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Trailblazing pitcher Valenzuela passes away

Fernando Valenzuela, the cultural hero and Dodgers icon whose journey from Mexico to MLB inspired the “Fernandomania” global phenomenon during a remarkable life in baseball, has died at the age of 63.

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Five MVP winners in one Fall Classic? That’s never happened before. A World Series between two players who each hit at least 50 homers in the regular season? That’s also never happened before. And there’s more!

With Shohei Ohtani primed to potentially complete two major life goals in 2024 — ones he long ago anticipated checking off in the same year — it seemed like a good time to revisit some of his other high school prognostications.

MLB Pipeline examines how the Yankees and Dodgers fared in the various aspects of player acquisition to build the rosters that got them to the World Series.

With Austin Wells and Will Smith setting up to receive pitches with one knee firmly planted on the ground, Mike Petriello takes a close look at this trend and how these two backstops have fared with this approach.

Twenty-six of the 52 players projected to make World Series rosters made MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 at some point in their careers, including 14 former first-round selections.

For some players, the spotlight of the Fall Classic just seems to enhance their already strong abilities. For others, it seems to up their game to levels previously unseen.

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