I cannot believe that the season is coming to an end. The 2024 MLB season has been a whirlwind for the baseball community. The Royals, Mets, and Tigers gave us pleasant postseason surprises, and now we are down to two teams: the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Both teams have deep rosters and are hungry to win it all.
I will highlight six players who will be pivotal for their respective teams in capturing a World Series title. I asked Will at Overdue Sports to provide me with some Dodgers players he thinks will be crucial for Los Angeles, as he is our resident Dodgers fan at The Skippers View.
Let’s start with the Dodgers!
Will Smith - C
Will Smith is one of the best catchers in all of baseball. This is not a hot take; it is a fact. Smith has played in 128 games this year but has been dealing with a back injury that he sustained in late August. Even more recently, he was hit by a pitch on the back of his left hand but seems to be “okay.” According to Will, “Smith has had fantastic at-bats across the last three games, and hopefully, it will continue to roll into more hits and power.” This is an excellent point because when Smith feels right, he is just another weapon at the Dodgers’ disposal that can disrupt a game. Everyone will be focused on Betts, Ohtani, Freeman, and Hernandez’ (Teoscar & Kike), but Will Smith can add another level to this already-stacked lineup.
Blake Treinen - Closer Committee
Treinen has some of the nastiest stuff in baseball. The Dodgers have a ton of talented arms in the bullpen, but Treinen can be an outstanding player. Owning a 73.4 Sv% in his career, Trienen essentially blows 1 in every four save opportunities he gets. If he can be the last boss in this bullpen and continue this heater he has been on this postseason, watch out! Trienen has earned three saves so far this postseason, which is suitable for 2nd-best just behind Luke Weaver’s four saves.
Tommy Edman - SS
Edman might be the most slept-on player who was moved at the trade deadline. There are legitimately 5 or 6 better hitters in this lineup, and right now, Edman is the guy that all pitchers are fearful of. For good reason, Edman is hitting .346 while putting up a .811 OPS from all over the lineup this postseason. He has hit from the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 8th slots in this Los Angeles lineup and seems to be crushing the ball no matter what Dave Roberts assigns him to. You cannot pitch around everyone, and if Edman continues to mash, it might be a long World Series for the Yankees ’ pitching staff.
Anthony Volpe - SS
Volpe is virtually the only Yankee with speed, outside of Jazz Chisholm Jr. Currently, Volpe owns the 2nd-highest batting average of any Yankee in the postseason at a .310. If the Yankees have any shot at beating this loaded Dodgers lineup, they will need a significant contribution from the young, talented shortstop who seems to have found his groove. Fun fact about Volpe’s postseason: he is tied 6th for in Walks across both leagues with eight so far. If he can continue putting up a .459 OBP rate (7th in all of playoff field), the Yankees have another game-changing element to add to the mix.
Luis Gil - RHP
The big question is, are we getting the first half of Luis Gil or the second half of Luis Gil? Gil was fantastic through May. Then June hit, and it was a different story.
Pre All-Star: 10-5 | 3.17 ERA | 19 GS | 102.1 IP | 118 K | 1.08 WHIP
Post All-Star: 5-2 | 4.20 ERA | 10 GS | 49.1 IP | 53 K | 1.42 WHIP
The Yankees NEED Luis Gil to step up and pitch to the caliber we saw earlier this season. With Nestor Cortes dealing with a flexor strain, the rotation has taken a hit and desperately needs reinforcement. If Gil can deal for a game earlier in the series, the Yankees odds of taking the World Series title.
Anthony Rizzo - 1B
Rizzo has been BAD defensively lately. Is it age? Is it injuries? Could it be all of the above? Does it matter if he keeps hitting? Rizzo is batting .429 through 5 postseason games with a 1.000 OPS. The issue is he has only seen 14 at-bats, so will he carry this over into the World Series? All of these questions are the reason that I am listing Rizzo. He’s a veteran player, and I believe in his hitting ability, even with his regression since joining the Yankees. If Rizzo can produce and help support the Big 3 trio of Stanton, Judge, and Soto, the Yankees are going to make this a very interesting series.