Michael Kopech and Blake Treinen of the Dodgers remain rooted in the Word of God

As the star-studded 2024 World Series begins between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers – two of the three teams with the best runs per game – both clubs understand that a strong bullpen will be crucial to success.

And if the conclusion of Game 6 of the NLCS was any indication of what's to come, the Dodgers are confident in who they'll have on the mound during those pressure-packed moments.

>> Subscribe to Sports Spectrum Magazine for more stories where sports and faith intertwine

28-year-old Michael Kopech is normally a reliever, but got a rare start in Game 6, batting the first inning with his clearly crossed glove. Then 36-year-old Blake Treinen finished the game, pitching the final two innings and relying on his experience to overcome the mounting pressure to win the finale and send the Dodgers to the World Series.

WORLD SERIES BOUND. pic.twitter.com/dSCoZ7IRJR

– Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 21, 2024

Kopech joined the Dodgers relatively recently. In a trade that included Tommy Edman, he was traded midseason this July to the Chicago White Sox, the only MLB team he had ever known. Kopech made 24 regular season relief appearances in a Dodger jersey and posted an impressive 1.13 ERA.

Meanwhile, Treinen has been with the organization since signing with LA in December 2019. He had some of his best seasons with the Dodger Blues despite missing all of 2023 due to injury.

Kopech and Treinen not only share a clubhouse and soon a World Series mound, but they also believe in God. Both accompanied legendary Dodgers pitcher and fellow believer Clayton Kershaw at the Dodgers' “Faith and Family” celebration in September.

“It’s a very unfulfilling game,” Kopech said at the event, describing the ups and downs of baseball. “There is no consequence, and that made me realize I needed something deeper.”

In a vulnerable moment, Kopech revealed that he had strayed from his faith because he replaced God with baseball on the throne of his heart.

“I lived a life striving to be wanted. Living a life at this level of idolatry,” Kopech told AllCHGO.com in 2022. “It's stressful to do that to yourself because you shouldn't live like that. And I really believe that now.”

Ultimately, it was God who brought him back to himself through the discipleship of his wife and others. As Kopech now experiences the joy of a restored relationship with God who loves him unconditionally, he resonates strongly with the younger son in the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15.

He even sees God's providence in his trade from Chicago to LA

“God has his hand in everything,” Kopech said after the trade, according to MLB.com. “And that step, to me right now, feels like where I’m supposed to be.”

At the “Faith and Family” celebration, Treinen also spoke about one of his favorite passages from the Bible, Romans 10:9. It says: “If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Treinen said of the verse: “God knows your heart. You can't just fake it. Faith is not about seeking the benefits of heaven; It’s about really believing in your heart.”

With the platform God has given him, Treinen seeks to steward it to the glory of God so that others may hear the good news of the gospel and respond in faith as he did.

“Our job is to humble our hearts and admit that we are sinners and in need of a Savior,” he said, “and that Jesus paid for it on the cross.”

That's exactly what he did after the Dodgers' victory over the San Diego Padres in this year's NLDS.

“I have to give God the glory” Treinen told FOX Sports on the field after the game. “It is one of the most memorable days of my life. … For God to give me the opportunity to finish a game with the Dodgers against this great team is a true blessing.”

“Man, I can’t talk. I've been screaming for the last three games, I've lost my voice. It’s a lot of fun, I’m looking forward to being with my boys.”

Blake Treinen joins us @Ken_Rosenthal after the Dodgers eliminated the Padres pic.twitter.com/C2rYWYCyLJ

– FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 12, 2024

The Dodgers are facing some of the most important games in the players' lives in the coming days. The baseball world's attention will be on them because the World Series title is at stake. But for Kopech, Treinen and other believers on both teams, they believe that an all-knowing, all-powerful and all-good God is in control of all things.

“I think there's a sense of peace within me knowing that as big as (MLB baseball) is, it's not even close to the biggest stage,” Kopech told AllCHGO.com. “…It takes a whole load off my shoulders to realize that something else is in control and someone else is in control. There’s a lot of peace in that.”

Game 1 between the Dodgers (98-64) and the Yankees (94-68) takes place on Friday in Los Angeles. First pitch is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. ET.

>> Do you know Christ personally? Learn how to trust Him with your life.

RELATED STORIES:
– Christ-following Clay Holmes, Luke Weaver to anchor the Yankees bullpen
– Blake Treinen of the Dodgers finds his identity in Christ through MLB trials and triumphs
– A's Helper Blake Treinen is guided through crucial times by faith in Christ
– “Servant of Jesus” Tommy Edman, NLCS MVP, leads Dodgers to World Series
– Manager Dave Roberts leads the Dodgers and strives to keep God at the center