"Freddie Freeman gets on guys when they don't get proper leads" - Dodgers coach shares insight on superstars' attention to detail and process

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been one of the most dominant MLB teams of the past decade. Since 2015, the team has yet to miss the postseason and has been to the World Series four times, capturing it in 2020 and 2024.

In the "Dodgers Territory" podcast hosted by Alana Rizzo, Dodgers coach Chris Woodward shared which players inside the clubhouse have taken the lead in certain aspects of the game.

"Freddie Freeman gets on guys when they don't get proper leads," Woodward said. (19:40-19:45)

Woodward shared that stars like Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts are the squad's de facto leaders who keep the members in check. He also shared that a huge emphasis is given to team legend Clayton Kershaw and the pitching crew to deliver the goods when needed.

"Mookie [Betts] gets on guys when they don't put their work in. Obviously, Kershaw and the pitching staff is expected to put in the work. What's expected of the team is to not just be good enough, it's to be the best in baseball." (19:45-19:56)

Dodgers coach discusses the hardships of winning a World Series title

Given the Dodgers' stacked lineup on both pitching and hitting, podcast host Alana Rizzo asked Woodward if there are any reasons that the team couldn't run back what they did in 2024.

The first base coach replied to the query:

"Listen, it's hard to repeat. It hasn't been done in a long time. The Yankees were the last team to do it and it's really hard in any sport. You see that almost every year when a team wins the title, they follow it up by missing the playoffs in the following campaign." (18:30-18:43)

Woodward's claim wasn't unwarranted, though, as the 2023 world champion Texas Rangers went on the undesirable track by tallying a 78-84 record in 2024. This was dubbed by pundits as one of the worst title defense seasons in MLB history.

He further discussed that the biggest asset that a powerhouse team could have is its mindset.

"We're most likely going to make the playoffs as we have a talented team as long as we keep our sights on things that we can control and we don't get caught up in the moment." (18:44-18:57)

Chris Woodward spent time as a third base coach with the organization from 2016 to 2018. He was brought back to the club in 2023 as a special assistant and was named as the first base coach in November 2024 to replace the outgoing Clayton McCullough.