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• November 3, 2020 9:15 PM CST

  in the topic Cody Bellinger in the forum News and Announcements

  The Dodgers' Division Series roster this year featured fewer acquired players (7) than any of the eight teams which advanced past the Wild Card round. However, no player acquired via trade helped his team in 2020 quite like Betts, who led the National League in WAR (3.4 WAR) after the Dodgers acquired him and Price from Boston during the offseason. Yes, the Dodgers were forced to part with some good homegrown talent in the deal, trading away Alex Verdugo as well as prospects Jeter Downs and Connor Wong Mike Piazza Dodgers Jersey, but the organization's overall depth had made all three players expendable. The Betts trade also got the Dodgers power-armed reliever Brusdar Graterol, a cost-controlled asset who lit up the radar gun while making 23 appearances as a rookie. Similar to the Rays, Los Angeles has made several small moves that have turned into steals, such as dealing for Enrique Hernández (a throw-in in the Dee Gordon trade with the Marlins in 2014) and Chris Taylor (from the Mariners for Zach Lee in 2016) and signing lightly regarded free agents Justin Turner ($1 million Minor League deal in 2014) and Max Muncy (released by Athletics in 2017). Of course, Tampa Bay knows a thing or two about finding value in under-the-radar free agents. Right-hander John Curtiss and lefty Aaron Loup, both signed by Tampa Bay last February, combined for 1.3 WAR during the regular season while appearing in 41 games. Charlie Morton, pitching in the second year of his two-year, $30 million deal, is the only other free agent on Tampa Bay's projected World Series roster. The 36-year-old right-hander was brilliant vs. Houston in the ALCS, winning Games 2 and 7 and working 10 2/3 scoreless frames between the two outings. Outfielder AJ Pollock, who clubbed 16 home runs in 55 games in the second of his four-year, $55 million deal, headlines the Dodgers' crop of free agent signings. Relievers Joe Kelly (3 years, $25 million through 2021), Jake McGee (3 years, $27 million through ‘20), Blake Treinen (1 year, $10 million) and Alex Wood (1 year, $4 million) round out the rest of that group. It's worth noting that each of the past three World Series champions (Astros, Red Sox and Nationals) have won using a similar blueprint, developing quality hitters as well as some pitching while importing impact-caliber talent to help address any roster deficiencies. That blueprint will have worked for a fourth straight season if the Dodgers are able to defeat Tampa Bay and win their first World Series title since 1988. But should the Rays ultimately take down the Dodgers in this year's Fall Classic, despite their acquisition-heavy postseason roster and longstanding payroll limitations Sandy Koufax Jersey, baseball may very well see more teams try to adopt that successful model in 2021 and beyond. The Dodgers and Rays constructed World Series teams in different fashions, no surprise considering the disparity in financial resources available to the two organizations. Rather than leverage its wealth, however, Los Angeles used the Draft and international market to put together one of the most homegrown clubs in the playoffs. Tampa Bay relied heavily on a series of astute trades. World Series Game 1: 8 p.m. ET on FOX Key performers on both teams had humble beginnings and flew under the radar in the Minors. Justin Turner and Tony Gonsolin signed as college seniors, Mike Brosseau was a nondrafted free agent and Nick Anderson spent three years in the independent Frontier League at the start of his pro career. While several of the players in this Fall Classic were top prospects when they rose through the Minors, there aren't as many of those as usual. Nineteen of this year's 58 World Series participants made MLB.com Top 50 or Top 100 Prospects lists, down from 24 of 50 Astros and Nationals in 2019 and 22 of 50 Dodgers and Red Sox in 2018. Below, we rank those 19 players in order of their prospect status when they first reached the big leagues. 1. Corey Seager, SS, Dodgers: first-round pick (No. 18 overall) 2012 (HS/North Carolina), $2.35 million bonus Seager's selection marked the first time in 10 Drafts that the Dodgers didn't spend their first pick on a pitcher Jackie Robinson Jersey. Though he briefly slumped in high Class A and the Arizona Fall League at the end of 2013, he rebounded to lead the Minors in hitting (.349) and doubles (50) in 2014 and was starting in the National League Championship Series the following year. In his first full season in Los Angeles, he was the 2016 NL Rookie of the Year and placed third in the MVP balloting. 2. Clayton Kershaw, LHP, Dodgers: first-round pick (No. 7 overall), 2006 (HS/Texas), $2.3 million bonus If 2005 supplemental first-rounder Luke Hochevar hadn't backed out of an agreement with Los Angeles, it wouldn't have landed Kershaw, the best high school prospect the next year. Hochevar re-entered the 2006 Draft and went No. 1 overall to the Royals, which helped push consensus top prospect Andrew Miller to No. 6 and the Tigers, who otherwise were locked in on Kershaw one pick ahead of the Dodgers. He reached Double-A in his first full pro season, excelled in his first big league camp in 2008 and was in the big leagues to stay that summer at age 20. 3. Julio Urías, LHP, Dodgers: purchased from Mexico City Red Devils (Mexican League), 2012, $1.8 million transaction The Dodgers discovered Urías during a trip to Mexico to scout Yasiel Puig and purchased him as part of a four-player package from the Mexico City Red Devils that also included Victor González. Urías dominated low Class A hitters as a 16-year-old, and even with Los Angeles handling him with extreme caution because of his youth, he still advanced to the Majors and succeeded there at age 19 in 2016. Eased back into the rotation after recovering from shoulder surgery in mid-2017, he became a full-time starter again this season and has won all four of his postseason appearances. 4. Cody Bellinger, OF, Dodgers: fourth-round pick, 2013 (HS/Arizona), $700,000 bonus Because he hadn't grown into his lanky frame and employed a line-drive swing that detracted from his power potential, Bellinger lasted four rounds in the 2013 Draft -- though he was the biggest over-slot signing in Los Angeles' Draft class. He started driving the ball once he made adjustments to his approach after two pro seasons, becoming the top power prospect in the Minors before setting a National League rookie record with 39 homers in 2017. 5. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Rays: fifth-round pick, 2011 (HS/California), $600,000 bonus (Pirates) Glasnow fit the mold of projectable prep pitchers the Pirates targeted for much of this decade and received a well-over-slot bonus to give up a scholarship to Portland. He quickly blossomed into one of the game's best pitching prospects after dominating in the Minors (2.01 ERA, .173 opponent average Cody Bellinger Jersey, 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings) but struggled to throw strikes in multiple stints in Pittsburgh beginning in 2016. The Bucs banished him to their bullpen in 2018, then regrettably packaged him, Austin Meadows (see below) and pitching prospect Shane Baz to get Chris Archer from Tampa Bay that July. 6. Mookie Betts, OF, Dodgers: fifth-round pick, 2011 (HS/Tennessee), $750,000 bonus The industry consensus on Betts as a high schooler was that he was a good athlete who was undersized and possessed solid but not plus tools, and he also came with some signability concerns. He lasted 172 picks in the 2011 Draft -- going 20 selections after Glasnow -- and didn't hit his first pro home run or reach full-season ball until 2013. Then he raced to Boston by June 2014 and soon rivaled Mike Trout as the best all-around player in baseball.

• November 3, 2020 9:09 PM CST

  in the topic Kirk Gibson in the forum News and Announcements

  When the Rays clinched the American League pennant with a 4-2 victory over the Astros in Game 7 of the AL Championship Series on Saturday night, they advanced to the World Series for the second time in franchise history. They'll face the Dodgers, who beat the Braves, 4-3, in Game 7 of the NL Championship Series on Sunday night, earning a trip to the Fall Classic for the third time in the past four years. Tampa Bay's victory guaranteed that a long World Series championship drought will be broken in 2020. The Astros won it all three years ago Jackie Robinson Youth Jersey, but now that Houston is out, the team celebrating at the end of this unprecedented postseason will be doing so for the first time in a long time. Here's a look at the World Series title droughts for the Rays and Dodgers. It's been World Series title or bust for the Dodgers for the past three years, ever since they lost in seven games to the Astros in 2017. But while Los Angeles reached the Fall Classic again in '18, a loss to Boston and a shocking early exit from the postseason last year has it still seeking its first championship in more than three decades. The last time the Dodgers won it all, they defeated a heavily favored A's team led by Bash Brothers Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire. Oakland's lineup was the most formidable in baseball, and Los Angeles' was the opposite. It also didn't help matters that the Dodgers were without their best hitter to open the Series, Kirk Gibson, who was sidelined by two injured knees. But with the Dodgers trailing, 4-3, in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 1, Gibson surprisingly hobbled to the plate as a pinch-hitter with one on and two out against the game's premier closer, Dennis Eckersley. The rest, as they say, is history -- Gibson hit one of the most improbable home runs in baseball history, lifting Los Angeles to a stunning 5-4 win. The Dodgers won it all five days later behind a brilliant performance from World Series MVP Orel Hershiser. The only time the Rays reached the World Series prior to 2020, current manager Kevin Cash was a catcher for the Red Sox Joc Pederson Jersey, and current Twins manager Rocco Baldelli was an outfielder on Tampa Bay's roster. The former face of the Rays' franchise, third baseman Evan Longoria, was a 22-year-old rookie. Longoria launched six homers that postseason for Tampa Bay, including four in a seven-game ALCS against Cash's Red Sox. Game 7 was a nail-biter, and Rays manager Joe Maddon summoned rookie left-hander David Price, who had only made five career appearances to that point, from the bullpen with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth inning. With the Rays leading, 3-1, Price struck out J.D. Drew to escape the jam. He then worked around a walk in the ninth to pick up the pennant-clinching save. Just as they have been for their entire history, the Rays were underdogs in the World Series against a Phillies club led by slugger Ryan Howard and 24-year-old left-hander Cole Hamels. And though Tampa Bay lost the Series in five games, three of the four losses were by one run. The Rays' lone win came in Game 2 at Tropicana Field, when right-hander James Shields threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings in a 4-2 victory. Overall, the Rays hit .212 against strong Phillies pitching Julio Urias Jersey. Carl Crawford hit two of the Rays' four home runs in the Series, and after an AL Rookie of the Year Award campaign in the regular season and strong postseason to that point, Longoria went 1-for-20 in the Fall Classic. Following that World Series loss, the Rays reached the postseason four times from 2009-19, losing in the AL Division Series each time. The teams with the best regular-season record in each league this year are set to meet in the World Series, with Game 1 between the Dodgers and Rays scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 8:09 p.m. ET at Globe Life Field in Arlington. World Series Game 1: 8 p.m. ET on FOX As the reigning seven-time NL West champions, the Dodgers entered 2020 poised to take home an eighth straight division title, especially after the club's offseason acquisition of Mookie Betts from Boston. They ultimately recorded baseball's best record (43-17) during the 60-game regular season before sweeping Milwaukee and San Diego in the Wild Card and Division Series to reach the NLCS, where they rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to defeat the Braves in seven games to reach the World Series for the third time in four years. The Rays, on the other hand, are making their second World Series appearance in franchise history and first since they lost to the Phillies in five games in 2008. They edged the Astros in Game 7 of the ALCS, after relinquishing a 3-0 series lead, to reach the Fall Classic, following wins against the Blue Jays and Yankees in the Wild Card and Division Series, respectively. They ran away with the American League East title this year, spending the final 44 days of the regular season in first place en route to a 40-20 record. But while the two organizations occupied opposite ends of the payroll spectrum this season, both league champions took a similar approach to constructing their pennant-winning teams, developing key homegrown players (amateurs drafted or signed by the organization) while also bolstering their rosters through trades and free-agent signings. There are, however, some notable differences between the two World Series rosters. The Dodgers, with homegrown players comprising half of their projected World Series roster Justin Turner Jersey, have fared far better in the Draft than Tampa Bay, hitting big on first-round picks Clayton Kershaw (2006), NLCS MVP Corey Seager (2012), Walker Buehler (2015) and Will Smith (2016). They also have done better with later-round selections, getting Cody Bellinger (2013), Dustin May (2016) and Edwin Ríos (2015) in rounds 3-6 as well as Tony Gonsolin (2016) and Joc Pederson (2010) in the ninth round or later. The Rays' contingent of homegrown talent is headlined by 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, a supplemental first-round pick in '11, and fellow southpaw Shane McClanahan, who made his big league debut against New York in the ALDS a little more than two years after the Rays selected him with the No. 31 overall pick. Third-rounder Brandon Lowe (2015) and Kevin Kiermaier, a 31st-round pick in '10, both ranked among the top three on the Rays in WAR during the regular season, and 2017 fifth-rounder Josh Fleming also finished in the top 10. The impact of both teams' international efforts can be seen in the composition of their respective postseason bullpens. Each of the Dodgers' four international signees have pitched well en route to the Fall Classic, with Kenley Janson, Pedro Báez, Julio Urías and Victor González all working high-leverage spots in relief. The Rays' pen features a pair of flame-throwing international signees in Diego Castillo, who saved two games in the ALCS, and the recently activated José Alvarado. Mike Brosseau, a non-drafted free agent signed by the Rays in June 2016, captured the national spotlight with his series-winning home run off the Yankees' Aroldis Chapman in Game 5 of the ALDS. He finished fourth on the club in WAR during the regular season and provides the Rays with defensive flexibility and a sound right-handed bat. Yoshi Tsutsugo, who signed a two-year, $12 million pact in December, offers some left-handed pop off the bench following an eight-homer rookie campaign. Not only do players acquired via trade comprise 16 of 28 spots on the Rays' projected WS roster – they had the highest total of the four teams to reach the Championship Series – but many have emerged as highly valuable, impact players after joining the organization early on in their professional careers Kirk Gibson Jersey. Trading David Price to Detroit in July 2014 netted the Rays a long-term shortstop in Willy Adames, a 7.5-WAR player across his first three seasons, while Tyler Glasnow and Austin Meadows have quickly developed into star-caliber players after being acquired from Pittsburgh in the lopsided Chris Archer Deadline deal in '18. Bringing in Hunter Renfroe, Manuel Margot and ALCS MVP Randy Arozarena through separate offseason trades helped fortify the Rays' outfield this year, while the decision to trade from a point of depth (OF Jesús Sánchez, RHP Ryne Stanek) to get righty Nick Anderson from Miami at last year's Deadline gave the Rays arguably baseball's best reliever during the regular season. What's more, the Rays' ability to find value in smaller deals cannot be understated. The club has acquired numerous hitters in such deals since the end of the 2017 season, getting bats like Joey Wendle (A's), Mike Zunino (Mariners), Yandy Díaz (Indians) and Ji-Man Choi (Brewers). Ryan Yarbrough, whose 1.2 WAR led all Rays hurlers during the regular season, was a big get for Tampa Bay in the January 2017 deal that sent Drew Smyly to Seattle, and Pete Fairbanks, acquired from Texas in a one-for-one prospect swap for Nick Solak, has the look of a long-term bullpen asset for the organization.

• November 3, 2020 8:55 PM CST

  in the topic Fernando Valenzuela in the forum News and Announcements

  October surprise: Urías After injuries and shifting roles, Urías has turned a crossroads season into a time to shine Andre Ethier Jersey, and he's already rung up more wins in the postseason than he had in the regular season. Memorable playoff moment: Smith's three-run homer in Game 5 Nothing wrong with Bellinger's game-saving thievery of Fernando Tatis Jr.'s home-run bid in the NL Division Series, but Smith's dramatic blast in the sixth inning -- off Braves reliever Will Smith, of course -- prevented what looked like a quick elimination. Key offseason acquisition (ever): Betts It's no secret that Betts is basically the perfect player, but it's still stunning how much better he made a team that was already really good. He impacts games in ways that can't be imagined. Managerial decision: Urías in NLCS Game 7 In years past, Dave Roberts would have turned the deciding game over to Kershaw or Jansen Chris Taylor Jersey, and one can only imagine the outcome. This time, he stuck with Urías for a three-inning save. Defining season stretch: Aug. 13-Sept. 4 The Dodgers didn't move into first place to stay until an Aug. 13 win, their second in a 19-3 run that built a six-game cushion in the NL West by early September. Breakout player: Smith Smith showed power and poise at the plate in his half-season with the Dodgers last year, but the improvements he's made in his offensive approach were on display against the Braves. He has gone from a wild swinger to one of the most disciplined, dramatically slicing his strikeouts while compiling some of the most impressive hard-contact metrics in the game. And it hasn't cost Smith any power, as all three of his slash-line numbers were up from last year. Defensively, he checks the mandatory organizational box for framing. Calling card: Threats across the board At various points all season, each aspect considered a strength wobbled. What has kept the Dodgers at the top of the heap is that they can beat you in so many ways, because they get contributions from so many players. For every Betts who gets and deserves national attention Clayton Kershaw Dodgers Jersey, there's a Taylor or a Smith who would be prominent in the conversation if there weren't so many marquee players sharing the spotlight. Memorable moment: Betts' extension As much sense as it made, the landmark 12-year, $365 million extension Betts signed on the eve of Opening Day was a shocker for a franchise in the midst of a stealth youth movement. It reinforced a message to fans and the clubhouse that the front office expects to continue winning indefinitely. Somehow, we have made it. Throughout this unusual baseball season, throughout this insane year, we wondered if we were ever going to make it to this, the World Series. And we have. We have made it. Game 1 of the World Series begins tonight at Globe Life Field in Arlington, between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Tampa Bay Rays. Every World Series has hundreds of storylines, and this one is no different. But every game has its own storylines as well. Throughout this Fall Classic, we'll be here every morning running down the seven biggest storylines for each game. So here they are for Game 1. We made it! Rays-Dodgers World Series Game 1 FAQ 1) Can the Dodgers breathe a little bit? There has been pressure on the Dodgers since before the season began, since they traded for Mookie Betts (before signing him to a long-term deal) and made it clear that, in 2020, it was World Series title or bust. They didn't play like there was pressure on them throughout the regular season, probably because a spot in the postseason was assured from the first week on, but it does feel like they've been a little tighter in the playoffs. Their National League Wild Card series vs. the Brewers was a little tighter than you remember Corey Seager Jersey, the young Padres were considerably looser in the NL Division Series and the Braves, of course, jumped out to a 3-1 series lead in the NL Championship Series. The decks are now cleared for the Dodgers, but they're at the final hurdle, the one they've failed to clear twice in the last three years. They will be judged entirely by what happens from here. When you have a slam-dunk Hall of Famer -- one who has accomplished just about everything a starting pitcher can other than winning a World Series -- starting Game 1, it's fair to say he's going to be everybody's focus. But Clayton Kershaw, one of the most beloved and respected players in the game, has still been dogged by those, “What's his problem in the postseason?” questions, fairly or unfairly, his entire career. He will have many opportunities to put those questions to bed once and for all in this series. All of baseball will be rooting for him. But they were rooting for him in years past as well. 3) Can Randy keep this going? OK, well, it's unreasonable to expect Randy Arozarena to keep this going, considering he's hitting like Barry Bonds right now. But the single biggest difference between the regular-season Rays and the postseason Rays is that he has been a legitimate superstar in the middle of their lineup. It's fair to say they wouldn't be here without him, which brings up the obvious question: What if Arozarena comes back to earth? After all, if he had always hit like this, the Cardinals wouldn't have traded him last winter and Tampa Bay would have called him up before Aug. 30. If he has a dip, the Rays don't look like a team that has enough offense to win this series. Which brings us to … 4) Who is the Rays' second-best hitter? In the Wild Card Series, it was Manuel Margot. In the ALDS and ALCS, it was Ji-Man Choi. In the regular season, Brandon Lowe was Tampa Bay's best hitter. But that lack of consistency has shone a light on the Rays' major deficiency: Their lineup is just not that deep. It could be, if Lowe returns to form, if Austin Meadows can remind us why he was an All-Star in 2019, if Margot and Choi play like their best October selves. But you have to sort of cross your fingers and hope any of those things happen, rather than count on all of them doing so. The Rays are going to need all hands on deck to beat these Dodgers. It's time for some of those non-Randy hitters to step up. 5) Is Kenley Jansen back to normal? Or anything close to it? It brings no one any joy to say this, but Kenley Jansen Fernando Valenzuela Jersey, who was basically the most consistent relief pitcher in baseball from 2010-17, hasn't been the same since that ‘17 season. He hasn't been bad, but you certainly don't trust him the way you used to, for a variety of reasons. (You saw that when the Padres knocked him around in the NLDS too.) But don't look now: Kenley's starting to look a little like himself again. He was outstanding against the Braves, notching his first save in more than two weeks, and manager Dave Roberts said, “The game's honoring him.” The Dodgers aren't necessarily going to use him as an old-school closer anymore, but Jansen has a career 2.14 ERA in the postseason, and his first appearance this series will be his 10th career appearance in the Fall Classic. He will be counted on in a big spot this series, and maybe several. And probably as early as tonight. 6) Is Tyler Glasnow the Rays' best starting pitcher? Blake Snell has the Cy Young Award and Charlie Morton has the Game 7 glory, but Tyler Glasnow clearly has the best stuff in that rotation. It didn't pay off for him in his one ALCS appearance, a loss to Houston in Game 4 where he still pitched decently. You know he's going to strike guys out: He is, sort of amazingly, Tampa Bay's all-time leader in postseason strikeouts. The Rays are as flexible and creative with their pitching staff as any team in baseball -- and maybe in baseball history -- but if there is any pitcher who has the ability to put the team on his back this series, it's Glasnow. And he gets to start Game 1 on full rest. 7) How much does the day off make a difference? After the no-days-off dead sprint of the LCS, getting a day off between Games 2-3 and 5-6 will feel like a dream for these two teams, both of whom went the full seven in the previous round. It will also help them both plan their pitching strategies in a more reasonable environment: You can expect bullpen stalwarts like the Rays' Nick Anderson and the Dodgers' Blake Treinen to appear in five, maybe six games in this series. On top of that, these teams don't have to fly back and forth between St. Petersburg and Los Angeles: They can just go back to the hotel and sleep for a day if they need to. That may also lead to these games being crisper and sharper. These were, in fact, the two best teams in baseball this year. We're all about to see why.