Another long and grueling regular season has come to an end. For the Dodgers, the last six months mostly met their perennial lofty expectations of not just clinching the postseason, but winning the NL West and securing that all-important first-round bye.
As has been the case with the Dodgers over the last two years, they managed to circumvent around numerous injuries and setbacks to every single department on their team. With October baseball in close proximity to their windshield, the team is mostly healthy enough to embark on their quest to become baseball’s first three-peat champions in 26 years.
The road to glory isn’t paved evenly, but the Dodgers aren’t a team insistent on making their treks remiss of discomfort. With all the team has experienced this season, here are a few reasons why the Dodgers will be able to win the 2026 World Series.
Abundance of pitching depth
Two things about the potential postseason rotation ring a familiar chime when observing the last two playoff runs. The Dodgers are set to have a dominant four-man quartet, just like last year. The Dodgers also swung a blockbuster deal with the Detroit Tigers to shore up the rotation like they did two years ago (just replace the name Jack Flaherty with Tarik Skubal). All four pitchers in the rotation— Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow— have experience pitching in October.
The Dodgers have a very good problem when it comes to situating their bullpen. After a strong second half of the season before hitting the shelf, Roki Sasaki, like last season, has come back with dominant stuff out of the Dodger bullpen. Justin Wrobleski will be joining Sasaki as starters from the regular season expected to pitch in relief. Tanner Scott will embark on his first postseason trip as a Dodger after a brutal season last year, and although Edwin Díaz has struggled overall and dealt with injuries, he has come out firing since being recently activated off the injured list.
As was the case last season, the Dodgers will rely on their starters to handle as much volume of work as possible, limiting the reliance of swing guys that can handle multiple innings. Should any best-of-7 game series come down to the wire, the Dodgers will be prepared to throw in all their chips, whether from the rotation or bullpen, to get the job done.
Monsters: The Hernández Brothers, Season 3
Yes, it has been two years since Netflix released their second season of the show Monsters, centered on the crimes of Lyle and Erik Menendez. The Dodgers are preparing for their third season of manning two clutch and criminal forces in the postseason, both of whom share the same surname.
While Teoscar Hernández battled a hamstring injury that cost him a month’s worth of time, he has been one of the hottest hitters in all of baseball in the month of September, and his bat becomes even more volatile come October. Hernández hit five home runs during last year’s postseason run, and over the last two postseasons, he is slashing a respectable .254/.327/.454 with eight home runs and 25 RBI over a 33-game stretch. His bat will be crucial in the middle of the lineup, along with a resurgent Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy protecting him.
The Dodgers’ X-factor isn’t someone that has been getting everyday playing time in the regular season, but he brings out the flare for the dramatic when the lights shine brightest. Kiké Hernández’s first big postseason moment came with his hat trick in Game 5 of the 2017 NLCS, and in every World Series run with the Dodgers, he’s had multiple moments stamped into the highlight reel.
Kiké Hernández is one of the best postseason hitters of all time, as in 103 career postseason games with the Dodgers and Boston Red Sox, he is slashing .272/.339/.486 with 16 home runs and 42 RBI. Hernández has continued to demonstrate his defensive versatility, and should any Dodger hitter in the everyday lineup fall into a slump, Hernández has the potential to be called on and perform the way he has in the postseason for the last nine years.
It’s Sho-time!
A detriment to this year’s Dodgers team compared to last year is that Shohei Ohtani won’t be performing his two-way duties. Ohtani hasn’t pitched since early July, and knee and biceps issues hampered his offensive production for most of the second half.
On the offensive side of the ball last year, Ohtani was a force to be reckoned with in 2025, as he tied Corey Seager for the most home runs hit by a Dodgers in a postseason run with eight, including a multi-home run game in Game 3 of the World Series where he reached base nine times. Although a left shoulder subluxation limited his production in the 2024 World Series, he managed to hit three home runs between both the NLDS and NLCS.
Ohtani’s bat is essential to how the Dodgers perform. The team was able to minimize his absence with a torrid month of September, but his presence at the top of the lineup sends shivers down the spines of their opposition. The first-round bye will also allow Ohtani to continue to heal up from his lingering right biceps issues, and whether he hits leadoff or second behind Mookie Betts, the reigning NLCS MVP will be looking to add more hardware to his résumé.
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