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Why Dodgers Should Worry About Hopes for Third Title
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- Why Dodgers Should Worry About Hopes for Third Title
Why Dodgers Should Worry About Hopes for Third Title
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
The Los Angeles Dodgers may need to pump the brakes on another World Series title
While this season's Los Angeles Dodgers are the best roster compared with their previous two World Series-winning teams, their title chances are far worse.
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Heading into the season, it appeared the rich got even richer after Los Angeles's excellent offseason, which brought in marquee free agents Edwin Diaz and Kyle Tucker to go along with the already stacked roster.
Pair that with a midseason move to acquire a top pitcher like Tarik Skubal , and many would think it's nearly a guarantee that the Dodgers will win another World Series, entering rare company.
However, with Diaz and Tucker both struggling , the offense is less dynamic than it has been over the last few seasons, and the team's record against other top teams in the league reflects that.
The Dodgers should be concerned heading into next month's postseason as they seek their third straight World Series.
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Sure, the regular season doesn't matter in the playoffs, and typically there shouldn't be any worry for a team that has proven it's been the best team in baseball for the last two seasons.
Nonetheless, every season is different. While it may be true that the Dodgers have the best roster they've had in the past two seasons, other teams have also gotten better, as shown in the head-to-head matchups.
The Atlanta Braves , Chicago Cubs , Milwaukee Brewers , and Boston Red Sox are among the top teams with winning records against the Dodgers. The Red Sox, Cubs, and Braves are three of the four teams to sweep Los Angeles in a series, with the Arizona Diamondbacks being the fourth.
With the Dodgers likely to face at least one of the Braves, Cubs, and Brewers in a stacked National League, a losing record against all three is not ideal for a team with championship aspirations.
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It's worth noting that Los Angeles swept the Brewers last season, but the momentum for Milwaukee feels very different, especially given their offensive firepower this season and dominant pitching from Jacob Misorowski, who is likely to win the NL Cy Young Award.
Make no mistake about it: Los Angeles is still having a great season at 81-54, holds an 8.5-game lead in the NL West, and should be the favorite heading into the postseason as the reigning champions.
At the same time, the path has never been this competitive for the Dodgers, and the target on their backs only grows larger as teams want to be the ones to knock them off.
