Thursday, September 17, 2026

Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2026

On Thursday, the Los Angeles Dodgers became the National League West Champions when they defeated the Cincinnati Reds, 8–2. This is the thirteenth time they have won the West in the last fourteen years.

People assume the Dodgers had an easy route to another divisional title.

Oh hum!

These people don’t understand baseball. Baseball is hard!

Since the beginning of the 2021 season, the Dodgers have played more games than any other team. Practicing before games takes energy. Playing games takes energy. Doing recovery exercises and getting treatment takes energy. Giving interviews and making public appearances takes energy. The Dodgers are mostly family men, and having a family takes energy.

The Dodgers have the oldest group of position players in the major leagues. Older players need more rest than younger players, but they also have knowledge of what is needed to be champions.

Baseball needs to have extreme mental concentration for each game. Since baseball is a game of failure, a player needs to have the ability to flush a bad game and move on. Sometimes, players need a mental break.

Playing in Los Angeles adds another layer. Everyone expects the Dodgers to win. Every opposing team treats a game against the Dodgers like their World Series. If the Dodgers have a modest losing streak, the media asks, “What is wrong with the Dodgers?” nationally. Everyone expects the Dodgers to go three-peat, an accomplishment that no National League team has ever done.

Trying to maintain focus for 162 games in 186 days, at most, is difficult. This doesn’t include spring training or the postseason.

Kyle Tucker, Max Muncy, and Freddie Freeman from the Opening Day lineup haven’t missed time on the IL. Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Emmet Sheehan are the only starting pitchers who haven’t been on the IL. The bullpen has been in flux with all the injuries. At times, I felt like a medical writer waiting on results from imaging and researching new diagnoses.

The Dodgers have still won 93 games and have an opportunity to have 100 wins. They need to prepare for the postseason and earn a first-round bye. Except for Yamamoto, who proved he’s a freak of nature last postseason, no Dodger has had a remarkable performance in 2026. Don’t get me wrong, most Dodgers have performed above the major-league average.

The Dodgers should be proud of their achievement, but they have a lot more work to do before Halloween. If they don’t win their third consecutive World Championship, everyone will view the Dodgers of 2026 as a failure. Congratulations, the Dodgers!