3 lessons SF Giants can learn from Dodgers' World Series success

The Los Angeles Dodgers are once again World Series champions, and the SF Giants are once again wondering what went wrong. Here are three lessons the Giants can learn from their division rivals' playoff success.

3 lessons SF Giants must learn from the Dodgers

1. Find yourself a superstar

Shockingly, out of the 25 top hitters in the playoffs, according to OPS, the Dodgers had just one. That player, was, of course, Shohei Ohtani, who posted a 1.096 OPS in 17 playoff games. Not only did Ohtani hit eight home runs and drive in 14 runs, but he also started four games on the mound, posting a 2-1 record and a 4.43 ERA.

While his pitching performance might not have been perfect, Ohtani had one of the best offensive postseasons for any DH, and that helped carry the Dodgers' offense to a World Series Title.

Do the Giants have a superstar like Ohtani? Willy Adames and Rafael Devers have both shown they are capable of playing like one for a month or two. Can they do it in the postseason? Time will tell.

2. Don't be afraid to be creative

The Dodgers bullpen was ridiculed throughout the regular season, so much to the point that many analysts counted them out of World Series contention. What those analysts did not anticipate was manager Dave Roberts ability to get creative. He converted rookie starter Roki Sasaki into a closer, stabilizing the pen and allowing some of the other, overworked Dodgers relievers to take a step out of the pressure. It worked like a charm.

3. Clutch matters

The Dodgers did not play perfect baseball throughout the postseason, but they were certainly clutch. Freddy Freeman hit another walk-off home run. Miguel Rojas and Will Smith delivered solo home runs in the final innings of Game 7 to deliver the Dodgers' victory. Kike Hernandez continued to flash impressive defense, as did Rojas and Mookie Betts in the infield. Perhaps most impressive, Will Klein delivered four shutout innings in Game 3, a game the Dodgers won in the eighteenth inning.

The Dodgers proved that while not every player has to be a star, every player has to have the clutch gene. Los Angeles put together a team that was truly made for the moment, and the Giants should follow suit in 2026.