Why the Dodgers are on track to win the National League West again
We explain the breakdown of the NL West division competition, why the Dodgers remain a winnable team, and what will raise expectations for a third straight division championship.
LOS ANGELES — It was Joe Namath who sat poolside and guaranteed a Super Bowl victory for the New York Jets.
At ringside, Muhammad Ali announced to the world that he was going to “beat the shit out” of George Foreman at the Rumble in the Jungle.
And Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter and president Stan Kasten predicted the arrival of a baseball dynasty.
The day was February 28, 2013, and with the Dodgers missing the playoffs for three straight seasons and emerging from the throes of bankruptcy, Walter was asked if it would be possible to repeat Atlanta’s success under Kasten, who had won 14 straight division titles.
“It’s going to happen again,” Walter told USA TODAY Sports. “This time it’s the West Coast.”
Kasten winced, Walter apologized, and 13 years later, Thursday night, they were laughing at their bravado.
“That’s interesting too,” Walter said Thursday. But even if you do that, it’s still crazy.
“That’s strange.”
It’s also a reality.
Since then, the Dodgers have played 13 full seasons and won 12 National League West titles, five National League championships, and three World Series championships.
And their dynasty won’t be ending anytime soon, as evidenced by Thursday night’s season-opening 8-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in front of a sold-out crowd of 53,712 at Dodger Stadium.
After taking a 2-0 lead over the D-backs, the Dodgers showed off their relentless batting lineup by allowing 10 hits while holding the D-backs to just one hit over the final six innings.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, “I think the word we should use is “relentless.” It’s a relentless batting lineup.” … When you face a lineup like ours, it’s certainly going to take a toll. Feeling like you have to be perfect and keep performing can be mentally and physically taxing. ”
In fact, the hardest part of the Dodgers’ night was watching with a straight face during the pregame ceremony as award-winning actor Will Ferrell drove his blue Cadillac through the center field gates with Dodgers Freddie Freeman and Miguel Rojas in the back seat, parading through the outfield and pretending he had retrieved the World Series championship trophy stolen from Ferrell.
Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts said, “Freddie and Miggy…oh, it was tough.” I have to get him into some (acting) classes. ”
“I think they’re probably ‘B’ actors,” Roberts said.
The pregame ceremony was a reminder that the Dodgers were the first team to win back-to-back World Series titles since the New York Yankees a quarter-century ago. Their next championship is as they seek to become the first National League team to win three straight championships, and the third time overall.
Unlike a year ago, when the Dodgers felt pressured to win back-to-back titles, this time they consider it an honor just to have a chance for a three-peat.
Manager Roberts said, “Winning three games in a row is unprecedented in the National League.” That’s why everyone is hopeful and excited about the possibilities. But in my opinion, it’s not necessarily pressure. ”
While the rest of the baseball world may be gagging to see the Dodgers return to the October stage with yet another World Series trophy, the Dodgers have decided to make a mockery of their own hatred this year.
They showed a video before the game exaggerating the possibilities of history with “What’s wrong with being the bad guy?” and the video ended with the tagline “Great sequels build a legendary trilogy.”
“It’s self-proclaimed,” Roberts said. “So I’m going to accept that. I don’t know, but I think people like villains. It’s a respect in a way. So, I don’t know, I think that’s a good thing.”
Betts said, “Personally, I don’t care. Call us whatever you want. At the end of the day, we have to play the game. So we can be villains, villains, whatever. The game decides who wins and who loses. The villain thing is just outside noise.”
Really, Kasten and Walter would say there’s no reason for anyone to think they’re the bad guys. They play by the same rules as everyone else. It’s just that their tip pile is bigger than everyone else’s. Their revenue was about $850 million last year, so why not donate over $300 million of that to the players and $150 million in luxury tax penalties to help their peers?
Would people be happier if that money went to Guggenheim investors and fattened their checkbooks, or would the Dodgers still be hated?
“I don’t think our fans hate us now. I think our competitors are impressed with us because they know how hard the job is,” Kasten said. I think other fans respect us too. So I think hate is the wrong word, I really do.
“Yes, we’re the bad guys, because everyone needs a goal, ‘Let’s beat the Dodgers.’ Heck, we’re playing a game of goodness. Everyone wants their home team to win against big-name players. And if we can serve the purpose of motivating the other team, that’s great. We’re happy to be able to get the local fans excited.”
But no matter how much the Dodgers win or how much money they spend, Kasten says, don’t hate the players, don’t hate the game.
“I’ve said for years that we have an advantage that no other team has in this market,” Kasten said. I make no apologies for using capital letters. That’s what we do. That’s what we should do.
“We’re very proud of what we’ve done, but we also recognize that we have an advantage that other teams don’t have. But they’re doing a great job with what they have. I have a lot of respect for all the teams that are fighting hard. I really do.”
Kasten and Walter say there will come a time when winning will finally stop. They understand that it’s bad for the game for the Dodgers to win every year. Walter said the game needed to be injected with an element of parity, giving fans in every market hope that their team could make it to the end.
“We want this game to grow, and that’s good for everyone,” Walter said.
Meanwhile, while waiting to see if the salary cap will be imposed, Kasten and Walter still believe the postseason is the tie-breaking goal. It’s not like the Dodgers are having a 110-win season. They just happen to make the playoffs every year, and unlike their predecessors, they’re becoming October Warriors.
“People need to understand that our baseball structure has a firewall of a playoff system that keeps things even,” Kasten said. We have to win in the postseason. There is an opportunity for everyone.
“Teams that are very good, teams that are bad, teams that are bad, they ruin baseball, and it stops when the postseason starts.”
The Dodgers lost their first two World Series appearances before ending a drought during the 2020 COVID-19 season. In the best-of-five series against the San Diego Padres in 2024, they were at a 2-1 deficit, but achieved consecutive shutout wins. In Game 7 of the 2025 World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays, with only two outs remaining, Rojas saved the season with a game-tying home run.
“It’s funny, that was the only game I thought we could win that night,” Walter said.
If the Dodgers had lost those World Series, the fate would have been eerily similar to Atlanta’s, which won the 1995 World Series when Kasten was president, but lost in its next four World Series appearances. The difference is that Atlanta was a complete mess and had to chop the team down to studs before building a dynasty. Kasten and President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman didn’t have the luxury of time to rebuild. I won, and I won quickly.
“When we came here, we knew we were going to be joining an iconic, historic franchise that was a little bit down on its luck. We had an opportunity to do this, and we had an opportunity to bring back the Dodgers brand. We couldn’t just come in and say, ‘Hold on,'” said Kasten, a Hall of Fame executive candidate. You’ll get better in four or five years. “Because we had a fan base that supported this team for 50 years. They now deserved and expected success.
“But we said from day one that we can do both at the same time because there are resources in the market.”
Now, 13 years after the beginning of this dynasty, the Dodgers believe this is the best version of them, the most talented, competitive and perhaps the closest team together.
“This is a great team. I think they had a very talented team in ’21,” Roberts said. That was the year we won 106 games. But in terms of talent, complete buy-in, I think this team is it. But like we’ve said every year, we still have to go out and play. ”
When the Dodgers arrived at the stadium on Thursday, gold-trimmed jerseys, gold-brimmed caps and a gift bag from Shohei Ohtani were waiting for them. Inside was a custom watch and a note that said, “Let’s have a three-peat.”
“This says a lot about the kind of person he is, not only on the field but off the field,” said Rojas, who is playing his final season. “That watch, we’re going to keep it forever and we’ll never forget that the best player in the world gave us a watch for the opening game of 2026.”
Knowing that perhaps only a year-end lockout can stop them, they hope to finish the season with another piece of jewelry, such as another diamond-encrusted ring.
“Have fun,” Roberts said. “Because nothing is guaranteed. It’s going to be a great year. I hope everyone can feel good and have some joy because this is going to be a great season.”
“We’ll see what happens after that.”
Bluesky and X Follow Bob Nightengale at @Bnightengale.
