Loading...
Loading...

Team USA’s World Baseball Classic dreams spiral as Italy delivers a jaw-dropping upset, leaving a star-studded American squad scrambling to escape pool play.
Can this super team recover from Mark DeRosa’s costly managerial misstep, or are fans witnessing one of baseball’s biggest tournament collapses?
Harry Ruiz and Travis Rodgers break down the tournament chaos, the Dodgers’ dominance in the Locked On MLB Top 100, and snubs like Edwin Diaz, Tyler Glasnow, and Max Muncy that have fans buzzing. The conversation heats up around Roki Sasaki’s electric outing and what it means for the Dodgers’ rotation depth.
With expectations sky-high in Los Angeles, is this team too loaded to fail, or does baseball’s chaos always win? Stay tuned for sharp analysis and insider takes on your Dodgers and the wild world of baseball competition. All that and more on today’s episode of Locked On Dodgers!
Be a part of the show, hit us up on the Locked On Dodgers listener line: 279-356-2533 or 279-3 LOCKED. You can either leave us a voicemail or a text and you might be featured in our show.
Don’t forget to subscribe, drop a comment, and join the conversation!
---
🔵 Follow & Subscribe for daily Dodgers talk on all Podcast platforms 🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-dodgers/
Locked On MLB League-Wide: Every Team, Prospects & More 🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnMLB -
---
Everydayer Club
If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub
Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!
PlayStation
This episode of is brought to you by MLB The Show 26. Visit https://mlbthe.show/lockedon and use code “LOCKEDON” to unlock a pack for use in Diamond Dynasty. Pre-Order now, Available March 17th on PlayStation 5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. RATED E FOR EVERYONE.
Turbo Tax
Intuit TurboTax now has in-person locations nationwide. You can meet face-to-face with a real tax expert, and your documents get uploaded straight to your TurboTax app on the spot.
Visit https://TurboTax.com/local to find a store near you and book your appointment today.
Indeed
Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast
Gametime
Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply.
FanDuel
FanDuel is giving you a way to turn that energy into even bigger potential wins with a College Basketball Parlay Profit Boost. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started — Play Your Game.
FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)
#Dodgers #LADodgers #MLB #LosAngelesDodgers
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
It's the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day.
I'm Aaron Judge, welcome to MLB The Show 26.
The greatest game in baseball is back, whether you're a gamer or a baseball fan.
This one is tough to put down.
Jump into franchise mode with your favorite team.
Build your roster, chase a pennant, and see if you have what it takes to win it all.
It's the closest thing to being in the big leagues yourself.
Use it MLB The.Show slash Lockdown and use Code Lockdown to unlock a pack for Diamond
Dynasty.
Internet connection required.
Preorder now on PlayStation 5, Xbox and Nintendo Switch, rated E for everyone.
MLB The Show 26, own the show.
To be a team USA skier, it takes dedication, determination, and lots of hard work.
But it doesn't take all that to score unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
The best team baseball can buy just one back-to-back road series.
Meanwhile the best roster team USA could assemble might not even make it out of pool play
in the WBC.
What's up everybody, I'm Harry Ruiz, that's Travis Rogers and it's time for Lockdown
Dodgers, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, the number one sports podcast network.
On today's show, Rocky Sasaki flashed Ace-level stuff on Tuesday, striking out nearly every
one he faced against minor league opposition.
We're diving into the Lockdown MLB Top 100 list where seven Dodgers made the ranking
but several key names were mysteriously left off.
But first, absolute chaos at the World Baseball Classic, team USA loaded with MVPs and superstars
got stunned by Italy and one of the craziest upsets this tournament has ever seen.
Travis, the Americans don't even control their own fate anymore.
No, I mean, wow, did that happen fast and the manager may have blown this in a very, very
major way.
I'm sure we'll get into all of this on today's episode of Lockdown Dodgers brought to you
by MLB The Show 26, visit MLB The Dot Show slash Lockdown and use the code Lockdown unlock
a pack.
For use in Diamond Dynasty, you can pre-order now available through March 17th on PlayStation
5, Xbox and Nintendo Switch and it is rated E for everyone.
I got my copy of MLB The Show 25 right here and less than two weeks I'm going to have
my MLB The Show 26 locked and loaded.
For now, every weekday afternoon Travis, you can check him out live from 3 to 6 on 710 ESP
NLA as part of the Travis and Marco show.
Meanwhile, when I'm not on my calling USC football games in Espanol, you might catch me playing
MLB The Show 26 or right here post it up talking Dodgers baseball every weekday.
If this is your first time dropping in welcome, you're exactly where you should be and if
you're an everyday or you already know this show runs on your energy, are you watching
on YouTube?
Help us out.
Subscribe and turn on your notifications so you're always locked in or leave us a 5 star
rating on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts to spread the word
to more Dodger fans.
If you ever want to be a part of the show, a locked on Dodgers listener line is always
open.
2793 locked.
That's 279 356 2533 call and leave us a voicemail anytime more as simple as leaving us a
text.
All right.
The big headline of the day, if super teams are easy, team USA wouldn't be in trouble.
If you had asked anyone before the world baseball classic started, who the favorite was to
win the tournament?
A lot of people would have said team USA without hesitation, Aaron Judge, Bobby with Jr.
Gunner Henderson, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, and we can keep going on and on and on and
on.
A lineup full of MVP candidates and all start and yet Tuesday night, they got punched
in the mouth Italy beat team USA 8 to 6 and it wasn't even as close as the score makes
it sound Travis because the Italians jumped on the Americans early.
They launched three home runs in the first few earnings and they built an 8 to nothing
lead before team USA could catch its breath and start thinking, wait, what are the type
breakers of this tournament?
Oh crap, we need to start scoring a lot of runs and think about coming back on this
one.
Yeah, I mean, it's, it is a great example of why we love baseball the way we do and
how every time you think you kind of know what's going to happen, you're probably wrong.
It's just, I mean, weird stuff happens in this game.
The Italians, you know, beaten up the Americans in the WBC.
I don't think it was on anybody's bingo card and that's exactly what happened.
And I mean, now all of a sudden, it gets weird where like you said, Harry, you have to
hope that Mexico or that Italy wins or if Mexico wins by a very specific score that if
Mexico scores more than five runs and wins that game, the Americans are out.
Now, if Mexico wins and it's a four, they win four to nothing, four to one, four to two
or four to three, the Americans do advance in that spot.
So there's all sorts of weird things that can happen there.
But, you know, every game matters and every run in a tournament like this matters.
Those were those runs they gave up against Brazil matter.
They mean the runs that thankfully they got back in the game against Italy last night.
Good potentially matter.
But yeah, it's just shocking and it's funny, you know, watching it last night, it just
goes to remind you that even if you have the best team with the best players, the best situation,
etc, doesn't guarantee you anything.
And I think, you know, for me, at least something out of the dawn, they have the best players.
They are the favorites.
They are the team that, you know, has the deepest line up, the most pitching, etc, etc.
And it doesn't really guarantee you anything.
So it was a really good reminder of how quickly this stuff can change.
If they don't make it out of their pool, this is one of the great upsets in sports that
we've seen in years.
I mean, they were heavy, heavy favorites to not just maybe win the whole thing, but certainly
to win their pool and they may be going home in a day.
Exactly.
And the crazy part is you go and mark your Rosa that same day, Tuesday, early in the day,
he was on MLB network pretty much saying it's like, yeah, we already, we're in the quarter
finals and I've got to get some guys off their feet.
They still had a pretty good lineup.
When you go with the guys up and down that lineup, they had a good lineup.
They had Aaron Judge batting cleanup.
They ended up, I will Smith.
I know he ain't Cal Rally hitting 50 plus home runs, but he's a damn good catcher.
Peacrow Armstrong all star last season, bad second half, but still a damn good player.
And it was like, what's going on?
They get tacked on eight runs early and it's like, oh boy, I'll be honest.
I'm a team Mexico and a team USA fan.
I was like, okay, Italy, Mexico, it's winning.
You're in, but then I was like, wait, if Italy wins, that was the game.
It's a three and one, three and one.
And then if Mexico wins on Wednesday, it's three and one.
Everybody, what's the tie breakers?
I was like, and I start reading.
I'm like, oh boy.
And the game starts, it's going on.
And it literally, and you had Clinton Kershaw warming up in this game.
It was a situation where it's like, you need to throw in Mason Miller.
And hope Italy doesn't score no more runs and use some, some way somehow try to come back and win it.
I think you're spot on.
I think DeRosa really screwed this up and he took ownership of it after it.
So I'll give him credit for that, but they weren't into the quarterfinals.
They had not qualified, they had not, you know, punched their ticket through to the next round.
And I hear what you're saying and you're right that they put together a good lineup
because no matter who you throw out there is going to be pretty good.
But I think you would agree.
I certainly feel this way.
I think most people said, that wasn't their best lineup.
That wasn't the best team that they could have put out there.
To your point, the pitching that they were setting up to do, those weren't their best guys
after McLean started the game.
And you needed to win that game.
And I'm sure the way that DeRosa positioned it with his guys,
I'm sure the way that the vibe in the clubhouse was, hey, we got this thing.
It wasn't a, hey, we're not in yet.
You know, just that mental, that switch you throw in your head between, hey,
no matter what happens we're in and hey, we need to win to advance to the next thing.
They clearly did not have that right.
It's a major, major mistake.
And, you know, maybe they'll get, maybe they'll get fortunate and they'll get to advance anyway.
And maybe this is the scare they needed to kind of get themselves over the top to begin with.
But Harry, if they don't get out, I mean, what a catastrophe.
No doubt about it.
I want to reference a tweet I saw from June Lee, an independent sports journalist previously on ESPN.
He said the following and quote, quote, quote the video from MLB network,
which by the way, MLB took down from their socials from their YouTube channel.
That's what you need to know, right?
That they took it down tells you how damaging it actually is.
No doubt about it.
It's like crazy.
But then it's like the, if it's on the internet, it lives forever.
June Lee posted USA hockey head coach, two time Stanley Cup champ, USA basketball head coach,
four times finals champ, USA soccer head coach, champions league runner up.
USA baseball manager, talk show host.
I know, Mark DeRosa is a decade plus veteran in the big leagues.
He's been there.
He's done that.
But you need some, someone that knows how to manage a team.
Somebody that knows how to what's on the line and what the format of the damn tournament is to be like,
OK, we got to do this.
We got to do that.
Japan, they were locked in for the next round.
When they were up three, when they won their first three games,
they benched some of their starters.
Show Haylton, you didn't play in the final game of full play at the Tokyo Dome,
but they had no issue because everybody else was playing for second place.
They couldn't reach them right here.
You just had to do the numbers and be like, man,
if we lose, we're going to be in a tight spot.
Yeah, they blew it.
They're like, there's no spinning it.
They blew it.
And somebody needed to tell him on his staff, like he should have known himself that to the number one
responsibility of a manager of a head coach of how we want to say it is to understand the format
of what it is you're going into play.
Because like, look, the Olympics are different than the NBA.
The Olympics are different than the NHL.
They understand the rules and how this is and how the number one priority for Mark DeRosa
after he had his roster and how he wants to do this is, how do we get out of our pool?
And then it's, okay, how do you win in the knockout round?
And then he didn't understand that a three-way tie goes to a tiebreaker and a loss to Italy,
put them in a position where it could be a three-way tie.
It's just a huge failure on his part.
It's a huge failure on his staff's part.
It's a huge failure on USA Baseball's part where somebody didn't go, yo, you're not in
yet.
You need to win this game.
If you don't win, you don't control your own destiny.
That's up to somebody else at this point that that never happened.
It's a failure across the board.
And you know, look, Aaron Judge, Bryce Hart for all these guys on this team.
And if they get knocked out in the pool, what does that feel like?
How do you carry that around knowing that you put together the best American team ever
and you can't get out of your pool?
That's brutal.
And honestly Travis and this makes a circle, all back to the Dodgers.
It's a perfect reminder of something that we've talked about in this show.
Baseball is the ultimate chaos sport.
The best roster doesn't always win.
It doesn't guarantee you that you're going to win a championship.
You could have the biggest payroll and it doesn't guarantee absolutely nothing.
To your point, it makes it almost a very high possibility, not a guarantee, but a high
probability that you'll make it to the playoffs.
Once you make it to the postseason, then it's a different monster because just like the
Dodgers team USA is stacked with elite players, but right now they're struggling to survive
full play.
And look, you ask anybody, you win three out of four games, everybody's going to say,
yes, I'll take that.
But you never thought that the rest of your opposition would be playing the way that
they're playing right now.
And that's something that you have to contemplate that you have to consider.
That's it.
You know, once you saw that Italy had not lost a game, you know, hey, the plan has changed,
right?
Because I think everybody thought that that game between Mexico and the United States
was going to be the one to win the pool because we assumed that Italy would have lost
a game leading up to this point.
Well, they haven't.
And now all of a sudden Italy is in charge of this pool.
Italy is the team that can go through the pool unbeaten.
They can be the top seed coming out of it.
And now you're down to a tiebreaker between Mexico and USA.
And it's a, it's, I mean, it's, it's a mess if they don't get out.
Travis, it's as easy as this.
Why do you play Terrick Scooble, who's only going to pitch once in the tournament against
a great Britain?
Those guys are great playing soccer.
Basically, I'm not that much.
I know that they'll take some players that are born in the States with British roots to
go and play in the tournament, but save them.
Look at the rosters and be like, OK, maybe Italy is more worthy of facing Scooble.
They played schemes against Mexico.
They didn't think that one twice.
They should have think three, three, three times about where to pitch Terrick Scooble.
And now, I mean, I didn't, I didn't think it was going to be must watch TV today.
Mexico, Italy.
And now all the United States fans are going to be watching.
And that's another part too, Travis.
I look at other teams on other fan bases.
And I think that they're taking it way more seriously than the United States.
They were taking it for granted that they were going to make it to the quarterfinals.
And that maybe they'll start paying attention in the quarterfinals, semi-finals, championship
game.
And that's something that needs to be evaluated too.
I think it's possible.
I certainly think Mark DeRosa did not have his eye on the prize.
I think that's for sure.
I can't speak to the players look to be playing hard.
The players I don't think are taking a lot for granted.
I think American baseball fans did.
I think that, you know, you look at the Dominican fans.
You look at the Puerto Rican fans, the Mexican fans, the Japanese fans, the Korean fans.
They're certainly more invested in this than maybe the American fans are.
But I know I'm not going to say that about the players because I'm not in that clubhouse.
I can't speak to their level.
When I watch it, it looks like they're engaged, but their manager certainly dropped the ball.
There's no question about that.
I'll say this.
If the US does make it to the next round, they might be unstoppable because they won't
take nothing for granted, having to sweat, watching other teams be with their ticket on
the line for the next round.
That's for sure.
And look, winning championships is very hard.
And it's exactly why circling back to the Dodgers, what they've built is remarkable
with the team that they have.
Everybody thinks it's easy to win championships like that?
No, it's not.
Look at team USA.
They're sweating bullets right now.
All right.
Next on Lockdown Dodgers, seven Dodgers players made the Lockdown MLB Top 100 list.
But honestly, in my opinion, that number should be higher.
I've got three Dodgers who absolutely deserved to be ranked in one of those snubs is especially
ridiculous.
Hey, this is Jeff Carr from Lockdown Reds.
And you know, I've reached the point in my life where my wife and I are looking toward
the future.
We've got the house.
We've got the career.
We even have an awesome dog, but now we need to secure that future.
That's where ethos comes in for us.
When I look at this insurance or that insurance and I try to pick one, I might as well be
reading an entirely different language.
Ethos clears up the noise and gets me set up with exactly what I need because ethos makes
getting life insurance fast and easy and it's 100% online.
You can get a quote in seconds, apply in minutes and get same day coverage.
Protect your family with life insurance from ethos now by going to ethos.com slash locked
on MLB.
And as little as 10 minutes, you can get a free quote and up to $3 million in coverage
at ethos.com slash locked on MLB.
That's ETHOS.com slash locked on MLB ethos.com slash locked on MLB application times and rates
may vary.
MLB opening day is almost here and you can feel it, right?
Fresh starts big expectations and that crack of the bat for the first time, whether it
is a rookie that we've been looking at, a division race that goes right down to the
wire.
There's nothing like being in the ballpark for all of it.
The problem, of course, getting tickets could be a real pain in the, you know, what long
queues, surprise fees, prices that jump at checkout.
I hate that.
That's why I like game time.
The game time app gives fans the advantage with constant innovation.
It's how you unlock amazing tickets and experiences in just a few taps and it's super
easy to use.
The game time guarantee means that you're going to get 100% authentic tickets delivered
on time at the best price and here's the best part.
Fee's are included in the price you see.
Let me make this as clear as I possibly can.
What you see is what you pay, period.
How many times have you been on another side and been like, oh, I like that seat, I like
that price.
Captain, wait, what, where did that come from?
That's not going to happen, right?
Of course, you're going to be able to see panoramic views from your seats.
You can follow your favorite team, get alerts with new deals dropped so you are covered.
Two taps and it's done.
No stress, no hidden fees, just great seats in minutes.
That's what makes it so easy to decide to go to a game at the very last minute and take
the guesswork out of buying your MLB tickets with game time.
Download the game time app, create an account and use the code locked on for $20 off your
first purchase terms, do apply, again, create an account and redeem code, L-O-C-K-E-D-O-N
for $20 off.
Download that game time app today.
If you've been thinking about joining the every day or club, now is the time.
Again, you get ad free shows and access to our group chat on Discord and if you're signed
up before the NCAA tournament tips off, you can get into our every day or club bracket
pool on Discord for a chance to win locked on merch.
It'll be a lot of fun.
Right now, you can use the code March to get your first month free.
That's March to get your first month free by visiting locked on Dodgers.supercast.com or
tapping the link in the show notes.
Seven boys and blue made the locked on MLB top 100 but these Dodgers were rubbed because
yes, they dominated the top 50 but when you go deeper at it Travis, I gotta say Edwin
Diaz, not being on this list is crazy.
The Defending Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year.
He has won that award twice over the last four years.
One of the most dominant closures in the sport and somehow not in the top 100.
That right there in my opinion is tough to justify.
Yeah, I think had he been in there.
I don't think it would have been a huge surprise.
I think that it would have been understandable that he is.
I think it's probably to do with the fact that you mentioned Diaz's career has kind of
been good year.
Not so good year.
Not so good year.
He kind of ping ponds back and forth between that, which by the way, pretty common for relief
pitchers.
That's just kind of the way that relief arm goes.
I think this is one of the reasons that I'm optimistic about Tanner Scott as I think
that just because he was really lousy last year doesn't mean that he'll be really lousy
this year.
There's a chance for a bounce back but I'm with you.
I think Diaz, if you're just looking at the best 100 players in baseball, the guys like
if we're just, if you just put everybody into a draft, it does, Edwin Diaz get picked
in the first 100 picks.
I think he does.
I think he deserves to be in there so I'm with you on that and I'm just trying to come
over the reasons why maybe he wouldn't have been in there and that's really all I can
come up with because he's been, you know, and by the way, it's only a little bit, a
little inconsistent but I'm with you.
I think he probably should have been in there as well.
And Vitt were the 2025 MLB, the lockdown MLB top 100, I get it.
He didn't play in 24, he was not good.
You look at all the stuff like we said, one year good, one year bad, one year goes alternating
back and forth.
After a bad year, I would get it if he's not on the top 100.
He was a reliever of the year last season.
He definitely elite closures impact games at the highest leverage moments imaginable.
They shorten games and if you don't put Diaz in that top 100, I don't know what you're
doing.
So fellow lockdown host that didn't have Diaz in the top 100, I'm keeping an eye on
you.
Then there's Tyler Glass.
Now, and look, I understand the injury history conversation, but if Blake Snell is ranked
comfortably inside the top 50 missing a bunch of time just like last now did last year,
why is Tyler Glass now not in the top 100 because when healthy Travis, he has some of
the nastiest stuff in baseball.
Yeah, I think that the comparison you make with Snell is the right one because they
played about the same amount and actually Glaznell might even have played a little bit
more than Snell did.
I think Glaznell's reputation works against him here and the reputation is twofold and
I think that one kind of works against the other because he's so talented because this
stuff is so amazing.
It feels like you're actually getting even less when he misses time and he misses a lot
of time.
This goes back to Pittsburgh.
This goes back to Tampa.
This is continued as he's come to Los Angeles that whenever you see these lists of who's
got the best stuff in baseball, Tyler Glass now's name shows up every single time.
Like one of the toughest at bats that any major leagueers are going to have come against
Tyler Glass now.
He just doesn't play enough.
Like I understand why Tyler Glass now has left off these lists because he's just not
available often enough.
I appreciate your point with Snell, but Snell typically has been a little bit more available
than Glaznell.
But if we're just talking pure talent, Glaznell is not only on the list, he's near the top
of the list.
I think he is one, I didn't want to say a full season.
I'm not saying that he's got to go through and make 35 starts.
I'm saying, can we get a season where Tyler Glass now makes 25 starts, maybe even 21
or 22 starts?
I think he rockets up the list of things like this.
He obviously is one of the most talented guys.
He just hasn't played enough.
And then there's a player Dodgers fans appreciate way more than national rankings ever will
max Muncie.
Is he going to win an MVP more than likely not, probably not, or I'll say no.
But is he somebody that one, he's out of this lineup for X, Y, or C reason, the Dodgers
absolutely feel that he's not there 1000% his impact on this team Travis is incredible.
Now the longest 10 year Dodgers Dodger player on this roster.
I know his defense is always a little that a little circumstance that people say, but
I'll be honest, I watch almost every single Dodgers game and I have more damn.
What a good play than damn.
What a mistake that Max Muncie just threw right there like the inverse of Teosca Hernandez.
With his bat, he's amazing.
His discipline up at the plate is great.
It's literally the moment he gets injured is when this lineup goes from being old damn.
They're great.
Oh, we're missing something right there in the middle that we're now we're not connecting
the top to the bottom.
Yeah.
Look, I think let's start with the defense.
He went from a substandard defender to he's fine.
You know, no one's going to think that he's manning Machado over there.
He's not going to be somebody like that.
He's not going to be Nolan Aranotto holding down third base defensively, but he went from
a eye to a no, he's fine.
He does what needs to be done.
He makes the plays you would expect him to make and that's fine and offensively like to
your point, he is kind of a glue that holds a lot of this stuff together.
I think that the thing that works against Max Muncie quite frankly is that he's just
buried on a team with a million other stars that if Max Muncie were stayed with the Oakland
A's for instance, I think you would get a little more shine if Max Muncie were a Chicago
cub or even an Atlanta brave and he was one of two or three good players on a team we
talked about.
The problem is Max Muncie's one of eight or nine or ten or twelve good players on the
Dodgers and Dodger fans certainly understand it because we get to see him every night, we
get to appreciate everything he is.
But if you're just kind of dropping in occasionally, you're looking at Otani and Betts and Freeman
and Will Smith and you know, Snell and Yamamoto and Kershaw when he was here and all those
other guys, it was a bit, he's just going to get lost in the shuffle.
So I understand why it's not there, but they're not too many third baseman and baseball
that I trade him for.
Same here, same here and look.
So while the Dodgers already dominated the top 100 list, seven in the top 50, there's
a very real argument that at least three more names deserved recognition and maybe this
time next year we might be talking about damn, maybe they needed five more players on
this list.
Who Alex Messia has a great year pop him in there.
If Andy Pahez has an amazing third season pop him in there as well.
Tommy Admin, when he's healthy, he's incredible because this roster isn't just talented, it's
absurdly deep and it's the embarrassment of riches.
Know that about it.
I think that the guys that are more likely to pop in are pitchers than they are position
players.
I mean, I think a year from now, if Emmett Sheen was on the list, if Rocky Sasaki was
on the list, like that wouldn't surprise me if Gavin Stone had a great year.
Like he did a couple of years ago, like I think those guys have an opportunity as well.
They just, they got talent all over the field.
And speaking of talent coming up on lockdown Dodgers, the Dodgers might have another ace developing
Rocky Sasaki flashed electric stuff, even if the hitters he faced on Tuesday were minor
leagueers.
Workplace chaos deadlines are stacking up your inbox is overflowing and the one position
you have to fill is still sitting open when the pressure is on and you need the right
hire.
This is a job for sponsor jobs indeed sponsor jobs helps you reach the people who actually
fit what you're looking for.
We're talking about the right skills, the right experience, the right location.
So you're not just hoping that the right candidate stumbles across your post.
And here's a stat that says everything in the minute or so we've been talking companies
like yours.
It made 27 hires on indeed according to indeed data worldwide.
So if you're hiring, spend less time searching and more time interviewing candidates who check
all your boxes with indeed sponsored jobs when you need the right person just cut through
it and go to indeed sponsored jobs.
And listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsor job credit to help get the premium status.
Your job deserves at indeed.com slash podcast.
Just go to indeed.com slash podcast right now and support this show by saying you heard
about it on locked on Dodgers indeed.com slash podcast terms and conditions apply need
to hire.
This is a job for indeed sponsored jobs.
This episode is brought to you by MLB the show 26.
The best baseball video came in the world is back with its latest edition.
And if you're a baseball fan like me, you already know how hard it is to put the controller
down once you start playing.
Every year the game gets deeper, smoother and more realistic and this year is no different.
I've been playing MLB the show for years.
Here's my copy from last year, MLB the show 25.
I'm ready to get MLB the show 26 and every new release somehow feels more realistic
than the last.
The pitching mechanics, the hitting feedback, the stadium atmosphere, it really feels
like you're part of the game.
One of my favorite things about MLB the show is loading up the Dodgers roster and getting
to play with all the stars.
And if you've ever dreamed about being a big leagueer yourself, road to the show lets
you create your own player and work your way from the minors all the way to the majors.
If you're a gamer, a baseball fan or just looking for a fun new way to experience America's
pastime, you're going to love MLB the show 26.
Jump in with your favorite team, take control of your favorite players and see if you have
what it takes to bring home your own world series title.
Head to MLB the dot show slash locked on and use the code locked on to unlock a special
pack for diamond dynasty internet connection required.
Every order now, it's available March 17th on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S and X and
Nintendo Switch rated E for everyone.
Don't forget to follow us on YouTube and across all social media at lots on Dodgers.
Meanwhile, you can find Travis at Travis Rodgers on it, X and Instagram and I'm on X at
Harry Ruiz Instagram at Harry underscore Ruiz and at TikTok at Harry under Harry Ruiz
under sorry, once again at Harry Ruiz underscore Rocky Sasaki flashes a stuffed even if it was
just only against prospect and love spring training is always tricky when it comes to evaluating
pictures.
Sometimes a dominant outing comes against minor leagueers and that's what happened yesterday
or Rocky Sasaki who Travis his first two starts and cactus league action weren't good.
The second one he actually got pulled even before finishing the first inning and then came
back to pitch a couple of innings where he looked better, but yesterday they just decided
throwing in the backfields and having play against the prospects, the minor leagueers
from the Chicago White Sox and let's see what happens and he was actually pretty damn
good.
He struck out nine, including six in a row.
This fastball was sitting between 98 and 100 miles per hour.
It was something impressive, but now we go back to the same what you say spring training
games, preseason games, you don't put a lot of stock into it and I feel right here it
was more that they just wanted to have him have a slump bluster and be like okay, they're
cool feel comfortable and now we'll throw you in there later, but right before we go
to the freeway series.
Yeah, I understand that much like when he pitched poorly a couple of times I kind of shrug
my shoulders like yeah, whatever, it doesn't really move me, this doesn't really move
me that much either that I do kind of agree with you on the idea of building some confidence,
but Rocky Sasaki knows those guys aren't major leagueers like him going out there and mowing
down a bunch of minor like he better mow down minor leagueers, he's you know, he's supposed
what he's supposed to do that's not you know, just blowing away a bunch of guys that you're
supposed to blow away. Okay, I mean, I guess it's good that he did it, but I think that
Rocky Sasaki is going to be evaluated on how he pitches when it matters and when I'm optimistic
we've seen him, you know, step up in really important moments we saw in in in October
last year, we saw him struggle in moments last year as well early in the season. So the
velocity is good. I think matters. I think that is that is an encouraging sign that the
pitches had bite. I think matters that that's an encouraging sign, but the the results that
in and of themselves don't really move me all that much. I I'm really curious to see how he's
going to do this year. I'm really curious to see how they're going to use him. I'm really
curious to see how much runway they're going to give him if he does get off to a bumpy start,
like do you give him three starts? Do you give him 10? Like what what how do you use him if he's
not as sharp as you would like him to be before you say, all right, we need to reevaluate
this. We need to tweak some things in the minor leagues. We might have to move into the bullpen.
I I think that's one of the big questions through the early part of the season. Yeah,
here's his stat line from yesterday's game for innings pitched one hit no earn runs one hit by
pitch nine strikeouts in 59 pitches 40 of them were strikes that's a stat line where you're like,
okay, he's looking better. Now let's hope that like I I will say after last year what we saw
from him the images and the dugout with him having tears in his eyes going then afterwards to
triple A and even in triple A he was struggling before he came back to the big leagues and became
the Dodgers top reliever out of the bullpen. I feel that this slumpbuster confidence booster however
you want to say it is going to be important for him, especially Dave Roberts after the game
he said that rookie Sasaki is going to be a part of the opening day rotation. He's going to be a
starter for this team as the season kicks off. So you know that they have all the trust in the
world in him. Now it's what can he bring and that developing that third pitch is going to be a big
part of his repertoire as well. Yeah, I don't think they have all the trust in the world and I
think that that that's just being nice. That's just saying something because you have to say
something into a TV camera. They they're figuring it out just like he's figuring it out. The guys
they have trust in are Yamamoto and Otani and Snell and Glasgow and those guys they
rookies Sasaki's experience in the major leagues is very very limited and just he just hasn't
pitched enough. We'll see you got to earn that trust. Now there's been some really high marks.
There's been some really big moments where he stepped up and didn't fantastic and hopefully
you stack a bunch of those together. I know Dave talks about that that trust tree during the regular
season and who's climbing it and who's not and and right now I think he's you know somewhere towards
the base of the tree and he's starting the climate and even each good outing he's going to get
a little higher on that tree and with each you know less than good outing you probably stay
where you are not slide back a little bit but yeah he's he's a prospect. I think that I think he's
been given a little bit of an unfair jump because this is not a finished product. This is not
somebody who has pitched a ton at the highest levels of this game. He is still learning how to do it
that Yamamoto I think you can evaluate right out of the gate like okay show me you got 300 million
let's go let's let's go use three times saw or more award winner show me and he did. This is
young man who is just getting started who is inexperienced who is learning a new league and etc etc.
I am more curious than I am disappointed in it. I just want to see how he does and how he continues
to improve. That's going to be a big opportunity for him though if he kicks off in the opening day
rotation and he does a good job. I'm not saying be yo she know we Yamamoto we Blake snail just be
a dependent starter for this franchise you're going to be like okay I earned myself another month
another month and hopefully he doesn't need to go back to the minor leagues this year like he did
last year because right now I feel like it's a possibility if he starts struggling. I know that
they are downblakes now that they are down Gavin Stone for now but they got a good support system
behind him of healthy arms of young arms that in any moment Roki doesn't feel good. Roki needs
something else you can you do know that you have somebody to cover that spot. Just don't walk people
and everything will be fine right. It really is they're not going to light him up it's just the
the stuff is good enough that he's not going to get lit up it's just if you're giving them free
base runners and then you give up a double here or there you give up a home run here or there
you know instead of a one run inning you have a four run inning just don't walk people and he'll
be fine and you know we'll see when he pitches well he doesn't walk people when he when he struggles
it's because he's afraid to come into the strike zone and that's when he finds all the all the
bumps in the road so if he throws the ball in the strike zone he's going to be all right.
So far the latest memory we have of him is that outing on Tuesday the backfields over there in
Arizona. I don't think there's anything else on me. That doesn't not not me. I don't know the last thing
that we that has been reported of him the last thing that he's put put out there has been a good
one. Now let's see what happens the next time he's out on the mound. It's been a roller coaster
experience with Rokey Sasaki since he arrived at the Dodgers. That's what out of that and he always
has a spotlight on him. All right. That'll do it for today's pod. Thank you for making
life on Dodgers. Your first listen of the day and thank you for making life on the number one sports
podcast network. We'll be back tomorrow and the biggest topic in baseball is we'll team USA with
that monster lineup make it into the next round but they need help. They'll be rooting for Italy
or they'll be rooting for Mexico to score tons of runs and with that have the possibility to go
into the next round. Travis I'm going to be glued to the TV at 4 p.m. and it's going to be very very
interesting. It could be one of the stories of the year of team USA doesn't make it into the next
round. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it certainly will be one of the baseball stories of the year. No
question about it. I mean, this was a team that was favored to win the whole thing. You know,
they were the favorite to win the whole thing and to not get out of the pool forget about it.
And they, you know, they are looking their baseball mortality right in the face. It's going to be
exciting. And maybe Benji Hill was onto something when he said US versus Mexico in the final on Monday
night. He maybe he had the script already in his hands. If you miss an episode the every day
or club is built for you get locked on Dodgers ad free plus members only discord access and more
head to locked on Dodgers dot supercast dot com to join the club. For those of you on video,
we send you to the first ever 24 seven national lockdown podcast network YouTube channel on audio
make sure you make your second listen locked on fantasy baseball as you gear up for the MLB season.
We appreciate you writing with us until next time. Keep it real. Keep it. Don't you're blue.
Hey, everyone. This is Ross Jackson, one of the hosts of the locked on podcast network. Thank you
for being here because your support means everything. Then if you're looking for another way to
support the show that you love while getting something awesome in return, check out the every day
or club. You get ad free episodes of your favorite locked on show access to a members only group
chat for fans of your team. And you can even jump into the national chats and talk about whatever's
happening across the league. Tap the every day or club link in the show notes to learn more.

Locked On Dodgers – Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Dodgers

Locked On Dodgers – Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Dodgers

Locked On Dodgers – Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Dodgers
