MLB Rumors: Dodgers Believed Yankees Were 'Talent over Fundamentals' in World Series

The New York Yankees' defensive miscues in the decisive Game 5 of the World Series did not come as a surprise to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Per Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Dodgers coaches and scouts told their players in meetings before the series began that the Yankees were "talent over fundamentals" on the field and they had a tendency to hurt themselves with mistakes.

This isn't a slight to the Yankees as much as it is just a flaw in how the roster was constructed. They were tied with the Houston Astros for last in MLB in percentage of extra bases taken, ranked in the bottom half of the league in defensive runs saved at first base and second base, and 15th collectively in the outfield.

Even though their third basemen rated well overall in defensive runs saved, they had moved Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the position in July after he was acquired from the Miami Marlins. He had never played the hot corner before in his MLB career.

The Yankees also made baserunning blunders throughout the postseason. They ran themselves out of innings in the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians to the point that radio announcer John Sterling said on the air they "run the bases like drunks."

They were able to get away with those mistakes against a team like Cleveland that didn't have the power in the lineup to consistently take advantage of them.

The Dodgers have arguably the best lineup in the league and are more than capable of capitalizing when they get extra outs. The Yankees gave them six outs in the fifth inning of Game 5 by committing two errors and giving up an infield hit to Mookie Betts when Gerrit Cole didn't cover first base.

Los Angeles used the extra outs to score five runs that tied the game after Cole had no-hit the NL champs through the first four innings.

The Yankees made it through a weak American League in the playoffs on the strength of their star power, like Cole, Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton. When they finally ran into a team that could match their talent, the series turned into a matter of fundamental execution.

In that area, the Dodgers had a decided advantage. They showed it throughout the series and are celebrating the World Series, while the Yankees will spend the offseason thinking about what might have been.