The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their fifth straight National League West title and are seeking the first MLB three-peat World Series since the New York Yankees did it between 1998 and 2000. As in the last two seasons, the Dodgers are currently the favorite to win the World Series, as they near 100 wins before the end of the year. The Milwaukee Brewers are the only team that has a better record in the entire sport, though they’ve had questions about their own offense.
The Dodgers, however, have serious concerns heading into the postseason regarding their physicality and their pitching depth that threaten their three-peat ambitions. A superstar whose body might be falling apart, holes in the lineup once thought to be strong spots, and questions in the bullpen could sink this team. Unlike the last two seasons, the dents and rust in their armor are more visible and worse than ever.
Shohei Ohtani’s Body Could Block The Los Angeles Dodgers From The World Series
Between his pitching and his bat, there’s no question that Ohtani is one of, if not THE reason why the Dodgers have been the most successful franchise of the mid-2020s, Even though he’s only been on the team for three years, he’s hit 139 home runs and had an OPS above 1.000 in 2024 and 2025. That was enough to earn him back-to-back NL MVP honors, with the hope that 2026 would make him the first player to earn three consecutive awards since Barry Bonds.
Ohtani was locked in a tight MVP battle through July with Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, with both posting a .900 OPS and double-digit home run totals. As the season moved into August, however, he not only dealt with injuries but also saw an uncharacteristic slowdown in his offensive production. August marked the first time in four years the 31-year-old superstar logged an OPS under .800. He’s lost the MVP race, and he’s spent a chunk of the end of the season on the injured reserve.
What’s worse is that his degrading body, as he deals with both arm and knee issues, could affect his pitching down the line even after the 2026 postseason. As previously announced, he won’t pitch for the rest of the 2026 season, and if his arm keeps getting injured and losing velocity, his days as a two-way player might be over. His absence isn’t the only problem for the Division Series rotation, though; it’s also a problem in the lineup.
Aging Pros And Inexperience Define 2026 Dodgers Lineup
The Dodgers’ lineup is still one of the strongest and most well-balanced in baseball, though injuries and weak spots threaten their postseason chances. Guys like Freddie Freeman and Andy Pages are more than enough to make a lineup function well above average, while bench players like Miguel Rojas and rookie Josue De Paula are great substitutes. The lineup isn’t strong throughout, though.
Outfielder Teoscar Hernandez is about to post his second sub-.800 OPS season after being an All-Star in 2024, while Kyle Tucker has failed to live up to expectations in his first year. It got so bad for Tucker that analysts began questioning if this is the first bad signing the Dodgers have made in years. Will Smith’s return to the lineup is a boost, allowing Dalton Rushing to take a temporary DH spot if needed, but Smith’s production is also in question post-injury.
Nowhere in the lineup has there been a more shocking drop-off than Mookie Betts after 2024. He got ill with a serious virus in 2025 that caused him to lose body weight, and he has been a shell of himself with two consecutive sub-.800 OPS seasons. He’s not stealing bases anymore, and he’s not walking as much as he used to, though his power remains. Betts’ powerhouse days are gone, Freeman is pushing 37, and Max Muncy will be 36 next season. How long do they have left?
Bullpen Poses Greatest Risk To World Series Aspirations
The Dodgers’ rotation remains the best in baseball, with a legendary 1-2-3 punch in Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, and Blake Snell (when healthy). That’s not including Tyler Glasnow and an emerging Justin Wrobleski. The bullpen, however, remains a major question mark that might be incredibly shaky in close postseason games.
Several players in the Dodgers’ bullpen are either underperforming or on the injured list for the rest of the season. Edwin Diaz, one of the team’s prized signings in the 2026 offseason, has barely seen the field due to injury, and when he does, he has a 9.72 ERA and a 2.22 WHIP. Kyle Hurt, who missed all of 2025 due to Tommy John surgery in 2024, can strike out batters, but his 1.34 WHIP is a little elevated. Tanner Scott, the closer of the team, has only 23 saves out of 33 games finished, along with six losses, despite holding strong stats.
Edgardo Henriquez, one of the setup men for the Dodgers, has a lower back issue that could affect his mobility in the postseason, limiting his workload and effectiveness. The team also doesn’t have Will Klein for the rest of the year. Blake Treinen and Brock Stewart are options, but after a slump at the end of the year that included three walk-off losses in August, what are the chances of another bullpen implosion?
The lineup is still well-organized on paper, but there’s a real reason to believe they could fold under pressure to the Brewers or a resurgent Atlanta Braves team. If Ohtani cannot get it together, or parts of the lineup keep faltering, there’s a serious chance the three-peat hopes will die early. Even if the lineup does work without issue, the holes in the bullpen could make any close game a nail-biter and, in some cases, a heartbreaker.
