Lulls over the course of a 162-game season are not uncommon for any team in MLB, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are no exception. In the past, it has been easy to be dismissive of these slumps as indicative of a larger issue because the Dodgers have an established history of being able to turn things around at the right time.
The ability to pull this off can be attributed to coaching, plus the talent and experience of the roster.
The Dodgers’ performance since the All-Star break this season has felt like they have hit a wall, particularly on offense. As for why this could be the case, manager Dave Roberts hopes his team is not suffering from a lack of focus but he also could not completely rule it out.
“I’d like to think that’s not the case. We’re still chasing something special,” Roberts said on SportsNet LA. “Every game is an opportunity and we’re fortunate to do this. So I don’t know, but it’s possible.”
Since 2024, the Dodgers have played more games than any other franchise in the Majors at 485 entering Friday. That is 13 more than the New York Yankees, the next closest team at 472 games played. The Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers are not far behind, with 471 and 466 games played, respectively.
The Dodgers’ total includes 16 postseason contests in 2024 and 17 last October. The thought experiment is that, in addition to the extra physical wear and tear, the Dodgers could be suffering from mental fatigue as well.
There was a similar conversation last season, raising the question of whether the Dodgers were waiting for October to “flip a switch” and “lock in,” so to speak. Roberts was not overly critical of this as a possibility in 2025, but the messaging has been different in 2026.
The Dodgers’ skipper has been more outspoken about his desire to see more intensity from his team and has recently said he would be “very disappointed” if anyone on his team would be content with that approach.
Dodgers improving after sweeping Rockies
The Dodgers’ offense has been an issue for roughly 10 weeks now, and the trends that have emerged are a big reason why this lull in the schedule feels different from the others. Since the start of June, the Dodgers rank 10th among all teams in runs scored and have dropped to 17th since the start of July.
Roberts recently shared he felt changes need to be made on offense, specifically with putting together a quality plan and sticking to it. That was some of what the Dodgers did during their sweep of the Colorado Rockies, scoring at least six runs in all three games.
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