“I hold all the cards now” - When David Price silenced critics after dominating Dodgers to win World Series 2018
David Price was one of the most feared pitchers of his generation. While he may not have had the elite longevity of some of his peers such as Justin Verlander or Max Scherzer, he was one of the top pitchers in the game in his prime.
Despite his success, including winning an American League Cy Young Award with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2012, the postseason continually held him back. While Price was as consistent as it came in the regular season, his numbers in the playoffs left much to be desired.
After stops in Tampa Bay and Detroit, Price signed with the Boston Red Sox before the 2016 season for a club-record seven-year, $217 million contract. While he had certainly earned that contract, questions about his playoff struggles lingered.
"It was tough, absolutely, to answer that question in Spring Training day and day and day, over and over and over, any time it got to September, playoffs," Price told the media about the constant questions surrounding his postseason struggles.
For Price, however, he would finally put those issues and the narrative against him to rest in the 2018 postseason. Despite struggling against the New York Yankees in the 2018 ALDS, Price was able to shake off his postseason demons and pitch in the playoffs like he had been able to throughout his regular season career.
Price was dominant throughout the postseason, particularly in the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, posting a 2-0 record with a 1.98 ERA over 13.2 innings of work. These performances meant more to Price than simply winning ball games.
"I hold all of the cards now and it feels so good. That feels so good. I can't tell you how good it feels to hold that trump card. You guys have had it for a long time, you've played that card extremely well but you don't have it anymore, none of you do and that feels really good," Price said of finally overcoming his postseason struggles.
David Price and the Boston Red Sox win the World Series
Thanks to the elite performances from Price, the five-time All-Star and the Boston Red Sox went on the World Series 4–1 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Price did not win the World Series MVP, that honor would go to journeyman Steve Pearce. However, the superstar pitcher received several accolades based on his excellent performances.
Price was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year for 2018 and earned the Babe Ruth Award from the Baseball Writers' Association of America, given to the player with the best performance of the postseason. Given his playoff struggles, Price's 2018 season will likely be one that he will never forget.