The World Series is always the main goal for the big-spending Los Angeles Dodgers. Recently, it has been hard to achieve, with early playoff exits for two years in a row. Now, with Shohei Ohtani leading the team for the first time, they are aiming for another championship.
So, a lively celebration in the clubhouse was fitting after the Dodgers defeated the New York Mets to secure their record 25th National League pennant. “We hope we can do it again,” infielder Max Muncy said. “We need to get four more wins.”
Next, they face the New York Yankees in the World Series, starting with Game 1 on Friday at Dodger Stadium. This best-of-seven series features two of baseball’s most glamorous teams and a historic rivalry.
“I know the fans love this and the players love this, too,” Los Angeles outfielder Teoscar Hernández said. “It’s not going to be easy, but we have the team, we have the help, and we’re going for that World Series trophy.”
The Yankees have won eight of their 11 World Series matchups against the Dodgers. The first seven games were played in New York, with the Yankees in the Bronx and the Dodgers in Brooklyn. The Dodgers moved to Los Angeles before the 1958 season.
“I think the whole world was looking forward or hoping for this potential matchup,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
He isn’t joking. The Dodgers have support from another country—Japan has been tuning into the team’s playoff games in record numbers, eager to see Ohtani and pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The Dodgers signed Ohtani to a record $700 million, 10-year deal in free agency, and they gave Yamamoto a $325 million, 12-year contract.
Ohtani’s performance in 2024 included making history as the first player in major league history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season.
At the same time, the Dodgers faced many injuries that severely impacted their starting pitching. They led the major leagues with 36 players on the injured list and lost a total of 2,342 days, which is 445 more days than any other team.
Thanks to a couple of key players who joined the team at the July trade deadline, they still finished with the best record in baseball at 98-64, securing home-field advantage for the postseason.
“This is a team that stayed together. Everybody contributed,” Hernández said. “Shohei was a big part of all the wins we got, but the pitching and the bullpen were the main reasons we’re here, going to the World Series.”
The Dodgers found themselves in a tough spot in their NL Division Series, trailing their rivals, the San Diego Padres. They managed to come back and win the last two games, taking the best-of-five series 3-2.
“They proved to themselves how tough they are,” Roberts said. Now, the Dodgers have only three healthy starters and have used three bullpen games in the postseason so far. This strategy worked twice, including in Sunday’s win against the Mets.
It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. They traded for Tyler Glasnow, but he got hurt with an elbow injury in mid-August. Two weeks later, Clayton Kershaw, who had just recovered from elbow surgery, was done because of a bone spur in his big toe.
Dustin May didn’t pitch at all this season, and Tony Gonsolin was recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Walker Buehler faced challenges during his first season back from a second Tommy John procedure. All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman and shortstop Miguel Rojas have missed some games this postseason due to injuries, leading to multiple changes in the lineup.
Still, the Dodgers have managed to keep going. “I’m going to enjoy it no matter how little I helped,” said Kershaw, the player who has been with the team the longest.
In July, the Dodgers improved their team by trading for starter Jack Flaherty, reliever Michael Kopech, and versatile player Tommy Edman. Edman, who had 11 RBIs against the Mets, was named the NLCS MVP. In Game 6, after being placed in the cleanup spot, Edman had four RBIs.
“I just think that I’ve got to trust players I believe in, put them in the best position to succeed, and be ready for whatever happens,” Roberts said. “This postseason, I’ve had a lot of clarity, and the players have made me look really good.”
