For the third consecutive October Friday night, there was no Major League Baseball to be watched on television. While that is not entirely the fault of MLB — last Friday was empty because of the LDS series not going the distance, and last night was due to a rainout — the league could do a much better job with their playoff schedule. Matt Gross has written approximately 38 articles on this topic if you’d like to research further. Without any storylines coming out of Cleveland on Friday, let’s go back to the Dodgers.
After winning 100 games in 2026, the Los Angeles Dodgers entered the playoffs as the odds-on favorites (better than 50% chance) to win the NL pennant and were far and away the favorites to win their third consecutive World Series. After a four-game sweep by the Milwaukee Brewers, it’s amazing how quickly the “dynasty is over” narrative has emerged.
At the same time, the Dodgers have myriad star/core players past their prime. As Buster Olney outlined today:
“Freddie Freeman is 37, Muncy is 36, Betts is 34. Ohtani is 32. Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Edwin Diaz, Teoscar Hernandez, Will Smith, Tommy Edman are all in their 30s. Many are on the downslope of accomplished careers.”
Personally, I think they’ll be just fine. The greatest baseball player of this generation, and maybe ever, was a shell of himself due to bicep and knee injuries in these playoffs. Tarik Skubal is a free agent, but the Dodgers barely put a dent in their farm system with who they traded for him. Their prospects are still in the top five in baseball. Josue de Paula has arrived and will be ready to contribute in 2027, with fellow outfielder Mike Sirota right behind him. Whether Andrew Friedman and company choose to move any of these prospects for major league help, or blend the kids with the veterans, will be fascinating to watch. And, of course, if there isn’t a salary cap, they will have plenty of money to throw at their problems.
Is the Dodgers dynasty in the rearview, or will this be a minor blip for the team of the 2020s? Discuss in the comments and be good to each other.
