The 'other' World Series bats who need to step up

Everybody knows about the stars in the Dodgers' and Yankees' lineups.

Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and Mookie Betts are some of the most prominent offensive talents in the Majors. Add Freddie Freeman and Giancarlo Stanton -- the latter of whom has shone brightest during his postseason career -- and you have a big three in each lineup that will be on display in the 2024 World Series.

Those stars will be key for each team trying to secure a World Series title, but it's going to take more than that to get there. Here are 10 hitters who could be key for the Yankees or Dodgers winning the World Series -- five who have been on top of their games so far this postseason, and five who haven't.

Keep the good times rolling

Gleyber Torres, Yankees

It's been a rocky season for the Yankees second baseman, but he's transformed into a completely different hitter since being slotted as the full-time leadoff hitter on Aug. 16. Across 48 games since that point (playoffs included), Torres is hitting .310/.389/.450 and has been a vital cog in front of the big three of Soto, Judge and Stanton. With improved selectivity and overall production, Torres has scored nine runs in the postseason, the most of any Yankees player and sixth most among all players. If Torres continues this pace, it'll go a long way toward ensuring the middle of the Yankees' lineup has plenty of RBI opportunities.

Max Muncy, Dodgers

Muncy fits into the same category as Torres as players who've produced in a big way so far in October. Muncy has been a dominant force in both the power and plate discipline departments. The longtime Dodger is slugging .545 with three home runs and has posted an absurd .468 OBP thanks to a dozen walks in 11 games. Muncy had an especially impressive stretch when he reached base in 12 consecutive plate appearances, the most in a single postseason according to Elias. Muncy continuing to produce in this fashion would make him an impossible out in the World Series, given that he can impact the game in multiple ways.

Tommy Edman, Dodgers

It's been an incredible journey for the super-utility player. To recap: Edman began the season with the Cardinals, but he didn't play a single game due to a right wrist sprain. He was traded to the Dodgers in a three-team Deadline deal that also netted Los Angeles reliever Michael Kopech. Edman debuted for the Dodgers on Aug. 19 and produced roughly near a league-average clip for 37 games while playing multiple positions. After a subpar NL Division Series against the Padres, Edman went off in the NLCS vs. the Mets, collecting 11 hits and 11 RBIs and taking home MVP honors in the series. He will be hard-pressed to expect the same type of series in the Fall Classic, but Edman has taken on a much more important role than expected for the Dodgers.

Kiké Hernández, Dodgers

Hernández's season -- and arguably his career -- took a positive turn this summer when he started wearing glasses just before the All-Star break due to a diagnosis of astigmatism in his right eye. Since the second half began, Hernández is hitting .279/.319/.463 with nine home runs in 64 regular-season and postseason games. He's been even better in the playoffs with an .863 OPS in nine games, which includes his pivotal home run in the winner-take-all Game 5 of the NLDS vs. the Padres. Hernández has always taken it up a notch in the playoffs -- his 15 postseason home runs are tied with Judge for the ninth-most among active players -- and he's proven his worth yet again this October.

Anthony Volpe, Yankees

Volpe hasn't provided much in the way of power (.345 SLG and one extra-base hit) but he's been a key factor at the bottom of the Yanks' lineup with a .310 batting average, .459 OBP and more walks (eight) than strikeouts (six). That type of impact has been especially important given that the Yankees haven't received a ton of production from others near the bottom of the order (more on them later). We already know about the excellent defense, but Volpe's .804 OPS has been a pleasant surprise in the postseason.

Time to step it up

Will Smith, Dodgers

It's been a rough go in the postseason for Smith, who's hitting .158/.289/.316 with just two extra-base hits (both home runs) in 11 playoff games. Smith's overall production was down in the regular season -- his 116 OPS+ was tied for the worst single-season mark in his career -- and he especially struggled down the stretch with a .626 OPS in the second half. Luckily for Smith and the Dodgers, the catcher showed signs of life with a home run in the pennant-clinching win against the Mets and is far too talented to keep hitting like this.

Jazz Chisholm Jr., Yankees

Chisholm has certainly made headlines in October, but his bat has not produced like it did during his regular-season stint with the Yankees. Chisholm has a measly .481 OPS and has just five hits across 38 plate appearances in the playoffs. That's a far cry from what the Yankees saw following their Deadline trade for Chisholm, who had a .825 OPS, 11 home runs and 18 stolen bases in 46 regular-season games for the Yankees. If the electric Yankees third baseman gets going, he has the chance to impact the World Series, both at the plate and on the bases.

Teoscar Hernández, Dodgers

It's probably unfair to lump Hernández into this category since his .690 OPS is hardly disastrous, but it's worth pointing out his struggles in the NLCS. It was a tale of two series for Hernández, who dominated in the NLDS vs. the Padres (two home runs and seven RBIs in five games) but struggled mightily in the NLCS against New York (two hits in 22 at-bats). The Dodgers slugger has been such an important hitter all season long that it's much more likely that we'll see the NLDS version of Hernández rather than the NLCS hitter.

Austin Wells, Yankees

It was a breakout regular season for Wells, who frequently batted in the middle of New York's lineup behind Soto and Judge and will very likely garner AL Rookie of the Year Award votes thanks to his 3.4 Wins Above Replacement (FanGraphs) and 103 OPS+. It's been a struggle in the playoffs for Wells, however, as he has just three hits in 33 at-bats and one extra-base hit (a home run in ALCS Game 4). That's largely due to an inability to make contact -- he's running a 41.7% strikeout rate (15 strikeouts in 36 plate appearances) after striking out in just 21% of his regular-season plate appearances.

Gavin Lux, Dodgers

Lux didn't start in Game 6 of the NLCS against the left-handed Sean Manaea, but with the Yankees having a right-handed heavy pitching staff, there's a good chance we'll see him starting in every game not started by Carlos Rodón. After missing all of 2023 due to injury, Lux churned out an unspectacular but solid regular season (1.5 WAR and 101 OPS+) in '24, although he was excellent in the second half with a .898 OPS in 61 games. The Dodgers infielder has struggled in October though with a .592 OPS and one extra-base hit (a home run in NLDS Game 4). Lux isn't the most prominent Dodger, but he has a chance to fill an important role at the bottom of the lineup.