‘Real’ Buehler helps put Dodgers on cusp of title
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Alden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff Writer
NEW YORK — Walker Buehler had spent all year wondering if he’d ever recapture who he was, when his fastball was overpowering and his confidence was unrivaled. By the time he took the mound for Game 3 of the World Series, he had evolved from searching to accepting to surviving over these past six months. If he was going to give his Los Angeles Dodgers a chance in the biggest of games, Buehler thought, he’d basically have to reinvent himself every time he toed the rubber in October.
And then, somehow, in what might be his last game as a Dodger, the old Buehler showed up.
In front of a hostile Yankee Stadium crowd and against a desperate-yet-overpowering New York Yankees lineup, Buehler cruised through five scoreless innings, riding a suddenly lively fastball and setting the tone in a backbreaking 4-2 victory on Monday night. The Dodgers have now taken a commanding 3-0 lead in this World Series, sitting just one win away from their first title in four years and their first full-season championship since 1988. Buehler’s best self showed up just in time to put them there.
“There’s a lot of questions about him,” Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts said. “But when those lights turn on, this is the real Walker Buehler.”
Freddie Freeman, looking healthier than he has all month, gave the Dodgers an immediate two-run lead with a first-inning homer, his third in a stretch of six at-bats. Betts continued his stirring October, working a nine-pitch at-bat to drive in a run in the top of the third and making a sprawling catch in the bottom of the fourth. As a whole, the Dodgers continued to be sound on defense and stingy on offense.
But it was Buehler who set the tone, allowing just four baserunners — two via hit, two via walk — and striking out five. It was surprising, but it also felt familiar. Buehler previously pitched seven scoreless innings against the Boston Red Sox in Game 3 of the 2018 World Series and six innings of one-run ball against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 3 of the 2020 World Series. His 0.50 ERA is the sixth lowest for a pitcher’s first three World Series starts since earned runs became an official statistic in 1913. It might not be a coincidence.
“I think, as kind of brutal as it is to say, it takes that adrenaline and stuff to really get me going mentally,” Buehler said. “I wish I would have felt that all year. I could tell you I’m excited to pitch every single game I’ve ever gone out there, but there is something different in the playoffs.
“At least long term for me, to get through the playoffs in the way that I have, it’s really encouraging for me personally because I know it’s in there and I’ve just got to unlock it a little bit. But that feeling of there’s an organization relying on me today to win a playoff game — I think it’s the weight that I like feeling and gets me in a certain place mentally that it’s kind of hard to replicate.”
Buehler, a free agent at season’s end, generated six swing-and-misses on his fastball, his most since 2021. That year, Buehler finished fourth in National League Cy Young Award voting, going 16-4 with a 2.47 ERA. He was 27 and looked like one of the game’s best pitchers. Then he struggled through the first 2½ months of 2022 and underwent a second Tommy John surgery that didn’t place him back atop a major league mound until May of this season.
Buehler posted a 5.84 ERA in his first eight regular-season starts and a 4.93 ERA over his last eight regular-season starts. In between, he landed on the IL with a hip injury and went on hiatus to a private performance facility in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, in hopes of rediscovering himself.
Buehler’s inclusion on the Dodgers’ postseason rotation was a product of the injuries that prevented the likes of Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw and Gavin Stone from contributing. But October has brought out something different in him. It began in Game 3 of the National League Division Series, during which Buehler gave up six runs in a second inning that saw the Dodgers’ defense make a multitude of mistakes but followed with three scoreless innings to save the bullpen. In Game 3 of the NL Championship Series, he rode a highly effective curveball to continually get out of jams and keep the New York Mets scoreless through four innings. In Game 3 of the World Series, that fastball was back. So was everything else.
“I thought his stuff was as good as it’s been all year,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I thought the fastball had life. The cutter was good. The curveball was good. He pitched all quadrants and kept those guys honest, kept them at bay. There was no stress.”
Buehler found comfort in pitching from the stretch during his last start from Citi Field. It’s far more tiring than pitching from the windup because he has to exert more force to throw at his normal velocity, Buehler explained, but it keeps his mechanics tight. It also can be a tool to mess with opposing hitters’ timing.
“I think, as kind of brutal as it is to say, it takes that adrenaline and stuff to really get me going mentally. I wish I would have felt that all year. I could tell you I’m excited to pitch every single game I’ve ever gone out there, but there is something different in the playoffs.”
Dodgers Game 3 starter Walker Buehler
Buehler began Game 3 with a leadoff walk but followed by retiring Juan Soto, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton in order. Shortly thereafter, he struck out four consecutive batters on four different pitches — a fastball, a curveball, a sweeper and a sinker. The Yankees threatened with a Stanton double and an Anthony Volpe single in the fourth, but Teoscar Hernandez gunned Stanton down at home to end the inning. Buehler then cruised through the bottom of the order in the fifth, handing the game over to the Dodgers’ high-leverage relievers.
Starting pitching was by far the Dodgers’ biggest concern, both in this series and throughout the playoffs. And yet Jack Flaherty, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Buehler have combined to post a 1.62 ERA, stifling the Yankees’ biggest advantage and putting L.A. one win away from its first title since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Buehler won his last two starts in those playoffs, blanking the Atlanta Braves with the Dodgers’ season on the line in Game 6 of the NLCS and coming back to pitch six innings of one-run ball against the Rays the following round.
Four years later — after a stretch that saw him go from dominant to bad, injured, recovering, ineffective and, lastly, uncertain — that man reemerged at the most important time.
As Buehler said, “It makes the regular season worth it for me.”
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
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