“They’re Playing Championship Baseball”: Bold LA Dodgers Prediction Made Five Months Before 2024 World Series

Despite injuries, a lack of pitchers, and no depth in the bullpen, the Los Angeles Dodgers remain a dominating force. More importantly, nothing about their current form is unsustainable. No matter the situation or the opposition, nothing seems to be hindering this blue juggernaut that is running over the NL West. So dominant has been the Dodgers’ performance that they’re already being called a championship team—5 months before the World Series! 

If there’s one thing for sure with the Dodgers, it’s that nothing’s for sure. At any given moment, their hitters and pitchers can come off as showstoppers. Last night’s game against the San Francisco Giants was once again evidence of this fact. On a night when Yoshinobu Yamamoto was subdued, their bullpen came to the rescue. Because of this, top analyst and former player Dontrelle Willis couldn’t help but tip his hat to them.

“The bottom line is they’re playing championship baseball,” Willis said during his postgame analysis. “I know they lost their last series, but everything’s starting to come together—the offense, the defense, the timely hitting, the timely pitching. The bullpen is starting to set up because the starters are going deeper in ball games. This is all a rhythm.”

However, what really excited D-Train was that the Dodgers were doing all of this early in the season. It’s a time when much of their team is decimated by injuries and some players are still trying to get hot. “When everybody gets healthy and everybody gets on rhythm, it’s going to be scary,” Willis noted. 

So what is the reason for the Dodgers’ unreal dominance? Is it their pitching and hitting, or is it the general environment around their clubhouse? The answer lies somewhere in the middle.

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ winning culture proves to be working. 

Since they changed ownership, the Los Angeles Dodgers have become winning machinery. That has led to their brand image improving (something that is helping them now with regards to players like Shohei Ohtani opting for them). But more importantly, the team hasn’t missed a playoff since 2012. This culture of expecting nothing less than winning echoes throughout the entire organization.

But more importantly, this season is proving to be a huge opportunity for multiple young players. Dave Roberts noted this in his postgame comments (via MLB.com). “I think it’s the old adage, ‘next man up’-type thing,” said Roberts. “Four out of your top five leverage guys are not with us right now, and so it creates opportunities.” Are these opportunities creating hunger among the players? Possibly. 

Whatever the case, the Dodgers remain near the top of the entire Major Leagues. The only team ahead of them? The Philadelphia Phillies. It looks like the National League has stepped up this season.