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. 2: Shohei Ohtani
The Dodgers had long pursued Shohei Ohtani, dating back to his high school days in Japan. At the time, they hoped to sign him as a pitcher, but since then, he developed into a two-way superstar and decided to sign with the Los Angeles Angels when he made the jump to MLB.
After six years with the Angels, Ohtani established himself as the best player in baseball, and then, the Dodgers finally landed their man, signing him to a historic 10-year, $700 million contract.
At the time of the signing, Ohtani already had a Rookie of the Year Award, a Hank Aaron Award, two American League MVP honors, two Silver Slugger Awards, three All-Star selections and four All-MLB First Team finishes, and he has somehow taken his game to another level with the Dodgers.
In his first season with the Dodgers, Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season. To hit that mark, Ohtani had what was widely considered the greatest game in baseball history, only to have a new greatest game the following year.
Ohtani went 6-for-6 with two doubles, three homers and 10 RBI, while also stealing two bases. His 10 RBI set a Dodgers franchise record, and he became just the 16th player in MLB history to drive in 10 or more in a game.
During the season, Ohtani passed Hideki Matsui for the most homers by a Japanese player in MLB history with the 176th of his career, and he hit his 200th on July 13.
He was selected to the All-Star game and hit a three-run homer, making him the first and only player to win a game as a pitcher and also hit a home run in his All-Star Game career.
Ohtani became the third-fastest player in MLB history to reach the 30-30 club, taking 108 games, and he became the fastest player to reach the 40-40 club, needing just 126 games, 21 faster than Alfonso Soriano. Ohtani also became the first player in 23 years to tally 400 total bases in a season, and after joining the 50-50 club, he broke Ichiro’s record for the most stolen bases in a season by a Japanese-born player with 57.
He finished the season by playing in 159 games while hitting .310/.390/.646 with 54 home runs, 134 runs scored, 130 RBI, 59 stolen bases, a 180 wRC+ and 8.9 WAR. Ohtani became the first Dodgers player in history to slug 50 home runs in a season and passed Shawn Green’s club record of 49.
His regular season performance earned him unanimous National League MVP honors, marking the third time he’s won an MVP unanimously. He became the only player in MLB history to win three unanimous MVPS, two consecutive unanimous MVPs, and unanimous MVP awards in both the AL and NL.
He also became the second player along with Frank Robinson to win MVP awards in both leagues. Later, Ohtani won his third AP Male Athlete of the Year award, tying Michael Jordan for the second-most wins in history.
However, for Ohtani, the most important part of the season was reaching the postseason for the first time in his career. And of course, in his first game, he hit a game-tying, three-run homer in his second at-bat.
In the NL Championship Series, Ohtani had eight hits and nine walks in 22 at-bats against the New York Mets. His 17 times reaching base and nine runs scored set new franchise records for a postseason series.
Ohtani injured his shoulder in Game 2 of the World Series and had his production limited, but the Dodgers still went on to win the championship and get Ohtani his first ring.
As if Ohtani’s 2024 season wasn’t impressive enough, he made his return to pitching during the 2025 season after spending all the previous year recovering from elbow surgery.
But before he got back on the mound, Ohtani continued his torrid pace as the Dodgers’ designated hitter. In May, he tied the Dodgers’ record for most home runs in a month with 15. He was named NL Player of the Month in May 2025 after hitting .309/.398/.782.
Ohtani made his first start back on the mound since Aug. 2023 on June 16 against the San Diego Padres, allowing one run on two hits in one inning. The Dodgers slowly worked him back into starting games, and he spent much of the year pitching only a few innings in his starts.
When Ohtani was selected as an All-Star for the fifth time, he became the first designated hitter to start in five straight All-Star games.
In the second half of the season, Ohtani tied a franchise record with home runs in five straight games. He also became the third Japanese-born player to reach 1,000 career hits, which he did with a home run. He became the fourth Dodgers player with multiple seasons of at least 40 home runs, joining Duke Snider, Gil Hodges and Shawn Green.
On Sept. 16, Ohtani threw five no-hit innings on the mound and also hit his 50th homer of the season. He became the first player to hit 50 home runs in back-to-back seasons since Alex Rodriguez in 2001-02 and the sixth player all-time to reach that milestone.
Ohtani also became the first player in MLB history to record 50 home runs and 50 strikeouts as a pitcher in a single season.
On Sept. 23, Ohtani joined Babe Ruth as the only players to have started 100 games as a pitcher and hit at least 55 career home runs. Three days later, he became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 homers and steal 20 bases in two separate seasons.
Ohtani closed out the season with 55 home runs, setting a new franchise record and passing his previous record from 2024. He finished the year batting .282/.392/.622 with 146 runs scored, 102 RBI, a 172 wRC+ and 7.5 WAR as a hitter. He also drew a career-high 109 walks to become the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs, take 100 walks, and steal 20 bases in a season.
As a pitcher, Ohtani made 14 starts, throwing 47 innings with a 2.87 ERA, 1.90 FIP, 1.04 WHIP and .223 batting average against while striking out 62 hitters.
In the postseason, Ohtani hit two home runs in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Cincinnati Reds. It was the first multi-homer playoff game, as well.
He earned a win in his first postseason start as a pitcher in the NL Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, going six innings while allowing three runs and striking out nine to earn the win.
Ohtani earned NLCS MVP honors for his performance against the Milwaukee Brewers after setting multiple records in Game 4 of the NLCS.
As a pitcher, Ohtani struck out 10 batters in six scoreless innings, and he also hit three home runs in three at-bats, of course, becoming the first pitcher in MLB history to accomplish that. He also became the first pitcher in history to hit a leadoff home run in an MLB game, and the first pitcher with multiple home runs in a postseason game.
Ohtani now had a new greatest game of all-time. Six scoreless innings and 10 strikeouts on the mound, three home runs at the plate, and just one game.
In the World Series, Ohtani slugged a two-run homer in the seventh innings of Game 1, marking his first in the Fall Classic. He joined Matsui as the only Japanese players with a homer in the World Series.
In the marathon Game 3, Ohtani had four hits, two doubles and two home runs, and drew five walks, four of which were intentional. Reaching base nine times set a postseason record and tied the all-time MLB record. His four extra-base hits in four at-bats also tied the MLB record for most in a World Series game.
Ohtani became the first player with three multi-home run games and multiple games of at least 12 total bases in a single postseason. He also became the first player to be intentionally walked four times in a postseason game.
The Dodgers went on to win the World Series with an improbable rally in Game 7 to earn their second consecutive championship.
After the season, Ohtani won his fourth career unanimous MVP award, his second consecutive in the NL and third consecutive overall. He became the first player in Major League history to win multiple MVPs in both leagues and only the second player to win four MVP Awards, joining Barry Bonds (7).
He also joined Bonds as the only players to win at least three consecutive MVPs, and Joe Morgan as the only players to win the MVP Award and World Series titles in back-to-back seasons.
Ohtani tied David Ortiz for the most consecutive Edgar Martínez Outstanding Designated Hitter Awards with five. He also won the Hank Aaron Award for the third straight year, joining Alex Rodriguez as the only players who have done so.
In his two seasons with the Dodgers, Ohtani is hitting .296/.391/.634 with 109 home runs, 280 runs scored, 232 RBI, 79 stolen bases and a 176 wRC+, while also throwing 47 innings with a 2.87 ERA and 62 strikeouts. He has tallied 18.3 WAR as both a hitter and pitcher.
He is already 11th among Dodgers hitters in home runs since the start of the 2000s, along with seventh in stolen bases, 21st in runs scored and 23rd in RBI. Among qualified Dodgers since the start of 2000, Ohtani ranks first in slugging percentage, second in on-base plus slugging (1.025), third in on-base percentage and fifth in batting average.
Among Dodgers starting pitchers since the start of 2000 with at least 40 innings, he ranks first in FIP, second in strikeouts per nine (11.87), fifth in walks per nine (1.72), eighth in WHIP, ninth in ERA and 16th in opponents average against.
Ohtani ranks 16th in WAR among all Dodgers players since the start of 2000.
No. 3: Mookie Betts
No. 4: Justin Turner
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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