The wealthy acquired even richer this previous offseason when the Los Angeles Dodgers bolstered each their beginning lineup and their bullpen in strikes that precipitated most of the sport’s aficionados to cry foul.
After a World Collection title in every of the final two seasons, the Dodgers seem like even larger championship favorites this season with the additions of proper fielder Kyle Tucker and right-handed nearer Edwin Diaz.
The prohibitive favourite tag means that no person can contact the Dodgers’ mixture of limitless monetary sources and immense roster expertise. And but the previous two seasons present that the hole won’t be as vast because it seems.
In 2024, the Dodgers barely acquired previous the San Diego Padres within the Nationwide League Division Collection, needing to win the final two video games of the five-game matchup simply to advance. The Dodgers then rolled previous the New York Mets and had their method with the New York Yankees within the World Collection.
In 2025, the Dodgers didn’t have MLB’s greatest document within the common season. That belonged to the Milwaukee Brewers at 97-65, who had been working with a payroll greater than $200 million lower than the $321 million the Dodgers had been spending. The Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays and Yankees additionally completed with higher regular-season data final yr.
The Phillies had been on the cusp of forcing a deciding sport within the division sequence, which might have been at residence, earlier than a befuddling fielding miscue price them in Sport 4. Within the World Collection, the Blue Jays outplayed the Dodgers in loads of areas, solely to fall in Sport 7 when L.A. caught out its nostril on the wire to win it.
Is there a crew that may put an identical scare into the Dodgers in 2026? There are 29 choices for knocking the king from its throne.
TORONTO BLUE JAYS
After nearly doing what was believed to be the unthinkable final postseason, the Blue Jays are poised because the crew that seems to be probably the most able to delivering a change on the prime of the MLB hierarchy.
Vladimir Gurrero Jr. had the Dodgers’ full consideration final fall and Ernie Clement’s profile in Los Angeles was raised exponentially after he put a scare into all of Los Angeles. If Addison Barger’s bat continues to emerge and the pitching workers can thrive as soon as Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber and Jose Berrios return from accidents, Toronto may very well be poised for an additional deep October run.
NEW YORK YANKEES
Sep 12, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Choose (99) reacts after hitting a house run throughout the first inning in opposition to the Boston Pink Sox at Fenway Park. Obligatory Credit score: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Photos There aren’t any vital departures from a crew that was tied with the Blue Jays for greatest regular-season document within the American League at 94-68. Cody Bellinger is again within the fold and Aaron Choose continues to prepared the ground with an AVERAGE of 52.5 residence runs over the previous 4 seasons.
Will Giancarlo Stanton, Trent Grisham and Ryan McMahon make vital contributions? Jasson Dominguez is poised to be a distinction maker. Max Fried will attempt to maintain issues collectively on the prime of the rotation whereas ready for Gerrit Cole (elbow) and Carlos Rodon (elbow) to return in some unspecified time in the future within the first half.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Whereas the Blue Jays or Yankees can solely ship a knockout blow to the Dodgers within the World Collection, the Phillies can maintain enterprise a lot earlier if they will discover their late-season kind from a season in the past. Positive Philadelphia fell 3-1 to the Dodgers within the NL Division Collection, however the matchup was nearer than it now seems.
The Dodgers clinched the sequence within the eleventh inning of Sport 4 however solely due to a psychological blunder on protection by pitcher Orion Kirkering. The Phillies had been that near heading again residence for a deciding Sport 5 with a full head of steam. Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber kind a formidable offense.
NEW YORK METS
Feb 17, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea (59) works throughout spring coaching at Clover Park. Obligatory Credit score: Sam Navarro-Imagn Photos There have been massive adjustments in Queens this offseason as Bo Bichette, Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert Jr. and Marcus Semien all had been vital roster additions with departures of the likes of Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Starling Marte.
The painful departure was Diaz to the Dodgers. Can Brett Baty and/or Mark Vientos ship the type of manufacturing that has been anticipated? Just like the Dodgers, the Mets have a free-spender in proprietor Steve Cohen, who’s going to determine it out ultimately, simply so long as his big-spending methods yr after yr don’t make him queasy. The Mets took two video games off the Dodgers within the 2024 NLCS however flopped at 83-79 final season.
SEATTLE MARINERS
Unable to advance to the World Collection at any level of their historical past, the Mariners had been on the door of the Fall Basic once they misplaced to the Blue Jays in Sport 7 of final yr’s ALCS. Cal Raleigh, along with his 60-homer season, has supplanted Julio Rodriguez because the crew’s offense anchor.
Maybe that aid alone will assist Rodriguez to get off to an elusive quick begin. Josh Naylor is again at first base and Brendan Donovan has arrived to place a cost into the highest of the order. Seattle was speculated to have an all-pitch, sporadic-hit persona final season solely to have Raleigh flip the script with probably the most residence runs ever from a catcher and a swap hitter. If the Seattle pitchers have their method this season, maybe baseball will likely be spending the autumn within the Pacific Northwest.
