Should the Dodgers BENCH Shohei Ohtani? | NLCS & ALCS Breakdowns

Should the Los Angeles Dodgers actually consider BENCHING Shohei Ohtani? The Milwaukee Brewers have jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the NLCS, Cleveland has stolen Game 1 of the ALCS from Tampa Bay, and the New York Yankees are facing some uncomfortable questions after another disappointing October. Derek VanRiper, Eno Sarris and Britt Ghiroli break down the latest MLB playoff action on Rates & Barrels, including Milwaukee's formula for beating the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani's struggles, Cleveland's pitching strategy against the Rays, and a deep dive into what went wrong for the 2026 Yankees. Milwaukee has taken the first two games of the NLCS despite facing Tarik Skubal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. What's making the Brewers so difficult to beat? The crew examines Milwaukee's incredible plate discipline, aggressive base running, bullpen dominance and fastball-heavy pitching strategy. William Contreras is delivering huge postseason hits, Bryce Turang is coming through in critical moments, and the Dodgers' superstar lineup is struggling to answer. Looking ahead to Game 3, can Blake Snell and the Dodgers turn the series around against Robert Gasser? The Guardians stunned Tampa Bay in ALCS Game 1, rallying against Drew Rasmussen and the Rays' bullpen. Did Kevin Cash leave Rasmussen in too long? How did Cleveland use Tampa Bay's platoon weaknesses to its advantage? And can the Guardians maintain their momentum against Freddy Peralta in Game 2? DVR, Eno and Britt examine Cleveland's aggressive approach at the plate, Parker Messick's workload, the impact of Chase DeLauter and Patrick Bailey, and Junior Caminero's injury scare. Another 90-win season. Another October disappointment. And another winter of questions in the Bronx. Britt Ghiroli examines the Yankees' lack of accountability, the health concerns surrounding Aaron Judge, and why the organizational culture may no longer resemble the Yankees teams that won championships. Should Aaron Boone return? What changes should Brian Cashman make? Can the Yankees build a roster that wins with contact, defense and situational baseball instead of relying so heavily on power? What do you think? Should the Dodgers bench Ohtani? Are the Brewers the NL favorites? And what needs to change for the Yankees to win another World Series? Drop your thoughts in the comments! 👍 Like, subscribe and drop us a comment! 💬 Join the Rates & Barrels Discord:   / discord   📰 Subscribe to The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels 👕 Rates & Barrels Merch: https://rates-and-barrels.printify.me/ Follow Rates & Barrels: Derek VanRiper on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/dvr.bsky.social Eno Sarris on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/enosarris.bs... 📧 ratesandbarrels@gmail.com Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris Contributor:Britt Ghiroli Executive Producer & Editor:McEnroe Francis #MLBPlayoffs #Brewers #Dodgers #ShoheiOhtani #Yankees #RatesAndBarrels 00:00 – Guardians Win Game 1; Brewers Take Control of NLCS 02:34 – Did Kevin Cash Leave Drew Rasmussen in Too Long? 06:55 – How Cleveland Exploited Tampa Bay's Platoon Weaknesses 10:33 – Junior Caminero's Injury Scare and the Rays' Offense 13:43 – Guardians' Aggressive Approach Against Rasmussen 15:18 – ALCS Game 2 Preview: Parker Messick vs. Freddy Peralta 19:16 – Is Parker Messick Running Out of Gas? 21:43 – Brewers Lead Dodgers 2-0 in the NLCS 23:24 – Milwaukee's Winning Formula: Plate Discipline and Baserunning 25:40 – Shohei Ohtani's Health and Dodgers' Offensive Struggles 26:28 – Why Milwaukee's Fastball Strategy Is Working 28:15 – How the Dodgers Attacked Jacob Misiorowski 30:17 – The Brewers' Dominant Bullpen 32:17 – William Contreras, Christian Yelich and Cooper Pratt 35:04 – Bryce Turang's Home Run and Bullpen Matchups 38:39 – What Went Wrong with Yoshinobu Yamamoto? 39:57 – Why Haven't the Dodgers Used Edwin Díaz? 44:57 – NLCS Game 3 Preview: Robert Gasser vs. Blake Snell 48:05 – Should the Dodgers Bench Shohei Ohtani? 50:40 – Closing the Tab: The 2026 New York Yankees 51:25 – Aaron Judge, Aaron Boone and the Yankees' Future 54:10 – New York's Offseason Roster Decisions 56:43 – Why the Yankees Need More Than Power 59:58 – New York's Defensive and Lineup Problems 01:02:36 – Are the Yankees Behind Baseball's Contact Revolution? 01:03:36 – Is the Yankees' Culture of Accountability Gone? 01:06:30 – The Yankees' Success Since Their Last World Series 01:08:12 – Final Thoughts and What's Next