Dodgers postseason struggles will continue

Even with a remarkably high player salary payroll, signing superstar Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year-700 million dollar deal, the Los Angeles Dodgers will continue to struggle in the postseason. With only around a month remaining in the 2024 MLB regular season, many teams are preparing for their playoff run. The Dodgers are very much in contention to make the playoffs. As this is being written, the Dodgers hold a five-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks for the division with an 82-55 record.

Although Ohtani is performing at an elite level this season, becoming the first player ever to have a 43-home run and 43 stolen base season, the Dodgers will continue to struggle to win the World Series. Pitching can make or break a team's success in the postseason. Starting pitchers Dustin May, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Tony Goslin, and Clayton Kershaw are all on the Injured List for the Dodgers currently. Glasnow and Kershaw are expected to be able to return before, or during the postseason, but will have to get back into their rhythm at a very high-stakes point in the season.

With a five-game series in the National League Divisional Series (NLDS) and a seven-game series in the National League Conference Series (NLCS), it will be hard for the Dodgers to find good enough starting pitching to keep opposing offenses in check.

            Outside of the Dodger's starting pitching staff, there is a real concern about where the offense is going to come outside of the top three hitters of the order in Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Ohtani. The combo of Betts, Freeman, and Ohtani has been ultra-effective this season with all three performing at elevated levels. The issues the Dodgers could face in the playoffs come from any

combination of these three hitters struggling could result in a lack of potent offense. Especially with the starting pitching concerns that they are facing, the Dodgers would need to heavily rely on their trio of superstar hitters to carry them to a World Series title.

Hitters Will Smith, Teoascar Hernandez, Max Muncy, and Gavin Lux have had times of success this season, but the Dodgers will certainly need one, if not two or more of these players to have a breakout postseason and help create runs for this Dodger offense. For the Dodgers to make a deep run into the playoffs, these “supporting” players are going to have to step up and contribute to the offense, especially considering the uncertainty surrounding the pitching staff.

            Pitching is extremely important in the playoffs. Many teams configure ways to get three top-end starters to make a deep run to the playoffs. For the Dodgers case, it seems there are more questions than answers to their starting pitching right now. The Dodgers definitely tried to prepare for a playoff run by acquiring Jack Flaherty at the trade deadline. But the question is, will it be enough? The Dodgers success could potentially rely on their starting pitchers' success and health. Everyone will be on the lookout for the Dodgers playoff run.