Based on what they’ve built, the Dodgers have put themselves in a position to basically coast through the regular season and employ a baseball form of load management. By the time the postseason rolled around, all of their high-priced pitchers were able to contribute in some capacity, whether they were starting or relieving. Yoshinobu Yamamoto led the team with 173.2 innings. Clayton Kershaw was second with 112.2. Dustin May was third with 104. Nobody else threw more than 90.1, but Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani, Emmet Sheehan, and others were right there when it mattered most.
Pitching is devastatingly difficult on the arm and the Dodgers haven’t shied away from guys with thick medical histories. But, you can afford to do that and pay a high price in search of a championship with this kind of payroll. If a $32.5 million arm like Glasnow or a $28 million arm like Snell goes down for another team, they’re screwed. For the Dodgers, they got a total of 151.2 regular season innings from those two guys and didn’t even give it a second glance because they pitched in October and were instrumental in winning a second straight title.
Everything remains pretty much the same this season, except for the Dodgers buying arguably the top position player free agent in Kyle Tucker and top reliever in Edwin Diaz, who immediately slots in as the closer. Not bad for a team looking to three-peat.
Adam Burke’s “Nerdy” Take
HITTING
In the midst of ruining baseball with deferred contracts and unlimited funds, at least in the minds of some, it should be pointed out that the Dodgers have spent wisely. Yes, they’ve spent enough to cover any slip-ups, but it’s not like they’ve been saddled with an Anthony Rendon or Chris Davis type contract. They aren’t sitting there wishing a guy’s deal would end. Andrew Friedman and his staff have still been able to identify the right talent to piece together this juggernaut. They’ve done it via free agency, trade, international free agent markets, and have either drafted and developed well enough to get guys to The Show or use them as trade currency in blockbuster deals.
The 2025 Dodgers were second in wOBA at .331 and second in wRC+ at 113, trailing only the Yankees in both categories. Tucker basically takes over for Michael Conforto, who was one of two players in the top 10 in plate appearances to be a below average hitter. He posted just a .199/.305/.333 slash and an 83 wRC+ in 486 PA. The other was Tommy Edman, who needed ankle surgery after last season and probably won’t be ready for Opening Day. With Tucker and Hyeseong Kim taking over for Conforto and Edman, this offense likely has another gear to hit and will probably be either the best or second-best in baseball again.
PITCHING
Through all of the injuries last season, the Dodgers were a pedestrian 16th in ERA at 3.95, but they were seventh in FIP at 3.93. Only the Astros had a higher K% than the Dodgers and that was with some high-strikeout arms on the shelf for long stretches of last season. Seventeen different pitchers started a game last season for the Dodgers. I think it’s possible we see something similar this season, including the return of a strong pitching prospect in River Ryan. LA is likely to keep taking it easy with Ohtani and Roki Sasaki, as they have no need to push or overextend those guys in any way.
Bullpen usage wasn’t quite as spread out, though. Four guys appeared in at least 60 games, as Dave Roberts went to his horses regularly, even if Tanner Scott had a down year by his standards. Twelve different Dodgers pitchers recorded at least one save, but enter Diaz, who now sets the roles and the bullpen hierarchy by coming in as the closer. The bullpen was one source of worry in last year’s playoffs and we even saw Sasaki being used as the closer. That shouldn’t be a worry this season.
PROSPECT WATCH
One thing more frustrating than the way that the Dodgers spend money and defer salaries and all these things is that they can just go out and buy a solution to fix a problem. Dalton Rushing, Josue De Paula, or any of the other LA prospects would have been great to get for Steven Kwan from my Guardians. Instead, the Dodgers made other decisions and then just went out and signed Tucker after winning the World Series anyway. But, this is what they can do and they have a glut of good outfield prospects, including the 20-year-old De Paula, who has a power/speed combo worth salivating over. He’s also drawn a ton of walks and had just an 8.1% SwStr% last season. Whether he plays for the Dodgers or is used in a trade, he’s a very exciting youngster.
2026 OUTLOOK
No offense to Dodgers fans, but it’s so boring writing about a team like this. They’re going to be extremely good, are capable of withstanding injuries, and will post whatever record they want in the regular season based on their level of care. It’ll probably be good enough to win the NL West and then they’ll look to avoid the banana peels that the MLB postseason can drop on the ground at times. With so much depth in all of the key areas, it’s just hard to bet against the Dodgers.
BOLD TAKE: No Dodgers starter throws over 150 innings this season
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Jensen Lewis’ “Player” Take
HITTING
What can you say, other than: how do you beat these guys? The most intimidating offense in the big leagues, dare we say, got better this offseason? Enter prized free agent RF Kyle Tucker, agreeing to a gargantuan four-year, $240M deal, making this lineup even more ridiculous than it already was. DH Shohei Ohtani, SS Mookie Betts will slot in front of Tucker and he’ll have 1B Freddie Freeman, C Will Smith, 3B Max Muncy and LF Teoscar Hernández behind him. CF Andy Pages rounds out the outfield and new second baseman Hyeseong Kim, purchased from the KBO, completes the middle infield. The bench is perfectly balanced with INF Andy Ibáñez and World Series hero INF Miguel Rojas back, alongside C Dalton Rushing and OF Alex Call. The main detraction against this batting order is only the aging of current superstars Betts and Freeman. Neither look to be slowing down, but both went through their own individual injuries the last couple seasons. Barring significant injuries all at once, this offense reprises its role as the best in baseball once the 2026 season gets underway.
PITCHING
The embarrassment of riches rolls on. World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto leads as ridiculous a starting staff anywhere in MLB. Blake Snell will be slow-played through the beginning of the season, but he won’t be needed for length before the All-Star Break. A big break came when Shohei Ohtani announced he won’t pitch for Team Japan in the WBC and that will allow him time to hit the ground fully healthy and stretched out as much as possible. Tyler Glasnow, Emmet Sheehan and Roki Sasaki fill out the rest of the best six-man rotation in baseball. The best free agent reliever on the market also found a new home in Southern California, with closer Edwin Díaz inking a deal to be the Dodgers new stopper. Top setup men in former closer Tanner Scott and Alex Vesia are back, along with Blake Treinen and Brusdar Graterol. It wasn’t the cleanest of seasons for the LA bullpen in 2025, so the hope is for Díaz to anchor what projects to be as dominant a group of leverage relievers anywhere in the game.
PROSPECT WATCH
With the limitless funds able to purchase the best free agents, the Dodgers farm system is actually quite stocked, especially in the outfield. They possess five of the Top 100 MiLB prospects, including top organizational phenom OF Josue De Paula (No. 15 in Top 100). Comparisons for De Paula are similar to a younger Yordan Alvarez and that bodes well for native Dominican who may be a year away from his callup to the Show. Behind him are OF Zyhir Hope (No. 27), OF Eduardo Quintero (No. 30) and OF Mike Sirota (No. 60). All three are projected for knocking on the big league door in 2027-2028 at the earliest.
2026 OUTLOOK
The Dodgers are the envy of the entire baseball landscape in every facet. Manager Dave Roberts has them feeling invincible and it’s hard to poke holes anywhere on their roster. Health issues posed a potential threat to defending their World Series title last year, but they overcame and found their way back to the promised land, finishing off one of the most memorable Game 7s ever in Fall Classic history. The last teams to win three consecutive World Series titles are the 1998-2000 New York Yankees, as well as the 1972-74 Oakland Athletics. Los Angeles will aim to join them, as the third team in over the last half century to complete the three-peat.
BOLD TAKE: The Dodgers make history as the first National League team to win three consecutive World Series titles.
For Adam and Jensen’s Season Win Total Picks, get our 2026 MLB Betting Guide.
