McAdam: Could Red Sox hitting coach Tim Hyers be the Red Sox' secret World Series weapon?

In modern baseball, knowledge if power. Teams construct large analytics departments and staff them with data specialists. They deploy advance scouts to watch opponents. They scour video to discern tendencies and hope to stumble upon something that can help them steal signs.

No edge is considered too small. A key pitch here, a shift of a defender there, could mean the difference in an inning, or a game, or the series.

When a championship is at stake, every last bit of information is considered.

That's where Tim Hyers come in.

Hyers is the Red Sox' first-year hitting instructor, a job he performed well, given that the Red Sox led the majors in runs scored, batting average, hits, total bases, slugging percentage and OPS.

But beyond getting his hitters prepared for their World Series date with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Hyers will also be serving as an invaluable resource in the Red Sox scouting and game-planning meetings. Last year, Hyers served as the Dodgers' assistant hitting coach and his takeaways about the Dodgers hitters will be most welcome as the Sox help their pitchers combat the L.A. lineup.

"I think it helps some,'' agreed Hyers on Sunday as the Red Sox worked out in anticipation of Game 1 Tuesday. "Being with them for two years, I know a lot of the guys. Then again, when a year goes by, hitters change. Some of those (younger) guys have grown up and gained a lot of experience this year. I think it helps some, just because I do know them. But, like I said, being that a year's passed, some things have changed.''

Indeed, Hyers can't be counted on to provide up-to-the-minute insight into some of the Dodgers, especially since they've added Brian Dozier, Manny Machado, and others since Hyers left last November.

But the core of the Dodgers' everyday lineup -- Justin Turner, Cody Bellinger, Yasiel Puig, Yasmani Grandal -- were all there when Hyers teamed with primary hitting coach Turner Ward. And he's undoubtedly retained bits of information and remembrances of hot zones and tendencies that can be of some benefit to Red Sox pitchers.

Generally speaking, Hyers noted, the Dodgers are a team that seeks to capitalize on a pitcher's mistakes.

"They're looking for a pitch, in their area, to do damage with it,'' said Hyers. "They're very patient. One thing I give them credit for is they don't expand the zone very often. They make you throw strikes. If you don't throw strikes, they don't swing. That's one thing I remember. They have guys who are very selective -- they will wait you out.

"And when they get their pitch, they can do damage. One through eight (in the Dodgers' order) can really slug the baseball.''

Any insight is welcome for games of this magnitude and that's especially true since the Sox and Dodgers haven't met since 2016, meaning there's little in the way of head-to-head matchups upon which they can rely.

"I can help Dana (LeVangie, Red Sox pitching coach) with what they're thinking, what their mentality is,'' said Hyers. "There's general stuff -- what they like (to hit), where they like the baseball, some hot zones that work within their swing. Every hitter probably matches up with certain pitches and certain areas, and just being with them for a long time, I kind of have an idea of what they like and where they like it.''

Over as many as seven games, Hyers won't be able to help Boston pitchers if, say, they mislocate a fastball to Puig or Turner. For all the preparation and study that goes into the games, ultimately it largely rests with execution. If a pitcher knows what to throw and where, but fails to hit his target, all the knowledge in the world isn't going to keep a bad pitch from resulting in damage.

But one tiny bit of information -- gleaned from a batting cage session, or bit of video work, or a back-field spring training drill -- on a Dodger hitter could get the Red Sox out of a big jam in the next 10 days. And that could swing a game, and even determine who gets a ring and a parade and who goes home emptyhanded for the winter.

There's plenty for which to prepare, too. Even for a National League club, the Dodgers are exceptionally deep, with a number of regulars capable of playing numerous positions and a seemingly endless array of platoon options at several positions on the diamond.

That entails knowing details about more hitters than usual.

"Dave (Roberts) can be creative with some of the things that he does,'' Hyers said. "They don't miss a beat when they move guys around. It will be hard to corner Dave into a bad matchup because he's got so much flexibility with his roster.''

And then there are his own responsibilities as Red Sox hitting instructor. If nothing else, Hyers watched the L.A. pitchers for two seasons, too, and can pass on what he retained.

"You can't overlook anything,'' said Hyers, "It's going to be fun: the cat-and-mouse game, pitcher-hitter challenge.