He's a Walking Contradiction…
Partly truth and partly fiction. That’s Kike Hernandez. Kris Kristopherson (God Rest His Soul) summed him up in his song, The Pilgrim: Kike Hernandez is one of a kind! If the Dodgers are a Swiss watch, Kiké is the tiny gear that never makes the marketing brochure but keeps the…
Partly truth and partly fiction. That’s Kike Hernandez. Kris Kristopherson (God Rest His Soul) summed him up in his song, The Pilgrim:
Kike Hernandez is one of a kind! If the Dodgers are a Swiss watch, Kiké is the tiny gear that never makes the marketing brochure but keeps the whole thing ticking. In October, the temperature drops, and so do batting averages. Kiké’s does not. He’s built a reputation as a postseason swing changer. Big-game homers. Loud at-bats against elite pitching. Kike is the type of player who shortens the dugout’s heartbeat when the leverage meter turns red.
I know many Dodger fans think Kike “blocks” younger players and/or that his antics are just too much. Dodger players don’t think that. Kike is “beloved” by his teammates. In a 2024 postseason interview, Mookie Betts talked about how Kiké helped influence the way he approached the grind and emotional swings of October baseball:
“We’ve got guys in here that are leading the way and showing me how to do it. Kiké being a huge advocate for that and really getting me on that emotional train…” Betts and Kiké have appeared together on interview/talk segments (like On Base with Mookie Betts) where Betts invites Kiké into the conversation, highlighting him as someone worth sharing airtime with, which teammates don’t do unless they genuinely respect each other. Even though mainstream MLB reporting rarely prints direct praise statements like “Betts said Kiké is the best teammate ever,” the context above shows Betts publicly recognizing Kiké’s influence on his own performance and mindset, which is a strong form of respect in a professional clubhouse — especially between two star-level players. Some of you will say that Kike is not “star level,” but how do you rank what is “star level” in the postseason?
Kike has a career batting average of .236 with a .707 OPS. However, in the postseason, he has a .272 batting average and a .826 OPS. Below is the OPS Ranking Table. In the playoffs, he is very much a star. However, Kike injured his elbow in May 2025 and was not healthy the rest of the year, so if you say that he had a bad season and playoffs in 2025, you would be correct. However, you would be wrong if you allowed that to define him. After the World Series, he underwent elbow surgery to repair a torn extensor muscle/tendon that had detached from the bone. Playing through an inflammatory/torn tendon in his non-throwing elbow likely sapped his bat strength, comfort, and plate effectiveness — especially given how early it occurred in the season and how long he played through it.
He doesn’t have to be your 162-game star. He’s your October detonator. Just being in the dugout is sometimes all it takes with Kike. The Dodgers are talented, analytical, and composed. Kiké injects voltage. He keeps things loose. He bridges veterans and kids. That matters across 162 games when monotony can turn into tension. On a roster full of high-skill technicians, he’s the spark plug.
He historically mashes lefties. That gives the Dodgers platoon leverage, late-game pinch-hit upside, and October matchup chess pieces. When facing a nasty left-handed reliever in the 7th, having Kiké available shifts the tactical board. For a team that rotates through young players, Kiké absorbs volatility. If a rookie scuffles? Kiké can start. If a top prospect needs a mental reset? Kiké plays. If injuries stack up? He plugs holes without forcing a panic trade… at any position. That stability is undervalued but crucial.
He’s not your MVP candidate. He’s not your franchise cornerstone. He’s the infrastructure. Teams chasing titles don’t just need more stars. They need connective tissue. They need someone who can step into chaos and look comfortable. Kiké has made a career out of that. For a club like the Dodgers, with championship expectations every year, that kind of player is not a luxury. He’s a competitive advantage. If you’re ranking importance strictly by WAR, he sits in the middle tier. If you’re ranking importance by how many postseason games swing because of him, he climbs fast. And in October, that’s the only currency that spends.
Kiké Hernández has publicly shared that he has ADHD, describing it as both a “superpower” and “kryptonite” that contributes to his intense focus and chaotic energy, particularly in high-pressure postseason baseball games, where he thrives by staying in the moment, similar to last-minute project preparation. He explains his brain is “all over the place,” but this wiring allows him to maintain extreme focus during games, embracing the heightened electricity and chaos of October baseball.
Meet Kike Hernandez: Dodger Glue! He will be on the IL for a while, but he will be here when it counts. He will also be in the dugout while he is on the IL. That is a huge boost to the entire team! I do not believe there is a more important player on the Dodgers than Kike. This should not be his last year! I hope he keeps playing after 2026. He’s not an everyday player. He can play until he’s 38 or 39. He is the Dodgers’ heart and soul. You don’t look at his stats: you look at the team results. His chaotic energy makes everyone play up!
There is only one: Enrique “Kike” Hernandez!
The Incomparable Max Muncy
We all know that Max recently signed an extension with the Dodgers. He might have gotten a lot more from another team… especially if he could DH as well. However, like Kike, Max is an unusual animal. SI had this to say about him:
“Part of me and who I am as a person and how I was raised, I like to be loyal to people. This organization took a chance on me when I was out of baseball, basically. That meant a lot to me. They stuck with me when things were going bad. They’ve never wavered on me at all. That means a lot to me in itself, and it’s just a place I’m very comfortable.
— Max Muncy in SI
“My family’s comfortable here. We have a chance to win every single year. That’s why I play this game. I want to win. Obviously you make money in this game, but that’s not why I play. I play because I want to win. It’s the competitive fire that I want to go out and win as much as I can. That to me is worth more than money.
“I know I’m leaving money on the table, but I’m more than OK with with that because I wouldn’t be OK with myself trying to chase money somewhere else watching this team win and I’m on the sidelines. That’s just not who I am. I would rather win.
“Another component to it is just the relationship I’ve built here. Like I was just saying, I like to be loyal and my relationships mean a lot. I’ve created such a relationship with the staff, the front office, the coaches, the medial and training staff, the clubhouse guys. I just don’t want to create that somewhere else. Being here for my entire career at this point would mean the world to me, and this gives me the chance to do that.”
I, for one, value Max Muncy right along with Kike Hernandez! They are Ballplayers. So are Tommy Edman, Miguel Rojas, and Alex Freeland! Plus, Max has a cool walk-up song:
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Discussion (77)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Good stuff, Mark. Extending Muncy fits in with this core’s timeline. The one thing I can’t get past is where all these damn minor league OFs will end up! Obviously some will bust and some will be traded but the list is so deep. I have to think one of two of them might volunteer to move to the IF. Davalan has played 2b before, for example.
Well, Teo has two years left on his contract and if Tucker performs well there’s a good chance that he opts out after two. That’s right on the time line for the some of the kids to be hitting the majors.
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Ben Rortvedt is expected to clear waivers on Monday, February 16, 2026, assuming he is not claimed by another team.
Dodgers Won’t Trade for Tarik Skubal, Says Insider “The Dodgers have taken interest in Skubal over the course of the offseason, with talks beginning during the Winter Meetings. Verducci named the Tigers as one of the favorites to represent the American League in the upcoming World Series, and doesn’t believe they would sell on potentially the best starter in MLB while they were at the top of the pack in the coming season. “…It’s hard for me to envision any kind of world where in the American League Central, the Tigers are out of playoff contention at the trade deadline. So I just don’t see it happening.” “I never really bought into that possibility,” Verducci said to Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain. “…I think Tarik Skubal likely is not going to re-sign to the Tigers. If he does, it’s going to be beyond anywhere the Tigers have gone, even with Miguel Cabrera. They’re a team that can win the American League pennant, and that’s with Tarik Skubal.
This has been my belief all along. With Framber and JV (who might have one decent season left in him) the starters are deep (they have 4 more). They also have several young players who should be incrementally better this year. They are at the top of the AL with Toronto, NY, Seattle, and Baltimore. It will be a dog fight in the AL. In the NL, they should just give it to the Dodgers right now.
Freeman is aging as well. 2B is open. 3B should be Morales. 2028: C- Smith/Rushing 1B – DePaula 2B – Hope SS – Betts 3B – Morales LF – Quintero CF – Sirota RF – Pages DH – Ohtani The only stretch is Hope, but he’s a good athlete.
Great stuff on Kiki and Max! Thanks Mark. I agree 100%. Both are critical for at least this year and next and I am rooting for longer.
I think those who think the positions in the future will be filled by 4 or 5 ‘kids’ are just dreaming a dream that will never happen..And more likely to be traded and have ‘great ‘ success like Vargas, Lux, Verdugo, etc
Thanks for playing along. I have this fantasy that after 2027 we let the kuds take over. Ohtani, Betts & Smith remain, Pages and Edman are maybes, and 1B, 2B, 3B & a couple OF spots open. Agree about Morales at 3B. It’s his if he wants it. He’s a monster and could be our next homegrown superstar. 1B is relatively easy to fill: Tibbs, JDP, Rushing, Harland, Ko? 2B is tough. I love your crazy idea–I’ll stick with Davalan. OF I have to think Quintero sticks, either in CF or RF. Let’s put him in RF [sorry Pages] and let Sirota have CF. All he needs to do is stay healthy. LF is also easy: Hope, Ehrhard, etc. Meanwhile, our pitching pipeline has time to progress as our rotation is locked up for a while.
Despite all the criticism the Dodgers face, they are playing within the rules and doing what they can to win, which makes Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper happy. He’s tired of hearing people complain about the Dodgers ruining baseball. “I mean, I love what the Dodgers do, obviously,” Harper said to Tim Kelly of OnPattison. “I mean, they pay the money, they spend the money. I mean, they’re a great team. They understand how to run it. They run their team like a business, and they run it the right way. They understand where they need to put their money into. But also, people don’t look at this either. Their draft and their development is unbelievable, like they draft and they develop, and then they trade those guys for big name guys, and they can spend the money. So it’s, I don’t know it bothers me when everybody talks about the Dodgers are spending money. No, they draft, they develop, they do it the right way. They understand what it takes to be the best team in baseball. And you’ve seen in the last two years, they have so much depth. I mean, it was Will Klein, the kid’s name was, came in through six shutout innings like, I mean, you’ve seen in Arizona two weeks before, like, they have that type of dynamic on their club, and that’s what you when you think about drafting, developing and things like that. That’s that’s why they win, and that’s why they win a lot of games each year. So I love what they do. I understand what they do. I understand the madness behind it. But again, like each team at baseball has an opportunity to do the same, the same thing, maybe not the upper echelon of money, but they can draft, they can develop, they can trade. And I just, I think a lot of teams can do that in baseball.” Harper is probably upset he didn’t sign with the Dodgers when he had a chance to do so. How many World Series rings does he have since he signed with the Phillies? NONE to be exact.
All this. I love Harper. Straight up G at the plate.
Rortvedt is a Met.
This is a big FU from Steve Cohen for signing Diaz. I can’t see him staying on the Mets roster, but if he stays there… OK. He’s not worthy of a roster spot. It’s not a big deal.
For sure
Here’s what I will tell you: The Dodgers like Ben… not as a player but as a baseball guy. Austin Chubb was a catcher who rose rapidly as a Dodger instructor. That’s what they see in Ben.
The Mets have two former Dodger Catchers: Austin Barnes and Ben Rortvedt. They are trying to figure out what the Dodgers’ “secret sauce” is. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery!
Pitch around Soto and be careful with Bo. The rest of their lineup doesn’t scare me. Lindor rehabbing from surgery.
Hard to imagine Tucker opting out unless he hates playing for the Dodgers and winning. He’s got a sweet , record-breaking deal. If the Dodgers love him, they might try to extend him. Interesting idea, putting Hope at 2B. But a waste of a huge arm. I read that Davalan played some 2B in college, so maybe… Tucker will be a Dodger through the ’29 season, and I suspect he’ll remain in RF. A shift to 1B to succeed Freddie is possible. The surplus of OF talent is bound to lead to a trade. A package for Skubal is easy to imagine. I’ve always liked the idea of training DePaula for 1B. Seems like a no-brainer. This would enhance his value for the Dodgers or in a trade.
Both of these catchers will eventually be DFA.
I watched a show on the MLB Network called the Insiders with a panel of 3 sportswriters on Saturday. One of the panelist was Joel Sherman a well known and respected NY sportswriter. One of the topics was the Dodgers’ pitching. He was raving about Sheehan and Ryan and how talented both are and how important they will be to the Dodgers success in 2026. There are some on this site who wanted to trade either one in a package for Donavan and Skubal. AF and BG are smarter than all of us combined here and kept both and will be rewarded by their results. Rarely do they trade controllable pitchers unless they gets the better end of the trade.Remember what we’ve witnessed the last two years, “You NEVER have enough pitching NEVER”.
Skubal scares me to death. His arm is going to fall off. Ken Kendrick, owner of the D-Bags: “The Dodgers are a very financially successful enterprise, very, very large revenues,” Kendrick said. “The Dodgers are honestly not overspending their revenues. They’re playing by the rules, and good for them and bad for us that they have a lot more revenue than we have. But I don’t have any bad feelings about what they do and how they do it.”
The Dodgers don’t need Skubal to be successful. Whoever signs him to a long term contract will be sorry.
Freeman wants to play for four more years, I can see LA extending his contract.
Freeman wants to play for four more years, I can see LA extending his contract.
Freeman wants to play for four more years, I can see LA extending his contract.