Former Orioles starter set to lead the Dodgers into World Series against Yankees

The 2024 World Series is set to kick off later tonight, with the Dodgers set to host the Yankees for Game 1. It's an unusual series in this day and age, as the top seeded teams in each league will face off against one another. While it'd be better if we got to cheer on the Orioles this week, the star power in Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, and Shohei Ohtani makes this one of the most anticipated World Series matchups in recent memory.

Taking the mound for the Dodgers in Game 1 tonight is none other than failed former Orioles starter Jack Flaherty. The Orioles acquired Flaherty at the trade deadline last summer and he went and had just about the worst ten game stretch of his life, leaving a poor taste in the mouths of many Baltimore fans.

Flaherty was significantly better in 2024. He pitched the first half with Detroit, posting a 2.95 ERA in 106.2 innings with a career best 32% strikeout rate. He was good, but not great, in the second half after being acquired by Los Angeles in a trade that sent prospects Trey Sweeney and Thayron Liranzo back to the Tigers.

The Dodgers will have a close eye on Jack Flaherty in Game 1

While he was good throughout the 2024 season, both with the Dodgers and the Tigers, he's come apart at the seams in the postseason. He's gone 15.1 innings across 3 starts, and has pitched to a 7.04 ERA with 7 walks and 8 strikeouts.

Flaherty twirled a gem in Game 1 of the NLCS, pitching 7 scoreless innings with 6 strikeouts in a 9-0 Dodgers victory. However, he got blasted by the Mets in Game 5, getting knocked out after just 3 innings after giving up 8 runs on 8 hits and 4 walks.

The NLCS debacle was Flaherty's second time getting roughed up this October. The Padres got him for 4 runs in 5.1 innings in a tough loss for the Dodgers. This Yankees offense is nothing to sneeze at, so Flaherty has to be on his A-game if the Dodgers want to have a chance at going up 1-0 in the series.

They'll already have to throw at least one bullpen game during the series, meaning there's a ton of pressure riding on Flaherty to show up tonight. Tack on the fact that he's about to enter free agency in the next couple weeks and you can see how there's just a ton riding on this start for the 29 year old.

It's been speculated that the Orioles might try to pursue Flaherty this offseason and entertain a reunion. It feels a bit unlikely that Flaherty would go for it, given how poorly his experience was in Baltimore. However, Flaherty needs to pitch well in the World Series here to prove to teams that he's capable of taking the mound in the biggest spots. We'll see if he can take another step to earning a big payday this winter.