Joe Kelly Shreds 2018 Dodgers, 2024 Yankees In Wild Rant Red Sox Fans Will Love

Joe Kelly has made clear he saw a very flawed group matching up against the Los Angeles Dodgers last year in the New York Yankees.

He apparently had similar sentiments about the 2018 Dodgers.

Kelly, who has won World Series with the Red Sox and Dodgers, was a pivotal reliever from Boston’s 2018 team, which ultimately beat Los Angeles in five games.

Though he was hurt for the 2024 Fall Classic, Kelly still had a front-row seat to the Dodgers’ dismantling of the Yankees. Kelly then made the media rounds, taking aim at New York’s shortcomings — largely their fundamentals.

Now, as he teases a potential return, Kelly is back launching missiles at his former World Series opponents.

“I thought the same thing (about the Yankees) as the 2018 World Series when I was with the Red Sox,” Kelly said on the Foul Territory podcast. “They’re batting Kiké Hernández fourth — are you kidding me? I told them that to their faces. That’s why they loved me. I said ‘Guys, you’re batting Kiké fourth and platooning guys in the World Series. What? This is the best the National League has to offer?

“And then I said the same thing about the Yankees when I was on the Dodgers. I said this is just a completely different mismatch of a team. And that’s what happens, that’s what happens in baseball. That’s why there needs to be playoff re-ranking, because you need the two best teams — like the Padres and the Dodgers — to play in the World Series. Period. That’s it. Figure it out. There’s no other way around it.

“You can’t have the two best teams match up in the first round in anything. People’s feelings get hurt, but I don’t give a crap. You know, it’s the truth.”

Of course, the Dodgers’ approach to the World Series didn’t ultimately deter Kelly from signing there, as he inked a three-year deal with Los Angeles weeks after winning the World Series with Boston.