flares up. And then the following game you get fleeced by the White Sox.

The Dodgers have come back from worse and won it all. Famously. And they still have enough on this team working that it may not be a great deal. Plus, Shohei Ohtani did come back last night and hit a home run, so his injury might not even be that bad. Same with Justin Wrobleski, who isn't going on the IL. But...already you are seeing the Dodgers trying to hold on, for dear life, to their luck. Because they know how quickly things can unravel if the centerpiece, Ohtani, is thrown off balance.

This is already looking like another MVP-caliber season for Ohtani, with a 1.06 ERA with a 6-2 record as a pitcher, and a 14 homer/41 RBI campaign, with a league-leading .946 OPS as a batter. I would honestly say he's done better as a hitter, and it took a little while for him to get going at the plate, but June has been a lot better for him, and he's looking like his old self. Wrobleski has also been a nice surprise, with a 2.95 ERA and a 7-2 record. He's a leverage pitcher mostly, but he's been really dominant, and has kept so many tough lineups down this year. The threat, even if minimized, of losing both of these guys should really be a reality check for this team.

Because so far this year they've lost Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, as they are prone to, they got Mookie Betts back after an injury and he's not really back yet, they lost Will Smith and have to deal with Dalton Rushing's defense daily, they lost Teoscar Hernandez and are now plugging career minor leaguer Ryan Ward out in left to platoon with Alex Call, and the guy they paid cornerstone money for at the top of the season is producing his most okay campaign to date. If this wasn't The Dodgers, all this not going to plan would sink them.

But, of course, they've got the division tightly, their nearest competition is either the Padres, who can't hit, or the D-Backs, who just got swept by the Marlins, and they still have Andy Pages, Freddie Freeman and Yoshinobu Yamamoto performing like absolute world-beaters. So even if this is an actual injury concern, it might not be much more than a small dent in this team's overall outlook. They're 7-5 in June, which, if you ignore how much better they were in May, is a good run. They can still take a loss to a team like the Angels or the White Sox, and with the Rays and Orioles coming up they may take a few more sizable ones. But the Dodgers are built to withstand these inconveniences, and at this rate they'll likely be alright.

Coming Tonight: Remember when we all thought it was a bad idea for the Yankees to bring this guy back? What a world that was, right?

Overdrive

 

Shohei Ohtani, for the first time since...I wanna say 2020 or so, is putting up positively human numbers at the plate. Human for Ohtani is still nebulous for most other ballplayers, but there is a palpable downward step from 2025, he's hitting .269 with 9 homers and 30 RBIs. Very normal, very unassuming, not a heck of a lot setting up apart from his contemporaries at the plate. Still a needed hitter with great power instincts, but it's not the pace that got him over 50 long balls the last few years.

Which means it's a good thing he's having his best season to date as a pitcher. 

The last time Ohtani felt this untouchable on the mound, it was 2022, and he went 15-9 with a 2.23 ERA and 219 Ks, enough to get him second in the MVP voting [but because he didn't hit 62 homers he couldn't lap the favorite]. Now he seems even better. In 9 starts he has a 5-2 record with a 0.82 ERA and 61 Ks. Pure dominance on so many levels, without overexerting himself. In fact, last night Ohtani went 6 innings without allowing a hit, only allowing a run on some sacrifice plays. That someone that dangerous as a hitter can also pitch scoreless frames and master the other side of the game, arguably more than the hitting right now, is insanely impressive.

On the heels of that is the fact that the Dodgers' bullpen has been exceptional this month, with little to no run bleeding from stalwarts like Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia, Kyle Hurt and Edgardo Henriquez. Despite the amount they paid for another lost Edwin Diaz season, they've built a working model that completely outdoes their 2025 model of hoping the extra starters can do long relief. It eviscerates one of the real marks against them from last year, and it gives them yet another leg up on the competition.

Shohei Ohtani is also just the best starter in this rotation right now, and that's taking into consideration Justin Wrobleski's swell, Yamamoto's usual brilliance and the surprise smash that is Eric Lauer. I am beginning to get worried that the potential for yet another Philadelphia Cy Young win will be foiled by a candidate who regularly wins things. I'm miffed about Zack Wheeler losing all those times, and I still think Cristopher Sanchez deserved another look last year. Now Sanchie's on an unprecedented run and I'm not even sure if that'll be enough to stop the writers from giving awards to Ohtani. Not that he doesn't deserve it, it's just...hasn't he gotten enough stuff by now?

The Dodgers still look like a league giant, have Andy Pages and Freddie Freeman surging, and have no trouble keeping the Padres down, in many cases getting other teams to do the dirty work for them. Even with the usual pitching injuries, and a few crucial lineup injuries [Betts and Teoscar], this team isn't slowing down, and still has lots of strength on display. It's a wee bit boring, but even I can appreciate it.

Coming Tomorrow- Ironically a former Dodgers lineup standout, now in a crucial role in opposition to LA's dynasty.

All in the Spectacle

 

Remember a couple years ago when Anthony Rizzo was in a terrible slump for months on end and it was only after it had gone on for a bit that the Yankees' trainers realized he had concussed at the beginning of the season and none of them had noticed? The Dodgers thought 'well, what if we had a GOOD version of that?'

Hence, Max Muncy, whose numbers fell off for a couple years, then went and got his eyes checked, got new specs, and once again is a tremendous contact hitter. Muncy's hitting .279 with 9 homers and 13 RBIs, hitting more accurately than he has in years. At 35 he's become one of the elder statesmen of the team, whose reliable output is still a crucial part of the team's success. I have to tell you, when Muncy came up in 2018 I did not predict that he'd mature into a Justin Turner-type figure. But that's pretty much what's happened, except Muncy is a better power hitter, hitting 35+ homers four times in his career.

I think the expectation was for Muncy to play more of a minor role in this team's success, but with Betts out, Ohtani hitting .278, Tucker with 4 homers and 20 RBI, and Freeman teetering over his peak, it's a welcome development. I think now you're beginning to see the next stage of the Dodgers experiment, because if Betts and Freeman are getting old, there's gonna need to be new working pieces. Tucker's definitely one of them, even if he's been okay at best so far. Alex Freeland's been surprisingly nice as a 2B replacement, he's hitting .253 and playing great defense. Andy Pages is the man, the myth and the legend even if I can't see him carrying the team much on his own. Dalton Rushing, uhh....I dunno, man. He hits a ton of home runs but he's got this attitude issue that I'm not sure about. We'll have to see.

I think this team has happened upon a working rotation schematic for the most part. Ohtani's pitching Cy Young caliber numbers every sixth day, Justin Wrobleski's become the best compromise money isn't buying, Yamamoto's still elite, Emmet Sheehan's doing alright, Sasaki still hasn't figured the majors out and Snell's gonna swap in for Glasnow perfectly. As it stands it's a durable model, and there's still River Ryan and a host of to-be-activated guys if things turn out similar to last June. Also, suddenly Tanner Scott can close games again. I dunno what happened back there but he seems to have figured it out again. Good for him.

The Dodgers are still ahead of the Padres for the division by 2 games, meaning for the first time this season, they have staved off being lapped. Let's see if this goes any differently from last year.

Coming Tomorrow- The Yankees don't get Carlos Rodon back for another few days, and they don't get Gerrit Cole back for another couple months, yet they still have a guy leading the league in wins, ERA and WHIP. Magic. 

Empty Pages

 

Hey...guess who has the best record in baseball? No, really, guess. You'll never get it.

Despite being upset by the Rockies twice this weekend [more proof that the Rox are quietly improving], the Dodgers are still 15-6, and surging in all the places people thought they would. Shohei Ohtani's on-base streak is still active? Of course it is. Freddie Freeman's still an elite 1B option even after 35? Of course he is. Yoshinobu Yamamoto's still one of the best starters in the game? You know it. 

Though shockingly, the team's current WAR leader is not Shohei Ohtani, nor Freeman or Yamamoto, but one Andy Pages. Pages had a strong first few months to the 2025 season before balancing out a bit, but his April's been outrageous, with a 1.083 OPS, a .389 average, 28 hits and 21 RBIs, all league highs. Pages also has 5 homers, tied for second place with Ohtani and...Dalton Rushing?? Is that right? The Dodgers' backup catcher can rake like hell? Damn, that's pretty helpful in case something happens to Will Smith. But yeah, Pages has led the charge, and unlike some contemporaries [James Outman mostly], he's proven to have MLB staying power and has become more multifaceted than before. Gotta love that this team can still find new heroes even in a lineup with 3 MVPs in it. 

You're also seeing some of the guys who had slower starts begin to find themselves. Kyle Tucker's slowly heating up, he has 3 homers and 13 RBIs now. It's not as immediate as his Chicago success was but he's still pretty damn good. Ohtani only has 10 RBIs but he's also like their best starter so I think the Dodgers can let it slide. Glasgow's 2-0 with a team-leading 29 Ks and a 3.24 ERA, so he's getting his stuff under control. Jack Dreyer and Tanner Scott have gotten their ERAs back down, and Edwin Diaz is trying to. Even Justin Wrobleski can hang on for a truly dominant start in a rotation that happened to have an open space, and now he's sticking around. I do think once Snell and Knack come back he'll be back to long relief, but this will at least make him look desirable to the other 29 teams.

Even without Mookie Betts and Blake Snell, this is still a good Dodgers team because it's gained depth naturally vs. out of injury necessity. Justin Wrobleski feels like a genuine starting option and not a failsafe. There are no stunts to avoid bullpen depth. The bench guys are valuable MLB options. The system doesn't feel like it's being gamed...yet. Though...if nobody can stop this team then we really do deserve a lockout. Cause they're good, but they're not immaculate. No team is immaculate. So hopefully a successor can take them out. And seeing as the Padres are only a half game behind them now after doing some serious streaking, maybe it'll come sooner than we think.

Coming Tomorrow- Aaron Judge has 9 home runs, but this guy has 8. And he's no slouch either.

18 and Life

 

The Dodgers, this week, are gonna become the first team in history to start 3 Japanese pitchers in a row. Roki Sasaki tonight, Shohei tomorrow, and Yamamoto Wednesday. It's genuinely amazing to see a team go all-in on Japanese pitching, and it's cool that it's the Dodgers, who technically re-started the trend in '95 by bringing over Hideo Nomo, and later Kasuhisa Ishii, doing it. This, in combination with the use of Hyeseong Kim as an infield piece, have made the Dodgers one of the most internationally-friendly teams out there.

And it might be an exciting narrative if the Dodgers weren't already the far-and-away favorite to win the World Series. 

Look, as it's the third year of this, I've tried to get my feelings on this to atrophy a bit, because I feel bad. I don't HATE the Dodgers, they develop great teams and their heroes are hard to hate. It's the wealth disparity thing I dislike. This offseason the Mets spent a great deal to try and catch LA, and other teams like the Cubs and Yankees still put the money up for things like this. But the Dodgers still have one of the best teams, and used the offseason to get Edwin Diaz, one of the best closers in the bigs, and Kyle Tucker, one of the best outfield bats out there. All the things that are leaving the Dodgers are things they no longer have a use for, all the main pieces are still in their prime, and all the people joining the team are excellent. Generally, if the best team wins it all, it's not the most exciting outcome, especially when they're already spending more than anyone else. 

Now again, it's not just spending, it's the rubber hitting the road. And so far, the Dodgers, given a series against an easy team like Arizona, are undefeated. They've done this, strangely, without much offensive production from Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Tucker, Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernandez. That's...the bulk of the power. And they're still winning games, just off contact and some of the other stars. Alex Freeland's already making waves coming in on Miguel Rojas's position, the bullpen has yet to give up an earned run, and Will Smith leads the team in RBIs with 5. 

And they've held it down with some great starting performances so far. Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto have held up the top of the rotation well, both going 6 with 6 Ks. Yoshi is gonna be relied upon as the ace this year, and I think he's fully able to take that on. Honestly, Blake Snell might settle into that 3 spot when he come back, and Emmet Sheehan, unless he recovers, might be relegated to a swingman role. There's much worse guys to hand the ball to in a big game than Yamamoto, and I'm so glad he's become a great MLB option after a strong Japanese career. 

I think the Dodgers are already proving that they can build a competitor even if it's not the ways you're thinking they will. I think they can afford some slow starts provided everything comes together by September. I think it'll be great for history if they can win a third. Maybe not for me specifically, or for people that like interesting developments, but it's been years since the Yankees dynasty, or the Giants', and maybe it's just needed now. 

Coming Tomorrow- He throws smoke, he gets the job done, and he leaves teams right at the moment they stop winning games.

Satisfaction Not Guaranteed

 

There's been a lot written, or made or whatever, about the myth of the tragic character who has everything but is willing to risk it all for the one empty space he's after. The man who has every opportunity to settle and be happy with what he's done but isn't finished until it feels perfect. The Jay Gatsby parable, the O. Henry type hero, the tragic hero who undoes himself. You see it with every celebrity, the people that keep chasing the high and forgetting what they have, til they look perfect, til they have everything. 

So by that metric I totally understand why, after winning two World Series' in a row, the Dodgers went and got Edwin Diaz and Kyle Tucker. They're not satisfied yet. They want Jordan Bulls numbers, Torre Yanks numbers, Belichick numbers, they want a dynasty because they have enough to procure it. I completely get that. Doesn't mean I have to enjoy it, but it's nice when something that seems mighty and powerful admits its shortcomings and actively does what it can to mend them, for all to see.

The Edwin Diaz acquisition points to a frightening truth about the Dodgers, that since parting ways with Kenley Jansen they've yet to find a truly terrific closing option. They went with Craig Kimbrel, arguably in a year where they didn't really need a closer, and he was mediocre. They brought up Evan Phillips, he had one terrific season then some injuries, and while he's stayed in LA the prevailing theory is that he's probably better off as a set-up man. They tried Tanner Scott last year, best available, and he had his weakest year yet, blowing saves and squandering the opportunity. Even Kirby Yates, the backup option that booted Ryan Brasier off the team, had a 5.25 ERA last year, and is hopefully still able to put in any work for this team.

So, again, with Scott, Yates and Phillips relegated to middle relief work, the Dodgers went with the best available bullpen option, this year being Mets stalemate Edwin Diaz. And it's a tricky conundrum, because  Edwin Diaz has, at many points, excelled as a closing pitcher. Both 2022 and 2025, Diaz displayed both ninth inning dominance and 30+ save years, something that seems all too rare. The saves totals were never terribly high in Queens because...I mean honestly a number of reasons but mainly the saves are more often to be blown than not with some of those teams. There's also just years in between where he was just...fine. Y'know, did his thing, maybe his ERA was closer to 4 than it should be.

Edwin Diaz is one of the best active closing options, and in an age where the closing position is more 'what have you done for me lately' than ever, the fact that he's kept this job for 10 years despite waning dominance is great. Kenley Jansen, Craig Kimbrel, Josh Hader, they've all similarly had down years but they've always bounced back. And so has Diaz, even if it isn't always as pronounced. 

I say this because the Dodgers shelled out the extra money to ensure that they have a closing option, in Diaz, that works. But it shouldn't have come to this. Phillips should have been sustainable. Scott should have kept the momentum going. So even as they look to repeat as Champions for a third straight year, the Dodgers are still trying to plug this hole in the ninth with Edwin Diaz, and even then that's not guaranteed to be the working variable. 

At least with Kyle Tucker you get the sense that the success will happen from the jump. Tucker's in his prime, he had another excellent year with Chicago last year, he's a proven postseason bat, he's perfect for this team. Diaz, even with his track record, isn't a sure thing because no closer is a sure thing anymore. And the fact that Diaz, who's had some of the best seasons by a reliever in the past 10 years, is considered an erratic option comparatively--that says a lot. 

The Dodgers are banking on this to work, and for Diaz and Tucker to get them at least 2 more rings now that everybody else is nailed down. It's just a matter of whether or not another flaw becomes apparent, and if another team can work hard enough to exploit it.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2025: Dodgers

 

Well...they did it again. 

The Dodgers ensured that baseball would have a back-to-back World Series winner, which really hadn't happened since the '00 Yanks. Teams had tried, the Astros had tried tons of times, the Phils sure tried, but nobody was able to until the Dodgers came along, perfected their already-great 2024 team and won against a really tough Jays squad in an incredible Game 7. As annoying as it may have been to see the richest team win out, they did so in a full squad effort with some incredible performances and some great clutch moments from reliable pieces. It's everything you want in a World Series team.

This also means that Enrique Hernandez needs to be studied. Not many other people have the ability to hit .200 during the regular season and .300 during the postseason. What the hell happens to this guy in October? Does he just get rejuvenated by pumpkin spice lattes?? In 92 regular season games he hit .203 with 10 homers and 35 RBIs. Then in 17 postseason games he hits .250 with 16 hits, 7 RBIs and 1 homer, all pretty much coming at crucial moments. This is what the Dodgers brought Hernandez back for, and he's done everything they've expected.

2026 Prediction: The same, but something tells me he won't have as extensive an October stat line for some reason.

One of the first big one-upmanship moves the Dodgers made during the offseason was signing Tanner Scott to be their closer...followed by signing Kirby Yates to be their setup man. Scott in the ninth in LA looked like a slam dunk, and for a while it was. Ultimately, both injuries and strains ballooned Scott's ERA, leaving the year with a 4.74 ERA, only 23 saves and a -0.6 WAR. He was all out for the whole playoff season, meaning the Dodgers needed to plug Alex Vesia, and later Roki Sasaki, into the ninth in his stead.

2026 Prediction: There will be more missed time, but I think by the second half, Scott will have reclaimed his Miami mojo almost completely.

As a late add-on, the Dodgers also brought on Michael Conforto, after a couple years in San Francisco. Conforto is clearly nowhere near Mets levels of offensive production, but he's good for decent power every so often. Despite getting far too many opportunities in LA, Conforto was a disappointment this year, hitting .199 with 12 homers and 36 RBIs in 138 games. Absolutely atrocious, and with poor defense as well. He did not factor into their October.

2026 Prediction: If anybody takes a chance on him, it'll be on a minor league deal, and it'll be for platoon DH appearances.

Brusdar Graterol being out and Evan Phillips struggling and getting cut means one of the longer-tenured relievers left in LA is now Alex Vesia, who had another strong year this year with a 3.02 ERA and 80 Ks in 68 games, plus 5 saves filling in for Scott. His equally strong October, going 2-0 in 7 appearances, was cut short due to an unspeakable family tragedy. He'd make no World Series appearances, but everybody on both teams would mark their caps in tribute to Vesia and his family.

2026 Prediction: Comes back in full force, notches 15 saves before the last few full seasons catch up with him.

An underrated smart move by the Dodgers was adding Korean superutilityman Hyeseong Kim in the offseason. Kim fit in as a defensive sub and bench fit, and did really well, hitting .280 with 17 RBIs and 13 stolen bases in 71 games. He was mostly used as a defensive sub/pinch runner in October, which does the trick [I mean, it gets you a ring at the end of the day]. 

2026 Prediction: An injury is going to ensure that Kim has more playing time. I'm thinking a Ha-Seong Kim style come to prominence. Or even mid-2010s Tommy La Stella.

Emmet Sheehan may have been one of the keys to the Dodgers' World Series win. Yes. Somehow so many people got hurt that Emmet Sheehan saved this team by being around at the exact most opportune time and playing so many different roles. During the regular season he filled in as almost every starter was getting injured, and did very well for himself, with a 2.82 ERA in 15 appearances, going 6-3 with 89 Ks. Not bad for a guy who hadn't been healthy since mid-2023. Then he became the role-player extraordinaire in the playoffs, going in for long work in extras on multiple occasions. He may have ended up with a high ERA, but what that doesn't show is how many scrapes he got this team out of. Without him, that ring doesn't happen.

2026 Prediction: So here's the thing. If everything goes to plan next year, the Dodgers' rotation will consist of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and potentially Roki Sasaki. But Sheehan's now right under there in the depth chart. Unless the Dodgers swing another starter for some reason, Sheehan has a decent shot at cracking the opening day rotation, or at the very least being the 'break in case of emergency' starter this year. I think it'll go better for Sheehan than it did for Ross Stripling.

Coming Tomorrow- The Giants ended the season at .500, and were one embarrassing downfall away from a competitive year. So naturally I've got a bunch from them. 

MVPs: Like Nothing Even Happened

 

There's gonna be a lot of talk in the next couple years about how Rob Manfred is trying to make baseball palatable to everyone while also robbing it of the aspects that help the majority of people enjoy it. And one of the things that the opposition party will point out is that the two richest teams were able to buy the two best players in the game and then they won consecutive MVPs, after competing for MVPs in the same league for several years. 

The last time someone who was not Judge or Ohtani won an MVP was 2020, the year that the voters had only 2 months of sample size and gave awards to two guys in their 30s who were hot. The last two seasons, despite valid opposition in both leagues, Judge and Ohtani have won MVPs. Last year Francisco Lindor honestly should have won an MVP, but Ohtani's 50/50 year put that out of the question. This year, Aaron Judge won it over Cal Raleigh, which is a very controversial decision, one that even I don't really agree with. But again, these two are the stars of the game, they're both in their prime, they're both having incredible seasons and by-and-large nobody's surpassing their greatness.

Judge's season was still a great one, but it's very clear that the second half took some of the wind out of its sails. That first half he hit .355 with 35 homer and a 1.194 OPS, and in the second half he only hit .286 with 18 homers and a 1.051 OPS. He slowed down tremendously, and despite the odd postseason moment he just couldn't ride it out to the end. And while statistically Raleigh did also buckle in the second half, with an .859 OPS as opposed to his initial 1.011, he still produced enough of a power surge to lap Judge and finish the season with 60 homers [not counting the postseason ones]. There's a lot of people who talk about the sentimentality of the sport, and there's something very cool about a switch-hitting catcher leading the league in homers with 60. I'd absolutely commemorate that. Saying that it doesn't matter if he didn't hit .265 is short-sighted, because we've given Giancarlo Stanton awards for power nonsense. 

Aaron Judge still managed to hit for power and contact in a season, and led the Yankees to the postseason almost single-handedly, yet again. He also has three of these. If Cal Raleigh goes his whole career without an MVP, sportswriters are gonna retroactively go 'maybe he should have gotten it here'. But y'know. Nobody knows anything. 

Anyway, remember how people were convinced that Judge was over the hill going into the contract and now he's won 2 straight MVPs? Amazing.

Not really much to say on the subject of Ohtani, though. He's just the best. Having as good of an offensive season as last year, plus getting to pitch, and being just as good? Yeah, give it to that man, for sure. I dunno what else to say, even Schwarber'd agree that there was no shot. 

But yeah, again the season is defined by two guys getting paid the works, while a guy making much less just scrapes underneath. Tony Clark, I hope you're taking notes. 

Second Wind for a Second Win

 

My initial takeaway from last night's game is that nobody wanted that World Series to end. Everybody wanted the win, and everybody wanted to do whatever necessary to make it happen. Every pitcher gave everything they had left, from the starters, Scherzer and Ohtani, to every past starter who made a relief appearance, like Glasnow, Bassitt, Bieber, Snell, Yesavage and especially Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who stamped his ticket to an MVP by being as good last night as he was Friday night [somehow]. Nobody wanted this to be easy.

But then you think of the outcome, and the way we got there, and you're handed a different idea entirely: everybody wanted the World Series again because everybody, bar the few that made it a game, was absolutely exhausted. The Jays put up a graphic midway through of Max Scherzer and Bo Bichette, the two that made this a 3-1 Jays lead for most of the game, and both of them had substantial missed time in between the regular season and part of the postseason. Scherzer had the bye and didn't make the ALDS roster. Bo was out for a couple months and didn't get here til the World Series. Both had big moments last night, Bo with his 3-run bomb and Max with his dominant start. A lot of other Blue Jays did not rise to the occasion, and Vlad, Kirk and Barger were given moments to win it and couldn't. Even on the Dodgers' side, the big pieces, like Ohtani, Freeman, Muncy and Betts, didn't factor into this as much.

Cause they were all absolutely fried from seven months of this shit. And it had finally gotten to them. Remember back in the day, when hitters didn't swing on every pitch and pitchers didn't throw hard on every pitch, when the postseason only lasted like a week and a half? This shit is not sustainable anymore.

But because this season now lasts that long, the guys who were cold have enough time to get hot again and be the heroes in the last moments of the season. That explains Andres Gimenez, who was listless for a while, having a hero moment. That explains Yamamoto, whose Cy Young case fell off expediently as the season went on, becoming unstoppable in October. And that explains Miguel Rojas, who hadn't hit a home run in over a month, and had barely gotten any hits in the postseason, being the man to hit the game-tying home run off of Jeff Hoffman in the ninth, as the Jays were two outs away from hoisting the trophy themselves. Rojas had the game of his life last night, and for a career workhorse who always keeps his head down and does his job, and is a favorite to manage after his career, Rojas being the hero is a very cool thing. It's not a flash in the pan guy, it's not the obvious choice. It's a reliable, hardworking guy who needed recognition. 

There were so many incredible moments in that game. Pages making the catch in center field after subbing in. Vlad turning a double play. That insane moment where it looked like Will Smith could have blown the game by lifting his cleat off the plate for a millisecond. Then Smith getting to be the hero. And then the Kirk GDP that ended the game. I was exhausted in the seventh inning but I needed to know how this ended, and even if I'd have preferred a Jays win, I cannot stay too mad at that outcome. The Dodgers won by never giving up and continuing to pound a team that was inches from taking it themselves.

Now...there's a lot about this that I'm very concerned about. Like the fact that we only got this game because of a very dubious dead ball moment in Game 6 that could have tied the game. And the fact that this is the exact outcome that Rob Manfred wants, because it strengthens the case in favor of a salary cap, which will no doubt lead to an avoidable standstill, the likes of which we already have enough of at the moment. And the fact that I literally wrote a post when the Dodgers got Roki Sasaki, saying 'there's no need to play the season at all, as they just bought a ring', and literally no one else could stop them despite obvious flaws. The Dodgers' bullpen could have lost them this Series, and they gamed the system so that they barely had to use it at all. 

The way to stopping the Dodgers is not stopping the Dodgers. The way to stopping the Dodgers is encouraging the other 29 owners to do exactly what the Dodgers have been doing to win. This season proved that that's how you win World Series, you outspend the competition and reward players. Nobody else wants to do that. Especially guys like John Fisher and Bob Nutting and the Pohlads and...and I could go on. These people have no desire to actually spend money on their baseball teams, and Manfred has no incentive to make them, because of the amount of leverage he has over the players' association because of this Dodgers win. And hey, people watched! They watched cause a lot of them wanted the other outcome, but they sure watched. The only thing that may not be in Manfred's corner heading into a potential lockout  in a year or so, is that, uh...somebody that famously enjoys rewarding billionaires may not be too keen on a California team being that good at winning right now. 

It is absolutely true that this outcome can be both a very good, and exciting one, and also a disastrous one for the future of the game. I'm mostly saying this because I genuinely don't know what's going to happen next year, and there's a lot of doomerism out there where people are convinced there isn't gonna be a 2026 season, let alone a 2027 one. Maybe I'll be able to enjoy this more in hindsight then.

Anyway. Congratulations to the Dodgers, and Dodgers fans. A lot needs to be fixed for me to enjoy this more, but I definitely enjoyed this World Series. Now to the waiting. Hopefully it's not that long.

World Series Game 5: Say Goodbye to Hollywood

 

This isn't even the first World Series this decade to have a heroic game from a guy from Southern New Jersey with an iconic mustache. Cause we already had Zac Gallen a few years ago, he's from Somerdale, which is two towns over from me. I go to Somerdale to get my tomato plants at the beginning of the season, there's a nice place there. And now we've got Davis Schneider, who's from Berlin [not that Berlin, that's Max Kepler I think], which is like 3 towns from me, and went to Eastern Regional H.S., which isn't far from me at all. In fact, Schneider apparently did a clinic for a family friend's kid when he was in high school. This kid's currently a D3 college athlete, and Schneider, being local and all, helped out and gave some pointers during the offseason. Apparently he's a great dude from a great family. 

And tonight he hit a leadoff home run in the World Series against Blake Snell, followed swiftly by another homer by his teammate, Vladimir Guerrero. Far from Eastern, right? Far from...okay I was gonna name some defunct Voorhees area landmarks and then it dawned on me that Schneider won't remember any of them cause he's four years younger than me. No use digging up the spirit of Echo Pizza, or the old diner across the street from Office Depot [which is now an Urgent Care, and the Office Depot is now a pickle ball court]. He probably doesn't even remember back far enough to when the Ritz Plaza had two record stores instead of just the one. Damn, I am getting old, even as one of the youngest bloggers still blogging. 

But yes, Schneider got to be a hero tonight against a tough Dodgers team, which is a testament to the Jays' mentality of, being, to quote Ernie Clement paraphrasing Herb Brooks, 'a team of uncommon men'. And that's the perfect way of putting this Jays team, they are UNCOMMON. It would be common if the team that slugged the most, or had the most stars, or paid the most money, triumphed. That's a common ending. But what would be uncommon is if the team that had the most players specifically made for this moment, and the most performers at the absolute best time to strike, ended up winning. If a championship could be won by guys like Davis Schneider and Trey Yesavage and Addison Barger and Ernie Clement and, yes, Vlad and Bo and Bieber and Scherzer. Sometimes the best man for the job isn't the best player in baseball. Sometimes it's better to be useful and timely than it is to be 'the best'. And this is a very efficient, and timely, Jays team. 

And tonight, Trey Yesavage was once again right on time, having a terrific start, going 7 strong with 12 Ks, including a golden sombrero for Tuesday's hero Freddie Freeman, and only allowing 1 run on a solo shot from Enrique Hernandez. Naturally. Yesavage is showing all of the ace qualities of someone 10 years his senior, and he's doing it right now, before any rookie cards of his can be released. It'd be incredible if he has an entire career of performances like this, but it'd be just as incredible if everything lined up for him to be this good for a short enough stretch to net the Blue Jays a ring. 

So now, the Jays have the leverage once more heading back to Toronto. They win, it's over. They just need to get through Yoshinobu Yamamoto, which will not be easy whatsoever, especially with the prospect of Kevin Gausman taking the start for Toronto. This could go to 7 if they can't crack Yamamoto. But if they somehow can...that'll be a really satisfying ending to this series, and this season. 

World Series Game 4: Your Latest Trick

 Game 4 was the one game, of any of them, that the Blue Jays needed to win. If they couldn't win a Shohei Ohtani game there was no point showing up. Shohei as a starter was the one thing the Dodgers have used that has always worked this postseason, and the Jays needed to strike against him if they wanted to stand any chance in the rest of this series.

So getting through this game while handing Ohtani the loss? A very, very good development.

Everything that has worked for this Jays team before worked tonight. The exceptional defense. The strong starting pitching, tonight coming from Shane Bieber and Chris Bassitt. The contact free-for all mentality, which exploded in the 7th. And Vlad Jr., who took one yard early. Let's not forget how crucial Bo Bichette was tonight, even if he's not at 100%. Dude kept the contact machine rolling in the second and paved the way for Barger to make it 6-1. Bo has been exactly what the Jays have needed in this series, a serious boost both offensively and defensively. He was having a terrific season before the injury, and he'd made up for a lackluster 2024. To see Bo become the multifaceted, versatile, multi-dimensional player that his father wasn't has been really satisfying. Like, unlike Dante, Bo scores positive WAR. He's been a major reason why this team has stayed competitive in the last few years, and him sticking around made them a World Series threat.

So now we're tied again. Confirming just how evenly matched this series is. When the Jays win, they win big. When the Dodgers win, they squeak through. I'm still not sure who has the leverage, though with the knowledge that there is a Yoshinobu Yamamoto game up ahead, I have this...sneaking suspicion this thing could go all 7 if the Jays aren't careful. Or even worse...if they don't win Game 5, it could be over after Yoshi. I'm still pulling for Toronto, but they need to move like they did tonight against a formidable starter. Or else, again, it's curtains. 

World Series Game 3: Marathon Man

 

Once again, I gave myself a set out for a playoff game this season. I said 'if they make it go to thirteen, I'm goin' to bed'. And they did, and so I just gave up. I wasn't gonna stay up til like 2 or 3 after all of this. 

That shouldn't take away from how great the game was. This is a very evenly-matched World Series of two great defensive teams that know each other's weaknesses. It just means that sometimes there are 18-inning games. Somebody did the math and said that Brad Paisley has performed the National Anthem at four different instances of the Dodgers going to extras in the World Series. Brad, buddy, you've gotta stop picking up the phone. 

There was a lot to be impressed with in this game, like Alejandro Kirk hitting a 3-run bomb off of Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani having a 2-homer night like it's absolutely nothing, Max Scherzer once again absolutely slaughtering Dodgers hitting, and some of the most impressive defensive plays in some time. For 8 innings, every cutoff man got hit, every infield drill got accomplished, and every close play got done. After some initial sloppiness in regulation that allowed for some runs, it was really cool to see. But when the right defensive subs go in, and when people like Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Myles Straw get plugged in, that's what you're trying to accomplish. Outlasting the other guys no matter what. 

The MVP of this game has been crowned, and somehow it is not Freddie Freeman, who hit the game-winning bomb after everybody got tired. No, it is Will Klein, a guy who bopped around the minors the last couple years, made it to the Dodgers as a roster sub for injuries, then got named to the World Series roster when Alex Vesia had to duck out. Quietly he's been a very underrated bullpen arm for the Dodgers, and was excellent in September appearances. Last night, he went 4 very strong innings, struck out 5 and only allowed 1 hit and 2 walks. It should be noted that Eric Lauer also had a strong 4 inning run, but he didn't get the win. Klein proves that you can be a nobody making scale and still be the hero, even on the Dodgers. And that's pretty incredible.

The Dodgers have the ultimate leg up right now. They're up 1 game, at home, with both rosters absolutely exhausted and both bullpens absolutely depleted. But they have Shohei Ohtani on the mound tonight. 

World Series Game 2: No 'Pen, No Problem

 

This is exactly the way I figured the Dodgers would get their leverage back. Blake Snell had a nice start in Game 1, but they chased him in the 6th, and that's where the trouble began. If they could get a starter to throw 8, like earlier in the playoffs, there'd be more of a chance they could just chip away at the Jays' worse starting pitching.

Well, instead they got a CG out of a starter. So it went better than expected.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto's been in the MLB for two seasons and is acing his second World Series as a starter. This guy was made for MLB action, in a way that may not come immediately to Roki Sasaki because he's younger. Yamamoto was a veteran ace in Japan, then came over here and transferred everything over perfectly. And now, once again, he's unstoppable in the World Series. He rocked a rare complete game in the World Series, struck out 8, and only allowed 4 hits. The only run was scored on a sac fly by Alejandro Kirk. Meanwhile, Kevin Gausman, as the more imperfect starter, gave up more runs, including some solo homers from Will Smith and Max Muncy. The Jays' pen had to strike earlier tonight, and that led to some runs in the eighth. 

This sort of thing is why even with the shellacking the Jays gave the Dodgers in Game 1, you cannot count the Dodgers out. They have Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and they have Shohei Ohtani, and so far neither has shown any mercy in the postseason. I reckon the Jays have better luck against Tyler Glasnow, unless he decides to lock in as well. 

We get a day off from debauchery and head to LA on Monday. I doubt we're gonna get an overwhelming favorite here for a little while.

World Series Game 1: That Would Be The Issue

 

I was watching the Fox broadcast tonight, and somewhere around the sixth inning, Joe and John were talking about how, as evenly matched as this World Series was, there were definite categories where one team was better than the other. Dodgers had the better rotation, Jays had the better defense, Dodgers had the better contact, Jays had the better power, etc etc. And the one area that Joe Davis mentioned might be a contentious point was the bullpen, they said Toronto barely edged out LA with a better 'pen. They acted like it was close. They did mention, 'well the Dodgers really haven't been in position to USE theirs cause all their starters have gone long and they've put in other starters in relief'. 

Anyway, right after that Blake Snell got taken out and the Jays scored 9 runs in the 6th. 

It really is that simple, as we all thought it would be. It can be the Shohei Ohtani show and the story of the Dodgers rotation, and that's all well and good for six or seven innings, but once you have to put in Emmett Sheehan, Jack Dreyer and Anthony Banda, then the head start evaporates. That sixth inning shows you everything you need to know about where the Jays have the edge, cause they can put in Mason Fluharty or Braydon Fisher or Louie Varland and it'll go fine, and the Dodgers...don't have that kind of luck. Tonight, they loaded the bases, walked a runner home, singled two runners home, grand slammed four home and homered two home. In one inning. Anthony Banda is going up against Addison Barger, one of the hardest hitting guys on the team, and what d'you think is gonna happen? It's Anthony Banda against the power part of the power lineup. And yes, the next inning they give up a homer to Ohtani, but...it's 11 to 4. Yay, Ohtani did something, but it's gonna take more than that.

I dunno if Blake Snell just has this luck, that no matter how much he can do in a World Series start, it'll never be enough because even with 100 pitches he still had to come out and the Dodgers' pen had to mop things up. And they did a terrible job. The Barger homer was the icing on the cake, and then the Alejandro Kirk homer was fondant! This was the thing you knew could happen, in a game with a ferocious home crowd, and you still let it happen. The Dodgers may be the Dodgers, but they still have a flawed team this year. They can't just use Ohtani for everything and expect that to get them an easy ring.

The Jays worked a clinic tonight. Trey Yesavage was excellent, even among outstanding pressure. Guerrero and Bichette had crucial contact moments. Barger and Lukes cemented themselves as huge parts of this team. Even IKF and Schneider had nice moments. This was what they needed to do to get the leverage early, and they should be super proud. I dunno if every game is gonna be this easy, or will be as easy as just hitting the known puncture point over and over like tonight. All I know is the Jays made a statement tonight. They're not gonna keel over like the Brewers and Phillies did. They're gonna be a challenge. 

Remember...this was just the game where Addison Barger had the big power moment. Vlad Jr. hasn't really woken up yet. 

I Guess I'll Watch

 

This is not the most fun matchup of the several we were promised. It was looking like it could be Mariners-Brewers, or Tigers-Phillies, or Cubs-Mariners. And ultimately, we have Dodgers-Jays. The two teams that beat my favorite teams, squaring off in a World Series.

If anything...I kinda wanna see how this goes down.

Because there's two real outcomes here. There's the boring outcome, where the season-long fear that the Dodgers could buy a World Series comes to fruition anyway and we're left with a locked-out 2026 because no rich person ever learns their lesson. Or we get the fun outcome, where a team led by a native son trying to prove himself, backed up by a murderer's row of fun role-players and rookies, outdoes the Goliath. That's really where we're at, overspending vs. overbuilding. This Jays team is the culmination of a farm system build that began in 2019, nearly failed, was nearly split up THIS YEAR, and suddenly hunkered down and became truly great. If Guerrero leaves, then Bichette leaves, and this team never gets past the Yanks and Sox. Maybe Schneider gets fired, maybe Springer never has the comeback season, maybe Scherzer doesn't lock in. So much of this season was a chain reaction of events leading directly back to the team listening and re-signing Guerrero. It seemed like an odd move at the time, but deep down they knew that a World Series was still possible.

And that's how the Blue Jays made it to a World Series without Bo Bichette, Jose Berrios or Anthony Santander. They locked in so hard that they outdid even a hot-as-hell Mariners team. Vlad Jr. and George Springer dug deep and got them here. And everything that had struggled before, like Scherzer, the rotation, the outfield defense, even Jeff Hoffman, locked in even further. 

That is a fantastic story. The Jays, in a different draw of cards, could have been out in August. But they made it to a World Series. It's a much better story than 'the Dodgers bought a ton of contracts, then they all got hurt, then they all got healthy and suddenly a team with 9 starters, three hitters that specifically only do well in October, and the best player in baseball history, is in the World Series'. If the Dodgers win, great, they deserve it, it's incredible...but you understand how that's way less interesting, right? 'Well they were the best team, so of course they won'. What kind of story is as simple as that? Where's the conflict? Yes, the middle of the season was still kind of rough, but they only lost 1st place for a couple seconds because the Padres absolutely gave up every time they were in position to overtake first. The Jays, meanwhile, blew past the Yankees for the division, stayed ahead of them in September and embarrassed them in October. THAT is a story.

This is going to be a very cool World Series, one that could have a very fun outcome. The Dodgers winning would cement this organization as Belichick levels of unfair, even if you can call them the next great baseball dynasty. But a Blue Jays win, after all this? Wouldn't that be something?