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The Los Angeles Dodgers have a critical problem in 2026 in the course of the common season — balancing out their three-peat ambitions with seeding issues.
The Dodgers’ roster has a pleasant steadiness of youth and veterans on the pitching workers, however the lineup is extra veteran-heavy, so rotation and fringe main league expertise can be vital.
Los Angeles has been via a number of consecutive playoff runs, taking part in properly into October yr after yr, which could be taxing and coaching, bodily and mentally.
The Dodgers might want to steadiness ramping up step by step to remain wholesome and peak on the proper time, whereas additionally ensuring they keep out of Wild Card jeopardy as they did in 2025.
The 2025 staff suffered a number of accidents throughout the roster, a hunch all through the lineup, and a bullpen that did not ship.
Within the common season, a bullpen is arguably crucial half when all different sides of the staff are equal, and it allow them to down in 2025.
Nevertheless, with bounce-back performances and well being, together with Edwin Diaz, Katie Woo of The Athletic believes 2026 can be a season when Dave Roberts will get inventive along with his bullpen.
The Dodgers’ 2026 mindset
In her mailbag for The Athletic, Woo laid out that the Dodgers can be aiming for one of many prime two seeds, avoiding the Wild Card spherical via an aggressive use of their bullpen.
“I don’t see the Dodgers taking the complacent route. I count on them to compete for the first-round bye — even when their rotation isn’t full power to start out the yr,” Woo wrote.
“The Dodgers have sufficient organizational depth to take their time. They gained’t rush Snell or Edman again. They’ll be considerate about Ohtani’s and Yamamoto’s early-season utilization. They’ll be affected person with Sasaki.
“However I do assume they’ll push this yr, notably within the late innings. That’s made attainable by the addition of Edwin Díaz. It’s been a number of years for the reason that Dodgers used a real nearer — even after they signed Tanner Scott forward of final season, they didn’t anoint him nearer.
“However Díaz will certainly have the ninth this yr, which is able to permit Roberts to raised use his veteran setup males. If this bullpen takes type because the Dodgers hope it can, count on Roberts to handle extra aggressively.
“Given the star energy on this staff and that the remainder of the true powerhouse groups (outdoors of the New York Mets) are within the American League, it’s inexcusable for the Dodgers to not play for the bye.”
The Dodgers have the expertise to push for properly above 100 wins, although accidents will come, and will probably be as much as the organizational depth to step up and make a distinction.
A few of these gamers embody — however are usually not restricted to — Hyseong Kim, Justin Wrobleski, Alex Freeland, Santiago Espinal, and River Ryan.
What number of wins do you assume the Dodgers will end the 2026 season with?
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