For all the regular season success the Los Angeles Dodgers have continued to enjoy in the years following their World Series title in 2020, they have been unable to replicate it since.
The past two seasons have been particularly brutal, with back-to-back exits in the National League Division Series at the hands of the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks, respectively.
The Dodgers entered the 2022 postseason with a 111-51 record, which was the best in baseball that year and most wins in franchise history. However, a lack of substantial offensive production from anyone outside of Freddie Freeman, Trea Turner and Max Muncy put the Dodgers in a massive hole.
A late-inning meltdown from the bullpen in Game 4 sealed their fate as the Padres went on to advance to the NL Championship Series.
The 2023 NLDS loss to the Diamondbacks was equally as disappointing, if not worse. With a cobbled-together starting rotation and without Turner who left in free agency, it was clear the Dodgers were not as talented as they were the previous season.
But with the third-best record in MLB, they were still plenty strong to make some noise in the postseason. What made last season particularly painful was the fact that the Dodgers were dominated on the mound and in the batter’s box all series long en route to being swept by a Diamondbacks team they had a 8-5 record against during the regular season.
Miguel Rojas still remembers how last season ended and is hopeful that the Dodgers will have a newfound edge for motivation in October, according to Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“It’s pretty obvious that everybody in this clubhouse feels like we need to find a way to close the deal, which is winning baseball games in the postseason and converting what we were trying to do here, which is winning a championship,” Rojas said Wednesday. “We haven’t been able to do that. And last year was a bad taste. And hopefully with all the additions that we have, we have a better chance to win.”
The 2024 MLB postseason won’t be any easier from a starting pitching standpoint as once again the Dodgers are entering the NLDS with a rotation that is very much on its last legs.
The difference is a lineup that has looked increasingly more dangerous and well balanced o flate, not to mention a red-hot Shohei Ohtani, who just completed one of the best offensive seasons in the history of the sport.
Another weapon the Dodgers will have to rely on heavily with a depleted starting rotation is their elite bullpen. Last season’s group was better statistically speaking, but the group of relief pitchers this season is arguably deeper and maybe slightly more talented with Michael Kopech, Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia and Evan Phillips leading the way.
Dodgers hoping to buck the trend in expanded postseason
Starting in 2022, MLB adopted a new 12-team Wild Card Series format that has not been kind to teams with a first-round bye in either league. The top two seeds across both leagues have lost in the Division Series five times out of eight under the new format.
The Dodgers have twice fallen victim to the new format as the No. 1 seed in 2022, and second last year. The team is looking to avoid exiting in the NLDS for a third straight season and is looking for ways to ramp up the intensity of their workouts while they awaited the winner of the Wild Card round.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
