Heading into the 2025 season, it’s hard to argue that the Los Angeles Dodgers are not the best team in baseball right now. They powered through the 2024 regular season and deservedly won the World Series. They spent big money to bolster their squad with Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Teoscar Hernandez in the months preceding the season. They’ve already signed Blake Snell this offseason and are the favorites to land Japanese star Roki Sasaki.
Round off an Exceptional Season
The Los Angeles Dodgers have strength in offense and pitching and are now the firm favorites to win the 2025 World Series. Much of this is down to star performer Ohtani, who more than lived up to expectations.
The anticipation ahead of the 2024 season for Ohtani was tremendous, both for him to succeed and to flop. Shohei Ohtani’s name was recently linked to a gambling scandal earlier this year involving his longtime interpreter, Mizuhara. The controversy arose when it was revealed that Mizuhara had spent much of Ohtani’s money on online casinos. Following the discovery, Mizuhara was swiftly dismissed from his position.
An investigation confirmed that Ohtani was not involved in Mizuhara’s actions. In response, Best Online Casino USA issued a statement strongly condemning the former manager’s actions. Thankfully, this incident did not affect Ohtani’s career. On the contrary, he continues to rise to new heights, demonstrating remarkable success on and off the field.
The Dodgers’ Offense and Two Critical Players
Comfortably winning the National League West, the Dodgers had the best overall statistics in the MLB, with a win percentile of .605. The New York Yankees returned this year, with Aaron Judge smashing clutch homers throughout the season, but the Dodgers topped their impressive run differential of +147 with an outstanding +156.
They allowed 686 runs but made 842, over 300 of which were won or set up by two players. Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts both won All-MLB Awards, alongside monthly awards, and were crucial to the Dodgers’ success.
Ohtani Shines in 2024 – and the Best is Yet to Come
Shohei Ohtani signed a 10-year $700 million contract with the Dodgers in December 2023 and became the highest-paid athlete in the league. The pressure on the former Los Angeles Angels player and Nippon league specialist was immense, and Ohtani had still not fully recovered from a shoulder injury so that he couldn’t pitch in 2024.
Skip forward 11 months later, he won the World Series with the Dodgers, claimed his third MVP award, and made the All-Star team for a 4th consecutive year. He scored 54 homers in the regular season, the best in the NL, and made 130 RBIs and 59 stolen bases. The stats only tell half the picture. Ohtani became the heartbeat of the Dodgers’ offense, hitting crucial homers in the ninth inning or a clutch steal to set up the game-winning run. His contributions cannot be underestimated.
Mookie Betts – the Perfect Complementary Star
Much of the spotlight was on Ohtani, but Mookie Betts quietly had another sensational season. He finished with a .311 average, hitting 38 home runs and making 106 RBIs. He is highly versatile, doubling as a proficient hitter and a defensive outfield player. Betts blended well with Ohtani, consistently hitting and running bases, while Ohtani took the show with his hitting precision and prowess.
What to Expect for 2025 from the Dodgers
Betts and Ohtani are the perfect 1-2 in the lineup, but the Dodgers have plenty of other quality players to bolster their offense. Freddie Freeman, their reliable first baseman, was heavily involved in the regular season and won the World Series MVP for his performance in the series against the Yankees. The Dodgers are easily one of the most formidable offensive teams, and if they can mend some of their pitching concerns, they are a dead cinch to win another World Series soon.
