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Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez joined teammate Mookie Betts to discuss the competitiveness of the NL West. Both players previously played in the American League and had faced off against each other in the AL East.
The duo sat down during a recent episode of the On Base with Mookie Betts podcast, where Betts shared his thoughts on the intensity of division matchups:
“We came up in the AL East together… But that division, we used to beat up on each other. Everybody was really good. The NL West, it's kind of the same way. We have a lot of really good teams in this division and it makes it tough because you got to show up every day.
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"Like, not that you didn't before. You can't just coast through the season because these teams are really good and their coasting is winning a lot of ballgames as well.”
Joining the conversation with Betts, Teoscar Hernandez said:
“It's pressure, but no pressure. I enjoy competing. It's good to win. If I can win 162, yes, good. For me, it's more like the excitement of baseball. It's not about winning, winning, winning, winning, winning, winning. If you don't feel the pressure from the other teams, I don't think you're enjoying it.”
The NL West teams, especially the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Francisco Giants, are in a tight race for the top spot. The Padres currently lead the division with a 17–8 record, followed closely by the Dodgers at 16–9 and the Giants at 15–9.
Teoscar Hernandez reflects on 2024 division series rivals while discussing division competitiveness
Adding to the conversation about competitiveness, Teoscar Hernandez brought up their 2024 NLDS showdown with the San Diego Padres. Reflecting on it, he said:
“Last year when everybody was talking about the Padres and I like this. It was fun. I like the pressure. I like the atmosphere that is around when these two teams face each other. It's not going to be like, oh yeah, Padres are going to win or the Dodgers are going to win. Who knows?”
In the 2024 NLDS, the Padres led the series 2-1 after the first three games. However, Los Angeles bounced back with dominant 8-0 and 2-0 victories in the final two games, clinching the series and advancing as the NLDS winners.
