Andrew Friedman didn’t need many words to explain why Hyeseong Kim made the Dodgers’ National League Division Series roster. In doing so, he also put a spotlight on a flaw that has been easy to overlook on a 100-win team.
Asked by a Korean reporter about Kim’s inclusion for the NLDS matchup with the Atlanta Braves, Friedman pointed to one specific trait.
“I think with Hyeseong, I think for us on this roster specifically, just his positional versatility and his foot speed,” Friedman said. “We have a lot of team strengths, in my mind.
Foot speed is not one of them. So there can be opportunities late in games to utilize that in a way to help us score a run.”
Kim was the surprise name on the Dodgers’ roster Saturday, Oct. 3, even though he had been stationed at Triple-A since May. The implication from Friedman was clear: Kim’s value is tied less to regular playing time and more to what he can provide in a tight spot, most likely as a pinch runner.
That makes sense when you look at the numbers. The Dodgers finished the regular season with 72 stolen bases, which ranked 28th in MLB and stood as the fewest of any team still alive in the postseason.
Still, that lack of speed didn’t stop Los Angeles from rolling through the regular season. The Dodgers clinched the National League West while chasing a third straight World Series title, and they also secured home-field advantage for the NLDS by winning 100 games, six more than Atlanta.
The Braves reached this round by beating the Philadelphia Phillies in three games in the NL wild-card series.
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Dodgers Double Down On A Risky NLDS Plan Against Atlanta
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Snells return has given the Dodgers another left-handed option with real October importance, and the club appears willing to keep pressing that advantage as the series develops. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is also part of the conversation for later games, which leaves Los Angeles with some intriguing rotation flexibility, but it also hints at a plan that carries risk if the Braves force the Dodgers to keep adjusting on the fly. [Read more 🡒]
Dave Roberts Sends Dodgers Fans A Clear Message On Tanner Scott
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For the Dodgers, that matters because Scott is not just another arm in the mix. He finished the regular season with a 2.69 ERA and 25 saves, and he is one of three left-handed relievers on the NLDS roster, a group Roberts figures to lean on as the postseason gets tighter. The message from the manager was clear: one bad moment in October has not shaken the teams confidence in Scotts role. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Clearly Have An Andy Pages Problem They Couldn't Ignore
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It also wasnt the first time Los Angeles had to rein him in. The Dodgers had already limited Pages from challenging pitches in the second half of the regular season because of similar problems, and his early challenge in Game 1 left the team with only one challenge for the rest of the night. For a club trying to manage every edge it can in the postseason, that kind of self-inflicted drain is hard to overlook. [Read more 🡒]