The Los Angeles Dodgers are chasing history in 2026, aiming to become the first franchise since the late-1990s Yankees to three-peat as World Series champions. On paper, their roster looks capable of pulling it off. Their rotation, in particular, projects as one of the strongest in baseball.
But the Dodgers know projections don’t survive the rigors of a 162-game season. Last year, they leaned on 17 different starting pitchers—the same number they’ve used in each of the past three seasons. That churn isn’t accidental. It’s a reflection of how modern seasons unfold, especially for teams with postseason aspirations.
Workload management will loom large again. Shohei Ohtani and Emmet Sheehan are both coming off elbow surgery. Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell have extensive injury histories. Roki Sasaki is still building durability after a light rookie workload, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw significantly more innings than he had the year before. The top of the rotation is elite, but it’s also fragile by design.
As general manager Brandon Gomes put it this winter, pitching depth is fleeting. That belief drives how the Dodgers build—and why the next tier of arms often matters as much as the stars.
Why River Ryan Stands Out as an X-Factor
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MLB.com identified River Ryan as a potential X-factor for Los Angeles in 2026, and it’s not hard to see why. Ryan made just four Major League starts in 2024 before Tommy John surgery shut him down, but those outings were eye-opening. He posted a 1.33 ERA and showed flashes of frontline stuff despite minimal big-league experience.
Ryan’s path has never been conventional. A two-way player at Division II UNC Pembroke, he threw only 93 innings across three college seasons while also playing second base. The Padres drafted him in 2021 and allowed him to hit before eventually trading him to Los Angeles for Matt Beaty. Once in the Dodgers’ system, Ryan committed fully to pitching—and his development accelerated almost immediately.
Despite limited mileage, the raw data jumps off the page. Statcast’s similarity scores in 2024 compared Ryan’s pitch arsenal to pitchers like Gerrit Cole and George Kirby. That’s rare air for someone who has thrown fewer than 200 professional innings.
Ryan pairs an upper-90s fastball with a hard slider, a power curveball featuring rare velocity and vertical drop, and a changeup that neutralizes left-handed hitters. He also uses multiple fastball shapes, including a sinker and cutter, allowing him to attack different parts of the zone without tipping hitters.
How Health and Timing Could Define Ryan’s Role
Perhaps the most encouraging development is Ryan’s health. After missing all of 2025 while rehabbing from elbow surgery, he’s finally had a normal offseason. He told Dodgers Nation this winter that his fastball has returned to the 98–100 mph range during live sessions, suggesting his velocity survived the procedure intact.
Ryan also believes his shoulder is stronger than it was pre-injury, a crucial factor for sustaining velocity over longer outings. He even hinted at adding another pitch—possibly a sweeper—giving him yet another weapon if hitters begin to adjust.
The Dodgers don’t need Ryan to break camp in the rotation. They need him to be available when the calendar and the injury list inevitably collide. Manager Dave Roberts recently emphasized that Los Angeles is built not just for this season, but for the future. Ryan fits squarely into that philosophy.
If history holds, the Dodgers will need more than six starters to navigate the summer. When that moment arrives, Ryan’s blend of raw stuff, versatility, and timing could make him far more than a depth arm. He could become the kind of unexpected contributor who quietly shapes another championship run.
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