Steve Webb
LOS ANGELES, CA — In a lively recent interview on the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast, Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly didn’t shy away from sharing his candid thoughts on the New York Yankees. Kelly’s remarks were a mixture of insight into the Dodgers’ 2024 World Series win and some brutal honesty about how the Yankees stacked up — or didn’t — against the Dodgers’ championship-caliber team. When asked about the matchup, Kelly called it a “complete mismatch,” and he didn’t mince words about the Yankees’ defense and overall competitiveness, sparking conversation about the Dodgers’ preparation and dominance over the Yankees, whom they defeated in five games to claim the title.
According to Kelly, the Dodgers’ bullpen, led by key relievers like Blake Treinen, played an enormous role in the team’s victory. He described Treinen as “the best pitcher ever,” crediting his ability to dominate and give the Dodgers’ other arms — including Kelly himself and ace Walker Buehler — a bit more breathing room as they took on the Yankees. Kelly praised the Dodgers’ strategy of bringing in their top arms early, explaining how it had been a theme all season to keep games within reach, even when it meant breaking traditional pitching roles.
But Kelly’s candor about the Yankees’ performance was the real highlight of the interview. He mentioned several incidents where the Yankees’ defense faltered, even coining the term “Fat Joe curse” after seeing the rapper appear on the Yankees’ stadium Jumbotron. According to Kelly, once “Fat Joe was up on the board,” things seemed to go south for the Yankees, leading to a few crucial fielding errors and giving the Dodgers momentum. By Kelly’s account, the Dodgers weren’t too concerned with the Yankees’ talent, noting, “We just had to play regular Dodger baseball… and we’re going to win the World Series.”
Throughout the series, the Dodgers’ confidence was clear. Kelly shared that the team felt the Yankees weren’t the toughest opponent in the postseason, with Kelly ranking several other playoff teams, such as the Padres, Phillies, Braves, and even the Guardians, higher in terms of their playoff strength. The Dodgers’ internal scouting reports, he said, painted the Yankees as a team with “sloppy play” and weaker defense compared to the Dodgers’ meticulous, talent-packed roster. “Just look at the talent rank,” he emphasized, suggesting that the Yankees likely ranked around eighth among playoff teams.
Kelly’s commentary adds a bit of color to the Yankees-Dodgers rivalry, underscoring just how methodical the Dodgers were in their approach to the World Series. For Kelly, who is known for his unfiltered style, this victory wasn’t just about the Dodgers being good; it was about them executing their plans against an opponent they saw as fundamentally flawed. This World Series win marked the Dodgers’ second in recent years and their third in team history, bolstering their reputation as one of the league’s most consistently competitive teams.
Kelly concluded the interview with reflections on the city-wide celebrations and personal plans post-season. Although he didn’t attend Mookie Betts‘ post-championship party due to his son’s Super Bowl-level youth football game, Kelly’s excitement about the Dodgers’ achievement and his son’s athletic future was palpable. Whether Kelly ultimately returns to the Dodgers next year or decides to retire, this season capped off his career with another high note and a fresh layer of rivalry between the Dodgers and Yankees, the latter team likely still stinging from Kelly’s forthright criticisms.
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