How the Dodgers defeated their playoff demons to become '24 World Series champs

The Los Angeles Dodgers are World Series champions once again, dispatching their East Coast rival New York Yankees in five games of the 120th Fall Classic. Their rise to the top, though unsurprising at first glance due to their star-studded roster that would make a Hollywood blockbuster blush, came with its own unexpected set of [...]

Oct 31, 2024 - 05:25
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How the Dodgers defeated their playoff demons to become '24 World Series champs

The Los Angeles Dodgers are World Series champions once again, dispatching their East Coast rival New York Yankees in five games of the 120th Fall Classic.

Their rise to the top, though unsurprising at first glance due to their star-studded roster that would make a Hollywood blockbuster blush, came with its own unexpected set of challenges in the form of a pitching staff besieged by injuries, an embattled coach and the looming shadow of recent playoff failures.

So, while no one would argue that one of the richest teams in the sport ended their season as champions was a surprise, it certainly wasn't easy.

Here's how the Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2024 World Series.

New Faces

No story about the 2024 Dodgers can be told without the obvious headline of having the game's best player. In December 2023, the Dodgers won the largest free agency sweepstakes in baseball history, securing reining AL MVP Shohei Ohtani's services on a record-shattering 10-year deal.

Ohtani, the presumptive NL MVP in his first year with the Dodgers, had never made the MLB playoffs before or even finished the year with a winning record during his six-year tenure with the Los Angeles Angels.

His $700 million deal, the vast majority of which is deferred through its duration without interest, proved to be worth every penny as Ohtani continued to make his case as the game's all-time greatest player, becoming the first player ever to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season.

His mind-blowing performance in his first year in a blue uniform will likely help him accomplish another feat never done before: a designated hitter winning MVP.

Although not as phenomenal in the postseason as he had been throughout the regular season, which can partly be attributed to injury, Ohtani obliterated pitchers throughout the playoffs when runners were in scoring position and homered in his first-ever postseason appearance during his second playoff at-bat.

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, left, and starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) look on in the dugout during a spring training baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani and starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto look on in the dugout during a spring training baseball game against the Texas Rangers on Feb. 28, 2024, in Surprise, Ariz. (AP Photo)

While first-baseman Freddie Freeman ultimately was crowned World Series MVP, Ohtani proved to his doubters that he could lead a team to the promised land, and he'll have at least the next decade in L.A. to show it time and time again.

The complexities of Ohtani's contract allowed the Dodgers to acquire his countryman, starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, for his own record-breaking deal.

The Japanese ace signed the richest contract ever for a pitcher and was leaned on heavily in his first postseason, posting two crucial wins in four starts, shaking off a brutal debut to finish the playoffs with a sub-4 ERA.

Another key free agent acquisition, who quickly endeared himself to Dodgers fans and his teammates in the dugout, outfielder Teoscar Hernández wrote his own entry into the L.A. sports history books.

National League's Teoscar Hernández, of the Los Angeles Dodgers, poses for photos with the winner's trophy after the MLB baseball All-Star Home Run Derby, Monday, July 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Teoscar Hernández poses for photos with the winner's trophy after the MLB baseball All-Star Home Run Derby, Monday, July 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo)

Hernández signed a one-year deal with the Dodgers after spending the previous season with the Seattle Mariners. Hernández hoped to recoup his free agency value by taking a one-year "prove it" deal with the Dodgers, which he more than accomplished.

Hernández, 32, set a new benchmark for home runs in a single season, was named an MLB All-Star and dazzled in the All-Star Game's Home Run Derby, becoming the first Dodger to win the annual competition.

Now the Dodgers will have a crucial decision about their fan-favorite slugger, who will enter the offseason as one of the game's marquee free agents. Unless team president Andrew Friedman pulls off another coup to acquire a future Hall-of-Famer, expect Hernández to be the priority for L.A. in the coming months.

Reinforcements

The Dodgers began their 2024 season with a new ace in the form of pitcher Tyler Glasnow, whom they acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays involving a swap of prospects.

Glasnow was lights out as the Dodgers' No. 1 starting pitcher, picking up nine wins with a 3.49 ERA. But concerns about his longevity and ability to stay healthy for a prolonged postseason run proved to be well-founded, as he was shut down for the remainder of the season after suffering a sprained elbow in September.

Glasnow's injury, shaky play by Mookie Betts at shortstop, plus a dearth of arm talent due to previous injuries to Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, Bobby Miller and Clayton Kershaw, led Friedman to the trade market to bolster his team's playoff chances.

Tommy Edman celebrates a two-run home run against the New York Mets during the third inning in Game 6 of a baseball NL Championship Series on Oct. 20, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo)

Perhaps no deal proved to be more significant than the trade for utility man Tommy Edman from the St. Louis Cardinals. Edman hadn't faced a pitcher all season as he recovered from offseason wrist surgery but immediately ingratiated himself with the team.

In the playoffs, the switch-hitting Tommy "Tanks" scorched pitchers from both sides of the plate and regained his Golden Glove defensive form as he rotated between the infield and outfield.

Edman batted .407 in the NL Championship Series with 11 hits, 11 RBIs and a home run en route to being named the series MVP.

Also playing key roles for the Dodgers after being acquired during the MLB trade deadline, were two pitchers who manager Dave Roberts deployed with confidence and patience.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith, left, and relief pitcher Michael Kopech (45) celebrate after a 4-3 win over the San Diego Padres in a baseball game in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Will Smith and Michael Kopech celebrate after a 4-3 win over the San Diego Padres in Los Angeles on Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo)

Pitcher Jack Flaherty became the team's de-facto ace due to the decimated starting rotation, starting Game 1 of the NLCS and the World Series. He was called upon again by Roberts to close out the World Series in Game 5, but was pulled in the second inning after giving up four runs in what proved to be a start worth forgetting.

Bullpen flamethrower Michael Kopech became one of Roberts' most trusted relief pitchers, eating innings and freezing hitters with his three-digit fastball.

Playoff Demons

But all the talent in the world means nothing if your stars don't come to play, as the Dodgers learned in both their 2022 and 2023 playoff failures.

Freeman and Mookie Betts combined to go 1-21 against the Arizona Diamondbacks in last year's National League Division Series. Betts' struggles extended even further, going hitless in his previous 22 at-bats before this year's World Series run.

Freddie Freeman celebrates his walk-off grand slam home run against the New York Yankees during the 10th inning in Game 1 of the baseball World Series on Oct. 25, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo)

Both Freeman and Betts, former regular season MVPs, recaptured the magic that made them faces of the league and punished opposing pitchers with patient at-bats, opportunistic hits and timely home runs, headlined by Freeman's walk-off grand slam in Game 1 of the World Series.

Ol' reliable playoff contributor Kiké Hernández brought his Halloween black magic back to the Dodgers, and the calm presence of catcher Will Smith was constant throughout the postseason, complementing the performances of the team's stars.

Walker Buehler shook off his early season struggles as he bounced back from his second Tommy John surgery and proved that he still had the stuff to hang with the game's greats.

Managerial Masterclass

In one magical season, manager Dave Roberts went from looking like a possible scapegoat if the Dodgers failed to perform in the playoffs, to a club legend who will likely have his own pylon at Dodger Stadium and maybe even a street named after him.

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani (17) celebrates with manager Dave Roberts, middle right, after Ohtani scored on a single by Teoscar Hernández during the fourth inning in Game 1 of baseball's NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani celebrates with manager Dave Roberts during the fourth inning in Game 1 of baseball's NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres on Oct. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo)

Roberts silenced his detractors throughout the season, expertly managing his depleted roster, squeezing every ounce of magic from his revolving door of pitchers and helping to create one of the game's most cohesive, ego-free clubhouse cultures, despite housing the sport's biggest stars.

But his greatest work, the secret weapon that helped the team weather every storm and clear every hurdle...

The Bullpen

Anthony Banda. Ryan Brasier. Ben Casparius. Brusdar Graterol. Michael Grove. Edgardo Henriquez. Brent Honeywell. Daniel Hudson. Joe Kelly. Landon Knack. Michael Kopech. Evan Phillips. Blake Treinen. Alex Vesia. Justin Wrobleski — and many more.

The unsung heroes of this historic Dodgers World Series win; the "Suicide Squad" of Chavez Ravine.

The Dodgers bullpen celebrates a double by Austin Barnes against the Orioles in the fourth inning at Dodger Stadium on Aug. 29, 2024. (Getty Images)

With healthy arms returning to the rotation, including Ohtani, and a free agency window in which the team will most assuredly be looking to upgrade rather than stand pat, there might never be another brilliant bullpen season like the one we witnessed in 2024.

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