Dodgers: The Three Most Important ex-Dodgers in the WS
By Hector Ponce
Daniel Hudson
Daniel Hudson pitched in 40 games for the Dodgers last season. He did not make the playoff roster for Los Angeles. However, this season he has been a very important piece for the Nationals in the playoffs.
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The Nationals essentially have two relievers that they can rely on. Sean Doolittle is one and Daniel Hudson is the other. That bullpen is the definition of a liability outside of those two arms. The formula for Washington has been, a starter for 6+, another starter for 1, then Hudson and Doolittle close the game out.
This is going to be an extremely difficult challenge for Hudson as the series progresses. The Astros lineup gets better and better the more they get to see a reliever in a single series. The Dodgers fell victim to that in 2017 and the Yankees elite bullpen saw the same fate this ALCS.
Daniel Hudson will likely pitch in most if not all of the games in this series. He will need to perform well in all of those games. Odds are, he will be pitching in high leverage situations. Whether it’d be in a tie game or a close game, Hudson will likely be on the mound with the game on the line.
The bullpen will need to be effective in order to win a title. Since he is one of the two guys Dave Martinez can actually rely on, his presence in this series will be of extreme importance. If Hudson performs poorly, it will be amplified because he would be failing in big situations. This shows just how much pressure is on Hudson to perform this series.