All Eyes on LA: Can the Dodgers Win Another Title in 2026?
- Mayline Ruiz
- 16 minutes ago
- 4 min read
With spring training back in full swing, it's never too early to see who may be early contenders for the MLB Playoffs. The Los Angeles Dodgers spent their offseason looking for power hitters and locking down their essential players to repeat last year's success. The Dodgers are preparing to gear up for another successful season and hope to win a championship, which would make them World Series winners for three consecutive years.
Back-to-Back Wins
The city of Los Angeles has been on a high for the past two years, following the Dodgers' back-to-back wins in the World Series. The first half of their two consecutive World Series wins came in the 2024 season, when they defeated the San Diego Padres in the National League Division Series in Game 5. Their NLDS win took them to the National League Championship Series, where they faced the New York Mets. During the NLCS, they clinched their spot in the World Series after Game 6. After making it to the World Series for the first time since 2020, the Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in Game 5.
A year later, Los Angeles celebrated another championship. While the Dodgers were a Wild Card contender, they faced the Cincinnati Reds and won both games, sending them to the NLDS to face the Philadelphia Phillies. In the NLDS, the Dodgers beat the Phillies in four games, catapulting them to the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers, where they swept the Brewers. With the Dodgers only losing one game in the postseason, they were on their way to face the Toronto Blue Jays.
The 2025 World Series was arguably one of the most insane series, with Game 3 lasting 18 innings and a series that went to 7 games. It was in Game 7 where the Dodgers clinched their second title in two consecutive years at Rogers Centre. They defeated the Blue Jays 5-4 in 11 innings. After being down 4-3, Miguel Rojas was able to tie the game in the ninth inning, and Will Smith gave the Dodgers the lead in the 11th inning, which was ultimately the winning play.
The Dodgers Offseason Moves
With these two back-to-back wins, there are high hopes for the Dodgers and how they'll perform during the 2026 season. The Dodgers are looking to meet these expectations, and they did this by signing perhaps one of the biggest free agents this offseason, Kyle Tucker.
In January, the Dodgers signed Tucker to a 4-year, $240 million contract. Tucker, who is a power hitter, is also heavily disciplined at the plate. Not only that, but he also does a good job at stealing bases. During the 2025 season, Tucker had 91 runs, 133 hits, 22 home runs, 73 RBI's, and 25 stolen bases, which gave him a .841 OPS.
While the Dodgers got their big signing, they also locked down some of the players on their roster. One of their first big signings was the man who saved the Dodgers' season, Rojas. They signed him on a one-year contract for $5.5 million. About two weeks later, the Dodgers got a closing pitcher, Edwin Díaz. Díaz's contract went for $69 million for three years.
As spring training was starting up, the Dodgers also signed Evan Phillips, Enrique Hernández, and Max Muncy. Keeping their roster relatively the same while adding some new players will allow the team's chemistry to continue to build. It will also help fix some of the small issues they had, such as their bullpen and Tanner Scott's inconsistency during high-pressure situations.
Even with some of the player signings, the Dodgers still have a deep roster filled with stars such as Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Will Smith, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernandez, and many more. One player that baseball spectators won't be seeing in Dodger Blue anymore is Clayton Kershaw, following his announcement that he would be retiring following the 2025 season.
With the franchises' success, there will be many eyes on the team and how they perform. It's an exciting time for baseball, and there will be no doubt that there will be teams looking to defeat the back-to-back champions.
Edited by Mary Merensky