The Dodgers won the World Series, and their popularity has soared since October. Six Dodgers players are in the top 16 in jersey sales since the end of the Fall Classic, in numbers unveiled by MLB on Monday.
Shohei Ohtani is the top seller, as he was last season as well, while Freddie Freeman had the second-highest-selling jersey since the World Series, and Mookie Betts was fourth. By comparison, Betts was fourth last season from opening day through the All-Star break, while Freeman was 20th. Hitting the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history seems to have made an impact.
The other Dodgers in the top 20 in jersey sales since October are Yoshinobu Yamamoto (10th), Clayton Kershaw (11th), and Kiké Hernández (16th).
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Jack Harris at the Los Angeles Times talked to several newcomers to the Dodgers and got their reactions from watching Friday’s ring ceremony:
“I don’t think any of the new guys really need any more motivation to go out and win,” Yates said. “But watching how cool that is, watching everybody go get their rings, yeah, you definitely want your chance to be a part of that.”
Eric Longenhagen at FanGraphs on Monday updated his top 100 prospects after spring training, and had this to say about Dalton Rushing, including a teaser for an upcoming article: “I’ve spent a lot of time on the Dodgers’ complex this spring (for reasons you’ll soon read) and Dalton Rushing has continued to look like an All-Star catcher who does everything well.”
Lindsey Adler dove deep into the scourge of elbow injuries to pitchers for The New Yorker.
Ben Lindbergh at The Ringer looked at the heightened awareness of the torpedo bats used some Yankees this weekend:
One can understand why hitters might be in the market for fat bats. The league batting average and on-base percentage fell to .243 and .312, respectively, last season, which is roughly where they were before the designated hitter. Not before the universal designated hitter; before the American League added the DH in 1973. Strikeout rates are still close to all-time highs, and the leaguewide batting average on balls in play fell to a more-than-30-year low last year. That was after MLB’s crackdown on defensive positioning. And yes, that’s partly a product of hitters swinging for the fences instead of prioritizing contact, but they’ve done that, in part, because it’s so tough to make contact even if they try.
Dodgers organist Dieter Ruehle tweeted out a remembrance of Nancy Bea Hefley, who died on Saturday at age 89.
“Deeply saddened at the passing of Nancy Bea Hefley. Proud to have known her, learned from her, and to have followed in her footsteps. Grateful for our friendship,” Ruehle wrote. “I think of her legacy every time I’m at the stadium. She was the Master of the House. RIP Nancy Bea Hefley.
