How Blue Jays' bats can wear out the Dodgers' formidable rotation

"The Dodgers-Blue Jays matchup has been billed as a David and Goliath story, but what if it's really the team that gets the most strikeouts against the team that never strikes out? The Dodgers' formidable rotation has defined their postseason success so far. But the Blue Jays have also had tremendous success solving the game's best pitchers this year. So, if there's one strategic angle to watch in this series, it's how the Blue Jays' lineup wears down the Dodgers starters."

"The Blue Jays haven't had to rely on their contact so far in the postseason, as the other areas of their offence have risen to their level. Toronto leads most October power stats by a wide margin, including SLG (.523) and ISO (.227), and their 20 home runs are tied for first with the recently dispatched Seattle Mariners. Spectacularly, they've done this while hitting for a much higher average (.296) and recording a lower strikeout rate (14.8%) against the best pitching MLB has to offer."

"Toronto's low strikeout rate and high contact rate are of particular interest here. The Dodgers are reliant on these strikeouts because their defence is markedly average. According to Statcast, it ranked 17th in MLB with a neutral run value of zero. The Blue Jays led the majors with a plus-45. It may not be Yankee-level bad, but facing more balls in play could spell trouble"

The Toronto Blue Jays are in the World Series for the first time since 1993. The matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers pits a contact-oriented offense against a rotation that generates many strikeouts. The Dodgers' starters posted a 1.40 ERA with 81 strikeouts and 19 walks over 64.1 postseason innings while allowing only two home runs. Blake Snell struck out 10 over eight one-hit innings in his recent start. Toronto leads October power metrics with a .523 SLG, .227 ISO and 20 home runs, while batting .296 with a 14.8% strikeout rate. Dodger defense ranks 17th by Statcast, while Toronto's defense ranks plus-45; more balls in play could favor the Blue Jays.

Read at BlueJaysNation