While the Los Angeles Dodgers have made a strong case to be the latest MLB dynasty by winning back-to-back World Series titles and three in the last six years, their franchise history and success since 2000 is a mixed bag.
Up until the current era, there were middling levels of postseason accomplishments since the turn of the century. But there have also been impressive individual performances and players who carved out a special place in the Dodgers’ franchise history.
The DodgerBlue.com staff has ranked the best Dodgers players in the last 25 years. Among various factors considered, the all-time Dodgers list was compiled by evaluating a player’s contributions and significance to the franchise.
Dodgers quarter-century all-time team
No. 3: Mookie Betts
Similarly to Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts was already an established MLB superstar before joining the Dodgers. Betts made his MLB debut in 2014 with the Boston Red Sox and performed well despite being sent back and forth between the Majors and Triple-A Pawtucket.
Betts received American League MVP votes by his first full season in the Majors a year later and things only got better from there. He spent six total years in Boston, earning four consecutive All-Star appearances, an MVP Award, four consecutive Gold Glove Awards, three consecutive Silver Sluggers, and one World Series championship.
Ahead of the 2020 season, the Red Sox front office made the shocking decision to trade Betts to the Dodgers in a franchise-altering move for both sides.
The Dodgers then signed Betts to a 12-year, $365 million extension, making it the richest contract in Dodgers history at the time. Betts picked up right where he left off with the Red Sox, batting .292/.366/.562 with 39 RBI in his first season in L.A. His 47 runs scored and 16 home runs were fourth and third in the NL, respectively.
The right fielder added a fifth consecutive Gold Glove, fourth Silver Slugger overall and finished second in National League MVP voting to Freeman.
The Dodgers’ World Series success in the 2020s can be traced back to Betts’ joining the organization. He proved to be the missing piece in 2020 as the Dodgers put on a masterclass of clutch hitting throughout the postseason, a marked change from past performances.
The Dodgers scored 59 runs with two outs in the 18 games they played during the postseason, 42 of which came with two strikes. Both are all-time records.
Whether Betts arrival was directly correlated to that outcome or not, his personal contributions on both sides of the ball were instrumental in the Dodgers’ success that postseason.
His best season with the Dodgers came in 2023, when Betts hit .307/.408/.579 with 40 doubles, 39 home runs and 107 RBI. He finished second in NL MVP voting, with Ronald Acuña Jr. taking home the award after recording 40 homers and 70 stolen bases.
He made the well-documented transition to shortstop in 2024 and became a Gold Glove-caliber defender by 2025, a testament to his talent and work ethic.
In the five seasons since 2020, Betts has been a part of two additional championship runs with the Dodgers. His postseason performances have been a mixed bag during his tenure in L.A., but he has been solid overall, with a .262 batting average, 38 RBI and 42 runs scored in 70 games.
In six seasons with the Dodgers, Betts has earned four All-Star appearances, two Gold Glove Awards, and four Silver Slugger Awards while slashing .278/.363/.505 with 165 doubles and 152 home runs.
No. 5: Corey Seager
No. 6: Freddie Freeman
No. 7: Kenley Jansen
No. 8: Max Muncy
No. 9: Yoshinobu Yamamoto
No. 10: Matt Kemp
No. 11: Will Smith
No. 12: Cody Bellinger
No. 13: Adrián Beltré
No. 14: Walker Buehler
No. 15: Andre Ethier
No. 16: Eric Gagné
No. 17: Shawn Green
No. 18: Manny Ramirez
No. 19: Gary Sheffield
No. 20: Adrián González
No. 21: Yasiel Puig
No. 22: Chris Taylor
No. 23: Russell Martin
No. 24: Kiké Hernández
No. 25: Miguel Rojas
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