With the World Series heading to Southern California, the Los Angeles Dodgers can only rest at their own peril.
Their Game 2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays came courtesy of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, whose masterful nine-inning gem kept them from using a single reliever. This was critical given the severe unreliability of their bullpen.
While the win in Game 2 was encouraging, the Dodgers will have to face the reality that all of their starters will have to go deep against this dangerous Blue Jays team.
The loss in Game 1 was a huge wake-up call for the Dodgers and a disappointment to their perceived invincibility. This dose of reality has put a spotlight on some of the Dodgers’ holdouts. If the Dodgers want to avoid damaging damage from a dangerous Blue Jays squad, they may need two positive developments: a revival of the bullpen and a lot more production from these three collapsing stars.
1BFreddie Freeman
It was an exceptional year for the 2020 MVP and last year’s World Series MVP. Freeman slashed .295/.367/.502 with 24 home runs, though his once lofty stats have waned. The postseason, however, was a different story.
In the playoffs, Freeman is 10-for-45 (.222 AVG) with one home run and seven walks. This does not include the missed pop fly in Game 2 of the World Series. In reality, Freeman’s postseason isn’t that bad, as his on-base percentage is still at .340 and he has collected five doubles. However, because he is such an important part of the Dodgers’ batting order, his at-bats are all the more important to the team, especially when the opposition can string hits together like few teams have ever done in the playoffs, creating a parade of baserunners.
RF Teoscar Hernandez
A noted postseason stomper, Hernandez has lived up to his power potential thus far, hitting four home runs in the 2025 playoffs. But beyond his respectable home run total, his numbers just aren’t great. Hernandez is 11-for-48 (.229 AVG) with only three walks (.275 OBP). And three of his four home runs came in the first three games of the postseason.
The more concerning aspects of his performance stem from his recent struggles. In the past four games, Hernandez is just 1-for-14 with a walk and nine strikeouts. He has yet to get his first hit against his former team in the World Series and struck out in all four at-bats on Saturday. The Dodgers, a major source of power for Los Angeles, would get a huge boost if he could hit his stride.
CF Andy Pages
In the regular season, Pages hit .272/.313/.461 with 27 home runs in his 2025 sophomore campaign. However, this is not the regular season and the difference was stark.
With his single on Saturday, Pages is now 4-for-43 without a single walk, bringing his postseason batting average to .093. Pages was one of the worst performers of the 2025 postseason and is likely hanging by a thread. Although he is the No. 9 hitter, his spot in the lineup comes ahead of Shohei Ohtani, making him crucial. In Game 1, Pages came to bat with the bases loaded, a full count and two outs. He chased what would have been ball four and struck out in a crucial situation.
Manager Dave Roberts’ options are limited because Tommy Edman is dealing with an ankle injury and is unable to play centerfield. Nevertheless, if this continues, Alex Call or Hyeseong Kim could be options take his place.
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