As the Los Angeles Dodgers await the outcome of the final game between the Philadelphia Philles and Atlanta Braves to see who they will face in the NLDS, the team is busy working on keeping their bats and arms fresh and ready for the road to a three-peat that lies ahead.
As Bill Plunkett of the OC Register notes, the last two championship wins were won mainly on the backs of the pitchers – the bullpen in 2024, and key starters in 2025. Could this finally be the year that the Dodgers win it by having
their offense outslug the other teams?
“It would be nice to slug our way to a World Series one of these years,” third baseman Max Muncy joked on the eve of another postseason run. “We can’t keep letting the pitchers take all the credit, right?”
The offense has looked better in the month of September, and they hope to continue that and have those that weren’t hitting join those that are. Plunkett has more thoughts from the players on how they’re looking to perform in the playoffs here.
As Bill Shakin of the L.A. Times notes, the last two World Series runs have had signature moments from Freddie Freeman, and ponders if this playoff run will have the same.
“My body feels good,” Freeman said. “I think that’s the main thing. I feel like it’s in a good spot to be able to do the work and hopefully fix my swing and everything that’s been going on the last couple months.”
Shakin goes on to cover Freeman’s lackluster second half, and has more quotes from the man himself here.
As the team moves into its newest playoff era, one player is contemplating the end of his own. Miguel Rojas announced at the beginning of the season that he would be retiring at the end of this season. Now, he’s not quite so sure. Maddie Chen of the L.A.Times talks about how Rojas is facing the possible end of his career.
“From this moment on, it will be kind of like a day-to-day thing,” he said. “And you might get to know that I’m stepping away from the game in an Instagram post, or from me just saying goodbye on a video. I don’t know. I don’t know how it’s going to be, but at this moment, I’m not 100% [certain].”
