The Los Angeles Dodgers have spent every day this season in first place in the National League West. The addition of Shohei Ohtani has proven to be the perfect fit, as he is marching towards a third career Most Valuable Player award. They opened up a nine-game lead in the National League West in mid-June, around the same time Mookie Betts was injured. Now, they sit just two-and-a-half games ahead of the San Diego Padres. With the Dodgers as near-locks to make the playoffs, the closing gap should not cause panic.
The Dodgers have a 98.5% chance of making the playoffs, according to Fangraphs. Assuming there is not a catastrophic collapse, it will be the 12th consecutive playoff berth for Los Angeles. On paper, they have the star power to win in October regardless of where they finish.
Part of the reason for signing Ohtani in the offseason was because of their recent struggles in the playoffs. They have won just one playoff game total in the last two seasons, failing to capitalize on back-to-back 100-win campaigns. The issue for the Dodgers has not been the regular season which is why they should not panic about their dwindling division lead.
The Dodgers need success in the playoffs
The Clayton Kershaw era is defined by the World Series title in 2020. The 60-game season ended with the Dodgers defeating the Rays in six games in the Fall Classic. Before and after that triumph, it has been a myriad of playoff failures for Los Angeles.
They won two consecutive NL pennants in 2017 and 2018, falling to the Astros and Red Sox respectively in the World Series. They followed up their championship with a loss to the Braves in the 2021 NLCS. And last year's NLDS sweep against the Diamondbacks left everyone scratching their heads.
Regular-season success has not translated to postseason greatness for these Dodgers. This rough stretch that has led to the small division lead might be the kind of thing they need to battle through to prepare for the playoffs. The 2023 Dodgers took the NL West lead for the final time on July 14 and never trailed by more than three games after August 5.
That coast to the finish did not prepare them for their series against the Diamondbacks. Arizona had raced to the finish to grab a Wild Card spot. Then, they needed to win the best-of-three NLWC series against Milwaukee. They were more prepared for do-or-die baseball than the Dodgers were and they benefitted from it.
The Dodgers and their fans should not be panicking about their dwindling division lead. It might be exactly the kind of test this stacked team needs to win another championship.
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