Joe Kelly can’t stop piling on the Yankees after his Dodgers’ five-game World Series conquest.
During the latest installment of his “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast, the outspoken Dodgers reliever turned up the heat on his Yankees hate when he called their World Series opponents “lazy,” and that they were the “eighth or ninth” best team in the postseason.
“We had seen it every single game just let them throw the ball to the infield, they can’t make a play,” Kelly said. “… It was a mismatch from the get-go. If we had a playoff re-ranking, they might be ranked the eighth or ninth-best playoff team.
“You’re putting the Padres ahead of them, you’re putting the Phillies ahead of them, you’re putting the Mets ahead of them, you’re putting the Braves ahead of them, and the Braves just got unlucky because they had to play that doubleheader.
“I mean, the Guardians played like crap, but the Guardians played better [defense] and better baseball all around. It was just a complete mismatch.”
Kelly’s comments confirm a report from The Post’s Joel Sherman.
“What the Dodgers told their players in scouting meetings was the Yankees were talent over fundamentals,” Sherman wrote last week. “That if you run the bases with purpose and aggression, the Yankees will self-inflict harm as was exposed by Mookie Betts, Tommy Edman, Freddie Freeman, etc. That the value was very high to put the ball in play to make the Yankees execute.”
The Yankees indeed imploded in the fifth inning of Game 5, making two errors — committed by Aaron Judge and Anthony Volpe — and a third gaffe when Gerrit Cole failed to cover first base that allowed the Dodgers to score five runs to tie the game.
Gleyber Torres also misplayed a relay throw in Game 1 that allowed Shohei Ohtani to advance to third base and eventually score the tying run.
Kelly, who didn’t play throughout the Dodgers’ postseason run due to a shoulder issue, explained that the Dodgers were overly confident about facing the Yankees — and everyone knew it.
“All we knew is that we had to just play regular Dodger baseball… we didn’t have to do anything crazy, and we were going to win the World Series. It’s facts. Just look at the team, look at the talent. Rerank the teams and they’re ranked eighth and they played against the No. 1 seed and everyone knew.
“We go through numerous scouting reports… We pay attention to every single detail. We have a lot of big superstars in our clubhouse, but our superstars also care and aren’t lazy and play hard. So that’s the difference and the biggest separator.”
It is unclear which Yankees Kelly thinks are lazy.
Kelly went scorched earth on the Yankees after his co-host said the Pinstripes were “chirping” throughout the World Series.
“That’s cute,” Kelly said, laughing.
Kelly added that he was close to returning for the World Series.
“I was throwing in the bullpen,” he said. “My last two bullpens I was throwing 94 [mph], which is pretty great…Even when I’m 100 percent healthy that’s my max I hit in a bullpen… 22 pitches each bullpen. I was ready to go, that’s for sure.”
This wasn’t the first time Kelly ripped the Yankees.
After Game 5, Kelly said he knew it would be an easy win the moment he saw Bronx native Fat Joe on the Jumbotron before the fifth inning — when the Yankees blew a 5-0 lead.
Fat Joe began trending on X after he was roasted by some on social media for his performance ahead of Game 3 at Yankee Stadium.
Los Angeles outfielder Kiké Hernandez also criticized the rapper’s performance during the Dodgers’ championship parade on Friday.
“We didn’t even need to play, because after that performance, we had already won,” Hernandez said, which drew laughs from fans at Dodger Stadium.
