Teoscar Hernández Reveals Why Dodgers Are 'Different' Than Other Organizations

Valentina Martinez | Jan 4, 2025

Oct 26, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Tommy Edman (25) celebrates with outfielder Teoscar Hernandez (37) and outfielder Mookie Betts (50) after hitting a solo home run in the second inning against the New York Yankees during game two of the 2024 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Dodgers have a reputation for being an organization where players not only want to play, but also where they are taken care of. Teoscar Hernández revealed the Dodgers franchise separated itself from others teams around the league because of the investment in its players.

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“The Dodgers, they’re different,” Hernández said at his press conference on Friday. “They think about everybody. Not only the players, not only the things I can do on the field. For me, they just give me the confidence. I never got that really in the other places that I worked. They trust in everything that I can give them, and to this team and this organization. And that was one of the biggest things for me, that pushed me to the best job that I can do.”

One of the driving factors for bringing Hernández back was actually general manager Brandon Gomes' daughter who continually asked her father when the outfielder would return.

“She’s been asking me every day since the end of the season, ‘Are we bringing Teo back?’” Gomes said.

Like Gomes' daughter, several Dodgers fans had been anxious for the Dodgers to get a deal done with Hernández. The return of the fan favorite is important for his impact on the field and in the clubhouse.

“You can feel the energy he brings to the clubhouse, the infectious smile that he has each and every day,” Gomes said. “It’s not a surprise of why he’s become such a fan favorite and so popular in the clubhouse.

“Doc says this all the time, and it’s something that I believe wholeheartedly as well, you play the game the right way, the game will honor you and the game will reward you. What Teo has done, taking care of mentoring his younger teammates and having the amount of big moments that he had and us being able to sit here today is all a testament to that.”

The Dodgers' reputation wasn't crafted without the help of the players. The organization looks for a certain type of player, beyond skill level—and Hernández fits that mold.

“We’ve created a situation here with the Dodgers that the bar is extremely high,” manager Dave Roberts said. “You’ve got to be good on the field, and you’ve got to play the game a certain way, because what that does is it makes people around you better. It holds his teammates accountable. And when you’re looking at young players in the system, they have something aspire to work, and for us, Teo checked every single box.”

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