Dodgers: Could Yency Almonte Be a Closer in Waiting? One Legendary Slugger Says Yes
If you're looking for a bright spot that came out of the Dodgers' disappointing NLDS loss to the Padres, you're in the right place.
While the bats went completely silent when it mattered most, the Dodgers' bullpen, which was among the best in all of baseball in the regular season, continued their dominance (of course until they didn't in the 7th inning of Game 4).
One former LA hitting coach and MLB slugger loved what he saw out of Almonte in the NLDS, and thinks he has a very bright future within the organization.
"I’m in love with Almonte," Mark McGwire said to the guys on AM570. "I thought what he did and came in really not having much, I know he was up a couple times throughout the year, but coming in the playoffs and showing his nastiness, he might be the closer of the future. I don’t know. I mean, he just looks like nothing bothers him and he’s got some nasty stuff."
That's some very high praise for a guy that had a 7.55 ERA with the Rockies in 2021, but that's just how dominant he was as a member of the Dodgers this season.
Almonte had a stifling 1.02 ERA and 0.79 WHIP across 35.1 innings in the regular season, and had struck out all five batters he faced in the NLDS before coming into a bad situation in Game 4.
He's headed for arbitration this offseason, and will certainly be a part of the Dodgers' bullpen in 2023. Whether or not it's in the role McGwire wants to see him in will definitely depend on who else is on the Dodgers' Opening Day roster in 2023. But he definitely has a shot to be the team's closer, which is pretty crazy considering where he was before he came to the Dodgers.
