The Los Angeles Dodgers didn’t just snatch the championship from New York Yankees, they also stole a major crown from them. Yes, the crown of being called “the evil empire” in MLB. Now there is an uproar in the baseball world, after their unworldly spending in the off-season that there should be a salary cap.

Insider Andy McCullough, appearing on the Dodger Blue podcast, didn’t mince his words when talking about the entire scenario. He started the conversation with, “I thought the season was canceled! I thought the Dodgers just won the World Series.” And honestly? It’s hard to argue with him. If you are not an LA Dodger fan, you are probably feeling it pinch the most. But if you ask who is going to be bothered the most, it’s the San Diego Padres.

McCullough laid it out openly, “The Padres are feeling the burn the most.” And he also mentions why. Let’s start with Blake Snell, the player who won a Cy Young award with the Padres a few years ago, who is now going to be in the LA lineup. Then, Tanner Scott, who is the only person known to challenge Ohtani, has also been acquired by them. Well, if you can’t fight them, get them, right? There is also Roki Sasaki, who is known to be a generational talent and is now also going to play with the Boys in Blue.

Hence, McCullough isn’t wrong that the Padres are probably feeling the burn in the worst way, and so are the fans. However, the question to be asked truly is what the Padres have done till now.

The San Diego Padres have signed Martin Maldonado, a 38-year-old catcher who is not even in his prime! They have retained Tyler Wade, who is good, but $900,000 to keep a utility guy isn’t a statement move for the team that wants to win. Not just that, other division rivals are also making statement moves. The San Francisco Giants got Justin Verlander and Willy Adames. The Diamondbacks got Corbin Burnes and Josh Naylor. McCullough pointed out that it’s common for everyone else who isn’t a Dodger fan to be a hater online. But, in the end, every team fan wishes their team would do what the Dodgers are doing.

As far as the “evil empire” narrative goes, McCullough on Dodger Blue said, “The only reason the discourse has gone from them (the Dodgers) being bumbling colossuses who can’t get out of their way in October to this juggernaut that has destroyed the sport is that their best players played well in the postseason for the first time in a while.” Simply put, it’s not that the fans want a leveled-out playing field; they want to win. Meanwhile, for the Padres, the road ahead is only getting tough.

Los Angeles Dodgers watch the Padres’ downfall

The Los Angeles Dodgers have done enough damage for the Padres. To make matters worse, they’ve taken another major hit. Well, it turns out they lost one of their gems from the 2024 lineup. Outfielder Jurickson Profar, who revved up his career in the Padres last season, got his first All-Star appearance and decided he had had it in San Diego. He is headed off to another rival contender—the Atlanta Braves. He signed a three-year, $42 million deal with them, leaving the San Diego Padres scrambling right now.

Profar’s departure at this point stings for the Padres. Because he wasn’t just great; he was the cornerstone of the team’s offense. He slashed 24 home runs, 85 RBI, 94 runs, and a .839 OPS last year. As such, he was the one keeping the team competitive. Now there is a massive hole in left field. And they have options like Tyler Wade and Tirso Ornelas, but they are not the ones building the confidence.

Not just that; even the San Diego Padres rotation has taken quite a hit. Joe Musgrove is out after Tommy John surgery, and they don’t even have a catcher to pair with Luis Campusano. And Martin Maldonado isn’t again at his prime. If you compare this to the Dodgers, it does seem like McCullough said the Dodgers had already won it—sounds more true.

However, in baseball, the beauty of the sport is that the repetition of winners back-to-back is a rare feat. Anything can happen, even if the team has just winners in the lineup like the Los Angeles Dodgers. So do you think the apparent kings of the NL West have already won the next season? Let us know your thoughts.