Dodgers' Andy Pages Proves He's Primed For A Potential Breakout Season

Andy Pages hasn’t forgotten astir past postseason, though he’d for illustration to. And he’d surely for illustration you to hide astir it, excessively — or, well, astir of it.

Feel free to clasp nan intelligence image of his epic smash-and-grab catch complete teammate Kiké Hernández.

That stunning play successful nan bottommost of nan ninth inning didn’t conscionable save Game 7 of nan World Series, it besides spared Pages’ reputation. Covered for nan ignominy of his historically woeful four-for-51 hitting performance.

You cognize what will thief everyone wholly flush those memories? To move nan proverbial page? Maybe support america from mentioning it ever again?

A dependable fare of games like Thursday’s.

In an 8-2 season-opening victory complete nan Arizona Diamondbacks astatine Dodger Stadium, Pages stood retired among his club’s standouts.

And, arsenic nan eighth man successful nan order, he besides served up a reminder that location really will beryllium nary remainder for weary opposing pitchers this season.

The buoyant bottommost of nan lineup has bite, too: Let nan grounds show it was Pages who deed nan Dodgers’ first location tally and drove successful nan club’s first runs to footwear disconnected their pursuit of a 3rd consecutive World Series championship.

That it was he who cracked nan codification against Diamondbacks righty Zac Gallen successful nan 5th inning, teeing disconnected connected a three-run, 400-foot location tally to left-center field.

And that it was his at-bat to lead disconnected nan eighth — a full-count azygous nan different way, into correct section — that Roberts had to mention postgame.

In outpouring training, Roberts anointed Pages arsenic this season’s “pick-to-click” candidate, successful portion because of really difficult nan 25-year-old halfway fielder has been moving connected improving his sheet subject aft swinging astatine 32% of pitches extracurricular of nan area past year.

The pick-to-click favoritism antecedently went to Teoscar Hernández successful 2024, earlier he became an All-Star successful his first play pinch nan Dodgers. Last year, Michael Conforto was Roberts’ pick.

Small wonder, perhaps, that Pages isn’t putting excessively overmuch banal successful his manager’s prediction: “It feels really bully for him to opportunity that astir me, aliases to prime me, but evidently I’m not really focused connected that,” he said, done an interpreter.

What he’s focused on, he said, “is conscionable trying to do everything I can, each day, to get a small spot better.”

That’s what’s sewage his head truthful revved up.

“He’s a complete player,” Roberts gushed. “And I’m excited to spot what he tin do this year.”

Is an Andy Pages Breakout Season loading?

Andy Pages, center, celebrates pinch Teoscar Hernández, left, and Max Muncy aft hitting a three-run location tally successful nan 5th inning Thursday against nan Arizona Diamondbacks.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Were past season’s 27 location runs — 2nd astir connected nan Dodgers, down Shohei Ohtani’s 55 — not a breakout?

I deliberation ... not?

Not erstwhile Pages truthful intelligibly has truthful overmuch much to give.

Now erstwhile he does his homework for illustration he did this spring, stationing himself successful beforehand of a pitching machine, calling retired balls and strikes. (Watch out, Automated Balls and Strikes system?)

Not if nan Dodgers tin travel to spot him astatine nan sheet for illustration they now consciousness unafraid pinch him blanketing nan outfield.

“Even past twelvemonth erstwhile location were questions if he could play halfway section astatine a precocious level,” Roberts said. “And he’s worked his tail off, he really has. Every azygous day, he’s putting successful activity and he conscionable keeps getting amended — his jumps, his lines to nan ball, and evidently nan limb spot is there.”

On Thursday, Pages had different 1 of his sensational snags, taking an perspective that would’ve made a protect backmost proud successful pursuit of Geraldo Perdomo’s alert shot to commencement nan seventh. Stretched out, Pages slid beneath nan shot to adhd to his opening-day item reel.

“I consciousness good,” Pages said, erstwhile I asked him afterward not astir past postseason, but astir his assurance heading into this play — though his mind went backmost location anyway.

“It’s thing that happened earlier, nan postseason is what nan postseason was,” he said. “I’m not really focused connected that, I’m focused connected what I’m doing correct now and my assurance is really precocious correct now.”

Keep it up, and each anyone will retrieve is nan heroics — including those to come.