The Los Angeles Dodgers have reached their time of year. This is when they show the rest of Major League Baseball who the best team in the sport is.
At least, that’s what has happened each of the last two years. The Dodgers won the World Series in 2024, and then they repeated in 2025.
Can they three-peat? That’s what the back-to-back champs are seeking. And at least when you’ve won the last two titles, it’s clear what you’re going after. There’s no settling for anything less.
When the Dodgers’ playoff quest begins, they will be seeking a third World Series in a row. Anything less will be considered a failure.
They do have a different path than a year ago, though. Last season, the Dodgers didn’t get a first-round bye. They had to play in the Wild Card Series against the Cincinnati Reds, who they quickly dispatched at Dodger Stadium.
This time around, that entire round of the playoffs is a moot point for the Dodgers. They’re going straight to the Divisional Series.
It could be odd to have a few days off in the middle of a play-every-day baseball season, but it should allow the Dodgers to recharge and get their pitching lined up for what comes next.
Why Aren’t Dodgers Playing Today?
The Dodgers are off for the entire Wild Card Round of the MLB playoffs because they earned a first-round bye.
They won’t be back in action until the National League moves on to the Divisional Series.
The Wild Card Round features best-of-three series, so the Dodgers have to miss at least a few days.
How Does First-Round Bye Work?
When the league expanded to six teams in each league making the playoffs, these current rules took hold.
The top-two teams in each league get a first-round bye — specifically, the two division champions with the best record.
In this year’s National League, that was the NL Central champ Milwaukee Brewers and the NL West champion Dodgers.
Milwaukee earned the 1-seed and the bye that came with it, and the Dodgers were the 2-seed — the Brewers had 103 wins to L.A.’s 100. The Wild Card Series includes the 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-seeded teams for the right to advance and play the Brewers and Dodgers.
Who Do Dodgers Play Next?
The Dodgers have one series to keep an eye on: Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves.
The Braves won the NL East Division and are the 3-seed, and the Phillies snuck in on the final day to the last Wild Card spot and are the 6-seed.
Whichever of those teams wins will be coming to Dodger Stadium for Game 1 of the Divisional Series.
The bracket is set up so that the top-seed Brewers play the winner of the 4v5 series — it means they wouldn’t have to play the 3-seed, which would be a disadvantage by seeding.
Los Angeles Dodgers Next Game: Who They Play, When It Is, How First-Round Bye Works