The Los Angeles Dodgers have big expectations for 2026. After all, they are the first team to win back-to-back World Series titles since the New York Yankees won three straight from 1998-2000. The Dodgers are looking to match the Yankees in that category as well.
The team had a busy offseason, signing Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz to boost their roster. The expectation by most for 2026 is that the Dodgers will win yet another World Series title. But what if there is a world in which they don’t?
Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report predicts that the Seattle Mariners, not the Dodgers will win the World Series.
“The Mariners have a smaller talent gap than most in relation to the Dodgers,” Rymer wrote. “The stars and the depth are both there on both sides of the ball. They could also have a couple oh-so-crucial Shohei Ohtani silencers in lefties Gabe Speier and Jose A. Ferrer.
“For another thing, fatigue could be even more of a threat to the Dodgers this October than it was last October. Everyone is another year older, and no team has played even remotely as much baseball over the last two years.”
Could Dodgers fail in 2026?
Rymer’s scenario has the Mariners defeating the Dodgers in six games. This obviously seems unlikely to most given the talent that the Dodgers have on their roster. There is still a lot to look forward to, but the Dodgers are the overwhelming favorites to win it all, so if they don’t, that might end up being one of the biggest stories of the season.
There is always a scenario in which the Dodgers could fail. Perhaps the best evidence was the superteam the Philadelphia Phillies seemed to have in 2011, winning 102 games and securing the best record in Major League Baseball. However, they were knocked out of the National League Division Series five games by the 90-win St. Louis Cardinals, a wild card team that went on to win a title of their own.
The 2023 World Series featured two wild card teams, the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks. That year, Arizona swept the Dodgers in the NLDS. So, it is always possible for something crazy to happen.
But on paper, the Dodgers are far and away the best team in the league, and it would be hard to imagine any other team unseating them at the top this year. The Mariners may be the second-best team in baseball, but it’s not a close second.
Dodgers’ Fans Shouldn’t Be Concerned
Ultimately, it might take something catastrophic for the Dodgers to not win the World Series in 2026. Injuries can always take place. They already are beginning the season without Blake Snell, who suffered a shoulder injury in spring training.
More can always happen, and games aren’t always won on paper. But it’s hard to imagine the Dodgers not taking home a third straight title this October.
It also wouldn’t be the worst thing if they did not win this year. They have already cemented themselves as a dynasty, having won three titles since 2020.
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