Dodgers: Dave Roberts Trusts Tyler Anderson's Stuff in the Postseason

After putting together his best season as a big leaguer, Tyler Anderson has earned the trust of the Dodgers.

Sometimes in baseball commentary, some line of thought will suddenly become just common enough that people who want to feel smart will talk about it as if they came up with it. One minute, no one is talking about it at all, and in the blink of an eye, every talking head or tweeting finger with more reading ability than analytical brainpower is spouting it like it's the law of gravity and they're Isaac Newton.

The latest example of this is the overhyped concern that All-Star Tyler Anderson's low strikeout rate will hurt him in the postseason. Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times talked to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts about those concerns, and Roberts correctly thinks it's a bunch of hogwash.

“I think one slant as far as pitching in the playoffs is people kind of look toward strikeouts and stuff, but I just don’t think that stuff is created equal,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “The radar gun is easy to quantify, but command, being able to sequence [pitches] is important.

“He’s got a [superb] changeup, and most importantly, he’s a guy that I trust. The postseason is about putting guys in a position to succeed, but also going with guys that you believe in and trust.”

Here's the thing about the postseason: it's still baseball. As much as people want to pretend otherwise, the game doesn't change just because the calendar flipped to October. There are some differences, to be sure — most notably, a team can be successful with three starters, instead of needing five to get through the regular season — but once the game actually starts, it's the same game as it has been all year.

Could Anderson flop in October? Sure. He flopped in May against the Phillies, in June against the White Sox, and in August against the Giants. What do those three teams have in common? Easy: He won't face any of them in October.

Roberts is counting on Anderson to be a big piece of the puzzle to get them to a World Series title, just as he's been a big piece of getting them to 110 wins (and counting) in the regular season.

“He’s gonna be a big piece of it,” Roberts said of Anderson’s role in the World Series pursuit. “Every outing, every inning, every pitch is important, but he’s gonna take down a lot of innings for us to be good and to win a championship. Knowing he’s going to start a game in the first series beyond … he’s obviously earned that.”

October baseball is still baseball, and Tyler Anderson has become really good at baseball.