Ray Flowers briefly takes a look at the upcoming World Series between the Dodgers and Yankees. Ray also looks at a series of players who are dealing with some health issues as the off-season begins.
DODGERS (11 Games)
From Jayson Stark…
“Now, if you don’t count the shortened, 60-game 2020 season, this is only the fourth time in the wild-card era (1995-present) that the World Series will be a meeting between the winningest teams in each league.”
The Dodgers have played 11 games – and have two pitchers with 10 innings pitched (Flaherty 15.1, Yamamoto 12.1). Ugh.
The Dodgers have played 11 games – and they have four guys who have pitched in six games – or 55 percent of the games (Brasier, Treinen, Banda, Kopech). During the regular season, here are they game totals: Brasier 29, Treinen 50, Banda 48 and Kopech 67.
Mookie Betts .295-4-12-10-2 with a .435 wOBA.
Tommy Edman has 12 RBI.
Jack Flaherty will start Game 1 with that 7.04 ERA.
Freddie Freeman continues to deal with that wonky ankle. He’s just 7-for-32 with no extra base hits. If the bat awakens it would be a huge boost for this Dodgers club.
Max Muncy has three homers, a .468 OBP and .439 wOBA.
Shohei Ohtani has 10 RBI and 12 runs with a .409 wOBA. Probably not. Almost certainly not. There’s a tiny shot that Ohtani takes the hill in the Series.
YANKEES (Nine Games)
Who was the best prospect on the final two teams? MLB.com put the list together and you’re gonna be stunned on where Soto/Judge ranked.
Jazz Chisholm was a huge sparkplug after being added in a trade, but he’s done little to excite in the playoffs with a .147 and he’s not 6-for-45 in his postseason career.
Seems like Nestor Cortes is good to go. He’s dealing with a flexor strain, but he wants a championship. “We have weighed in the consequences this can lead up to,” Cortes said, “but if I have a ring and then a year off of baseball, then so be it.”
Aaron Judge has a mere .299 wOBA.
Tommy Kahnle insanity.
Gleyber Torres has nine runs and a .365 wOBA.
Juan Soto has a .452 wOBA.
Giancarlo Stanton has five homers, 11 RBI and a .794 SLG.
Luke Weaver has been a start with a win and four saves in eight outings.
Austin Wells is batting .091 in nine games.
PLAYOFF NOTES
Emmanuel Clase allowed five runs all season with three blown saves and two losses.
In the playoffs… 8 R, 1 BS, two loses (9.00 ERA, 1.63 WHIP).
Spencer Torkelson (45.8 percent K-rate) and Trey Sweeney (46.2 percent) had a combined 23 punchouts in 43 at-bats for the Tigers. Rough.
Mark Vientos had a solid .837 OPS on the season for the Mets. His postseason mark was stellar at .998 with five homers to currently tie for the top mark. He actually leads the game with 19 punchouts as well (13 games).
ARIZONA FALL LEAUGE
If you want to keep up with how those youngster are performing down in Arizona, here is a link to the numbers.
THIS AND THAT – INJURIES
Luis Arraez had surgery to repair an injured ligament in his left thumb. He should be fine to start 2025. Coming off 3-straight batting titles, while playing for three teams, he’s hit .328 the last three years, fourteen points better than Freeman (.314). By the by… he played 69 games at first base and 42 at second in 2024.
Colton Cowser had surgery on his fractured hand. He had a very solid season for the Orioles with 24 homers, 69 RBI and 77 runs scored. He even stole nine bags. The 31 percent K-rate is a bit concerning. He had a mere .661 OPS against lefties, but that .806 mark against righties works.
Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) intends to pitch in 2025. He only made seven starts in 2024, just his second season under 110-innings ever. Since the start of 2023 Kershaw is 15-7 with a 2.84 ERA and 1.14 WHIP over 31 starts.
Joe Musgrove had Tommy John surgery the second week of October so it seems likely that his 2025 season is already over. He posted a K per inning with a 1.17 WHIP in 2024, solid work, but actually a four season high in that WHIP category.
Gavin Stone had shoulder surgery and it is likely that his 2025 season is already over. He was a wonderful out-of-nowhere hurler in 2024, going 11-5 with a 3.53 ERA over 25 starts. He’s merely Dodger pitcher #319 that is injured.
Masataka Yoshida had shoulder surgery to repair a labral issue (right shoulder). As a rookie he went .289/.338/.445. In year two he went .280/.349/.415. In two years, his OPS against lefties stinks (.669) but his work against righties has been solid (.814). Solid player.
THE DAILY SHOW
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