Fans Fear Another Dodger Disaster In October
Fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers live in fear. Wins are not satisfying; they’re supposed to win, and losses bring a fear foreshadowing another short, disappointing playoff run. Now, I know fans on the south side of Chicago, in Pittsburgh, or in Queens, would love to have the problems the Dodgers have. We know that.
The issue with the 2024 Los Angeles Dodgers is expectations. It won’t just be a disappointment if they don’t win the World Series; it will bring a darkness, a depth this franchise dreads. This team spent $1.1 billion on players in the offseason and has Most Valuable Player winners batting one, two, and three. Then, if spending more than $1 billion isn’t the answer, what is it?
Because of this, I believe no team has faced as much pressure to win it all as the 2024 Dodgers. In an article entitled “Dodgers are winning again, but who’s convinced this team will win in October?” by Los Angeles Times columnist Dylan Hernandez, he writes,
“[The Dodgers] followed their sweep of the New York Mets by taking the last two games of their three-game series against the Colorado Rockies during the weekend. [They] are 38-23, the second-best record in the National League, Yet none of this was convincing. None of this felt like persuasive evidence for why they wouldn’t crash and burn in the postseason as they have in each of the previous three years.”
That’s what is trapped in our minds as the Dodgers move through the regular season. It happened in Pittsburgh on June 4. Los Angeles managed five hits and no runs against the Pirates. It’s just one game, but it redirects our attention to October.
The Dodgers Past Is Evidence
Over the last two years, the Dodgers have won exactly one playoff game with an average payroll of $255 million. In 2023, Los Angeles won 100 games and finished 16 games ahead of the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks. Those Diamondbacks promptly swept the Dodgers in the first round.
Two years ago, the team won 111 games and was dispatched by the rival San Diego Padres three games to one. That’s not good enough, and the Dodgers dugout, front office, and fans know it.
Also causing anxiety is that the baseball world expects them to win. The Dodgers are favorites to win the World Series (+450) ahead of the New York Yankees (+600) and the Philadelphia Phillies (+800).
Looking Ahead To October
Last season, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman combined to go one for 21 in the playoff series against the Diamondbacks. Arizona had no expectation to win the series, so they were free to just go out and play. Betts’ goal is to be better if and when they get to the postseason.
“I know I didn’t do well obviously the last playoffs, and so I want to get back to where I can compete when it’s crunch time. And prove to everyone, but also prove to myself, that I can do it and I believe in myself.”
With Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith at the top of the order you’d think Dodger fans would be able to relax. They can’t.
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