Dodgers’ Joe Kelly says World Series vs. Yankees was ‘a mismatch from the get-go’

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Joe Kelly did not throw a single pitch in the 2024 postseason, but that’s not stopping the Los Angeles Dodgers reliever from sounding off about the New York Yankees team that lost to his Dodgers in the World Series.

“We were saying every single game, ‘Just let them throw the ball to the infield. They can’t make a play,'” Kelly said on a recent episode of his “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast. “You saw Shohei [Ohtani] get an extra base, going to third on a sloppy Gleyber [Torres] play. It’s well-known. We all knew. I mean, we’re the Dodgers, we know every little detail.”

Kelly was referencing a crucial misplay in the eighth inning of Game 1 of the World Series. With the Yankees leading 2-1, Ohtani doubled off the wall in right-center field, and Juan Soto‘s throw to the infield bounced in front of Torres. But the Yankees second baseman tried to snag Soto’s throw backhanded instead of putting his body in front of the ball, which bounced off Torres’ glove and dribbled into the infield, allowing Ohtani to take third. Ohtani scored the tying run on Mookie Betts‘ sacrifice fly, forcing the game into extra innings and setting up Freddie Freeman‘s walk-off grand slam in the 10th.

Torres’ play was overshadowed, though, by what happened in Game 5. With the Yankees up 5-0 and needing a win to force a Game 6 in Los Angeles, the Dodgers scored five unearned runs in the fifth inning off New York ace Gerrit Cole thanks to three Yankees errors — a dropped routine fly ball from Aaron Judge in center field, a botched throw from shortstop Anthony Volpe on a fielder’s choice, and a miscommunication between Cole and first baseman Anthony Rizzo on a Betts ground ball that should have ended the inning. The Dodgers eventually won 7-6 to clinch the series.

Afterward, a report in the New York Post indicated that a major component of the Dodgers’ advance scouting and game plan for the World Series was the belief that the Yankees were “talent over fundamentals” and putting pressure on New York’s defense in particular would pay off. Kelly went even further, though, in his comments.

“It was a fun series, they almost snagged a couple of wins,” Kelly said. “But … it was just a mismatch from the get-go. [If] we had a playoff re-ranking, they might be ranked [the] eighth- or ninth-best playoff team. You’re putting the Padres ahead of them. You’re putting the Phillies ahead of them. You’re putting the Mets ahead of them. You’re putting the Braves ahead of them, and the Braves just got unlucky because they had to play that doubleheader [at the end of the regular season]. I mean, the Guardians played like crap, but the Guardians play better [defense], better baseball all-around.”

Kelly went on to say it was a similar feeling to how the juggernaut 2018 Red Sox that he was on felt when they faced the Dodgers in that year’s World Series, where there was a belief in the clubhouse that they were “the way better team.” But Boston entered that series also regarded as the heavy favorite by most observers, unlike the 2024 Dodgers-Yankees matchup that was seen as evenly matched if not tilted towards New York due to Los Angeles’ shorthanded pitching staff.

“All we knew is we just had to play regular Dodger baseball,” Kelly said. “We didn’t have to do anything crazy, and we were gonna win the World Series. It’s facts. Just look at the team, look at the talent. Re-rank the teams and they’re ranked eighth, and they were up against the No. 1 seed. Like I said, everyone knew. We go through numerous scouting reports, videos, like ‘Hey, look at this sloppy play.’ We pay attention to every single detail.”

Another major subplot heading into the World Series was the matchup of the Dodgers’ and Yankees’ veteran superstars, lead by presumptive National and American League MVPs Ohtani and Judge, respectively, while also featuring Betts, Freeman, Soto and Cole among others. But Kelly seemed to throw shade at the Yankees’ stars while praising his own teammates.

“We have a lot of big superstars in our clubhouse, but the superstars also care and aren’t lazy and play hard,” Kelly said. “So that’s the difference and that’s the biggest separator.”

Kelly is a free agent after signing a one-year contract to return to the Dodgers last winter. He and his wife famously helped recruit Ohtani to the Dodgers by giving up the No. 17 that Kelly had previously worn — and getting a Porsche in return.

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