Find a huge moment for the Dodgers in their series against the Yankees, and you'll probably find Teoscar Hernandez coming through. On a team that's loaded with stars the way Los Angeles is, players like Hernandez are essential. And his big series in New York paints a picture of the kind of impact he can have come playoff time.
Hernandez in a three-game set vs. the Yankees went 6-for-12 with two doubles, three home runs, three runs scored and nine RBIs. His 11th-inning two-run double in Friday's series broke a scoreless tie and led to a 2-1 Dodgers win. Saturday he gave LA the lead with a second-inning solo homer, and then hit the dagger grand slam in the eighth inning that turned a close 4-2 game into a laugher. Even in Sunday's game, a 6-4 Dodgers loss, he gave them a 3-2 lead with a solo home run in the sixth.
In baseball there are going to be stretches where even the best players struggle. Mookie Betts went 3-for-12 with only one extra-base hit in the series. Shohei Ohtani went just 2-for-13 with one extra-base hit (which came off the bat at just 60 MPH). Freddie Freeman went just 2-for-10, but he did draw three walks. Will Smith was 1-for-11 in the three games.
The Dodgers needed production from somewhere and that's where a player like Hernandez is so valuable. He had a down year for the Mariners last season, but from 2020-2022 he was an extremely productive player for the Blue Jays.
What we're seeing from him this season is a trend back toward that player from those two years. His performance against the Yankees was a reminder that he was one of the 20ish best players in baseball in the not-so-distant past. His approach has improved dramatically this season with a higher walk rate than his career mark and a much better use of the entire field. He's pulling the ball less than he ever has and is using the opposite field more than he ever has. Hernandez has become a tough out, and the Yankees found that out the hard way in the Bronx over the weekend.
LA's World Series hopes are going to ride on the performance of their stars. However, with players like Hernandez also lingering in the middle of the order, the Dodgers have another way to win. They can piece together a couple victories thanks to a player like Hernandez coming through in crucial spots. It's clear he loves the spotlight based on what we saw from him in the biggest series of the year. If that success on big stages translates to the postseason the Dodgers' lineup will be as dangerous as its ever been going into the postseason.
