Down the stretch and into the postseason, Ben Rortvedt became something of a Los Angeles Dodgers folk hero. The defensive-minded journeyman had been an afterthought at the time of his acquisition, but proved vital in the midst of Will Smith's injury and Dalton Rushing's struggles.
Rortvedt's .224/.309/.327 regular-season line was more or less standard backup catcher fare, but it was the way he navigated the pitching staff through some of their most dominant performances of the season that drew attention.
As Smith healed, the Dodgers bumped Rushing in favor of Rortvedt for the NLCS roster, and the 28-year-old backstop's .