The Los Angeles Dodgers are officially in the playoffs, even if their exact seeding remains up in the air.
Soon, fans will find out whether the best team money – and Andrew Friedman – could assemble will be able to make good on their sky-high potential, or if they will go down as one of the biggest busts in MLB history, a squad seemingly designed to win the rare back-to-back World Series but sunk under the impossible weight of those expectations.
If the Dodgers succeed, they will unquestionably have to get major efforts from some of their star players, of which they have a ton. Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Teoscar Hernandez form the best 1-2-3-4 – in some order – punch MLB has to offer even as Will Smith spends his evenings in the bullpen instead of behind the plate, and in a nice reversal of fate, Los Angeles has more starting pitchers than they know what to do with, forcing Clayton Kershaw to begin a potential move to the bullpen down the stretch between starts.
But what about the players who are on the margins? What about the guys who will inevitably be called upon at a clutch moment to do something and will either have to rise to the occasion or crumble at the worst possible time? Those are the players who will define the playoff run and decide whether or not the Dodgers will win another World Series or go down swinging.
1. Michael Conforto
In 2025, Michael Confort has unquestionably been the Dodgers' weakest link on offense.
A former San Francisco Giant who defected south to Los Angeles on a one-year, $17 million deal like Hernandez the year prior, Conforto just hasn't lived up to expectations in what will likely be his lone season in Dodgers blue, hitting sub-.200 against seemingly every team but his old club on the way to a season fans hope to forget: .203/.305/.342.
Now granted, in the field, Conforto has been fine to good, but he's no better than Andy Pages, Andy Call, or any of the other options the Dodgers could play at the spot, especially with Tommy Edman routinely reminding fans why he's one of LA's best fielders regardless of what position he's asked to play on any given night.
That's what makes Dave Roberts' commitment to Conforto so confusing: he has options.
Earlier this season, Conforto had to be a full-time left fielder almost by default, as Edman was on IL with Hyeseong Kim, Max Muncy, Kike Hernandez, and about a dozen pitchers at any given time, but as the team got healthier and Call was acquired at the trade deadline, the need to give the veteran regular playing time has grown slim. No, at best, Conforto is a decent bench option who could sub in on either side of the ball if need be, situationally. Other than that, Miguel Rojas has played well enough at second base to make Edman a full-time center fielder, sending Pages to left and Conforto to the bench as the talent trickles down.
2. Tanner Scott
If Conforto has been the Dodgers' most disappointing free agent addition at the plate, then Tanner Scott has been the most disappointing free agent addition on the mound.
Originally signed away from the San Diego Padres to make their bullpen better and a rival's unit worse, Scott has had just about the worst season a closer could imagine, with the veteran journeyman blowing a career-high 10 saves over 58 appearances, with an ERA (4.64) nearly triple his total in 2024 split between the Padres and Miami Marlins.
With fans letting Scott know how disappointed they've been with his play at seemingly every step along the way, from in the arena to on social media and presumably on the street, the 31-year-old has expressed his personal disappointment in his play on multiple occasions along the way, noting everything from that this has been the worst year of his life, to the suggestion that baseball “hates him” for how unlucky he's been.
Concerned with the possibility that he's been tipping pitches, Scott has played better in his last two appearances against the Philadelphia Phillies and the Giants, but if his number gets called in the postseason, will this version of No. 66 show up? Or will the baseball gods hate him once more, and, by extension, the Dodgers? Fans will find out.
3. Blake Treinen
While Scott has blown the most saves of any Dodgers reliever this season, he somehow hasn't been Los Angeles' worst relief pitcher, with Blake Treinen having been absolutely dreadful following an extended stay on IL with a forearm injury.
A hero of the Dodgers' World Series run in 2024, Treinen hasn't looked like the same player in 2025, earning an ERA of 5.55 over 24.1 innings pitched while allowing 27 hits and blowing three saves. Treinen has a win-loss record of 1-7, has just two saves to his name, and somehow has a WAR of -0.6, the first time he's had a negative number in that category since 2020.
Treinen has struggled as a middle reliever, struggled in closing situations, and has unfortunately found himself struggling to even get through an inning with regularity, with his last two appearances both lasting just two batters.
Now Roberts has said he still trusts Treinen but will need to see some quality performances in the final few games of the season to justify earning any high-leverage moments come October. If that doesn't happen and Treinen remains a liability, it will be interesting to see if Roberts keeps his word or if he will instead draw up his lineup based on the names on the backs of the jerseys, rather than how his players look on the field.
4. Dave Roberts
And last but not least, who will be making these decisions? Well, that would be Dave Roberts, the three-time World Series-winning manager who makes some decisions that simply drive fans wild.
Playing Conforto in 134 games and counting? All Roberts. Letting Scott and Treinen blow saves on the regular? Roberts' call too. Goodness, the Dodgers wouldn't even be in a pennant race if Roberts cared more about winning games in the regular season, with at least a dozen contests within reach being basically surrendered by LA because they took the foot off the gas.
Will Roberts go all-in on winning games come October, keeping his starters in games when they are shutting down opposing sides instead of exposing his incredibly ineffective bullpen to more potential damage? Or will he fight for every single game, inning, and at-bat, knowing how easily a playoff run can end because of coaching malpractice? With a bullpen that can hardly get three outs with regularity, let alone nine, the Dodgers will need Roberts to coach the best run of his career, which, at this point, will make or break their World Series chances.
