The 2021 Los Angeles Dodgers fell short of defending their World Series title but are primed to make another run in 2022.
The Dodgers have amassed seven World Series championships, the latest coming in 2020, and one would not write off their MLB odds to win another world series sooner rather than later.
They came close to making a second appearance in the World Series in as many years but lost four games to two against the Atlanta Braves in the National League championship series. They finished second, and the Atlanta Braves won the World Series after beating the Houston Astros.
2021 Dodgers
The Dodgers made an excellent start to the 2021 season with a 13-2 and matched their best start to the regular season, and it is the best start by a defending champion in the history of the MLB.
In September, the Dodgers managed to get a spot in the postseason for a record ninth consecutive time after beating the St Louis Cardinals in the National League (NL) wild card game.
They finished the regular season with 106 wins and set a new MLB record for the most wins by any franchise team that failed to finish first in its league or division. The Dodgers had not failed to win their National League division since 2011, only losing by one game in an enthralling “chase for the West.”
They beat the San Francisco Giants three games to two in the NL Division Series.
Some notable players’ milestones that were achieved last season are:
- Max Scherzer’s 3,000th career strikeouts
- David Price’s 2,000 career strikeouts
- Julio Urias won 20 games
- Albert Pujols passes Babe Ruth on MLB’s All-Time extra-base hit list
Onwards And Forwards With 2022
During the offseason, the Dodgers lost Max Scherzer, Kenley Jansen, and Corey Seager to free agency but added Freddie Freeman and Craig Kimbrel while resigning Chris Taylor and Clayton Kershaw and retaining Cody Bellinger on a 1-year arbitration deal. Despite some roster turnover, the team remains extremely deep.
Expect the team to meet tough competition from the San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets, the defending champion Atlanta Braves, and maybe even the San Francisco Giants.
Staying healthy will be necessary for the team next season, particularly the pitching staff who lost Dustin May in the spring. In all, in 2021, the Dodgers used a franchise record of 61 different players in major league games this season and had 36 players spend time on the injured list.
Home Plate
The Los Angeles Dodgers put on a good fight in the 2021 season, which saw them achieving some excellent and bad milestones. Hopefully, this will not deter them as we look forward to the new season after winter.
