The 2025 MLB Season is in full swing, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are favored to repeat as World Series Champions. The season is already a month in, and the team with the best record will always alternate. The Dodgers have offensive firepower, excellent pitchers, and Shohei Ohtani, arguably the greatest player in baseball, in the lineup.
However, there are a few factors that explain why the Dodgers might not repeat as World Series Champions by the end of October. Here at TPS, we will break down five reasons why the Dodgers won’t repeat as World Series Champions and five reasons why they will.
Here are five reasons why the Los Angeles Dodgers won’t repeat as World Series Champions… and five reasons why they will.
Do the Los Angeles Dodgers have what it takes to repeat as champs?
Won’t Repeat: Rising talent in the American League
As the Los Angeles Dodgers continue their quest to defend their World Series Championship, the competition in the American League will always be fierce. Teams like the New York Yankees, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, and Cleveland Guardians have excellent rosters, ready to compete with the Dodgers and possibly win the World Series, if they happen to run into each other in the 2025 Fall Classic. On top of that, the Yankees are favored to return to the World Series and are on a revenge tour after losing the 2024 World Series in five games.
Will Repeat: Extremely Talented Roster
The Dodgers’ current roster is very diverse, with a solid mix of pitchers and hitters ready to dominate on the baseball diamond. Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, and Shohei Ohtani are still leading the way on offense, while the pitching rotation is considered one of the best rotations in all of professional baseball.
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On top of that, many of the talent on the roster are Cy Young winners and have won multiple MVPs throughout their careers, making for a very complete roster ready to return to the Fall Classic.
Won’t Repeat: The National League West
Outside of the Colorado Rockies, the National League West is arguably one of the toughest divisions in the MLB. The Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres, and San Francisco Giants have very talented rosters and will do everything under the sun and back, to knock the Dodgers off course.
Similar to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Giants acquired elite talent of their own this past offseason, and have a star-studded offense in Jung-hoo Lee, Heliot Ramos, Wilmer Flores, and Matt Chapman in a lineup that had a very good month in April. However, there are a lot more months in baseball ahead of us, and anything can happen.
Will Repeat: Offseason acquisitions
Before the start of the 2025 season, the Dodgers signed Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, Hyeseong Kim, and Kirby Yates to the roster, further strengthening the team for the long haul of the 2025 season. These new acquisitions will transition very well to the Dodgers’ winning ways and embrace the championship culture the team has established throughout the years, and could have a positive impact on the team if they reach the Fall Classic towards the end of the 2025 season.
Won’t Repeat: Competition in the rest of the National League
Competition in the NL West isn’t the only place that’s shown improvement, but competition against other National League teams like the New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, and Cincinnati Reds is going to be more intense for the defending World Series champions. Not to mention the Mets’ acquiring Juan Soto increased their odds of potentially making a World Series run.
On top of that, the Reds have Elly De La Cruz playing at an elite level, thus making competition in the National League worthwhile. The Dodgers shouldn’t count out the Philadelphia Phillies either, as they have a talented roster strong enough for a postseason run of their own.
Will Repeat: Well Established Winning Culture
Similar to the Yankees of the AL East, the Los Angeles Dodgers crafted a team with a traditional winning culture throughout the decades. The Dodgers have a positive environment and are very welcoming to new talent that signs with the team or is traded to the team before the trade deadline. Not to mention the immaculate teamwork and leadership Dodger players have shown throughout the years when the going gets tough. As defending World Series Champions, the Dodgers have the potential to not only defend their Title, but to further add to their Championship Trophy case.
Won’t Repeat: Roster Age
As talented as the Dodgers are, there are key guys on the roster who are in their 30s and older, like Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin, Anthony Banda, Shohei Ohtani, Kirby Yates, Austin Barnes, and Freddie Freeman, to name a few. When an athlete is in their 30s, they’re more prone to injury. The Dodgers must make sure their star players remain healthy for the long run. On top of that, athletes in their 30s need to manage fatigue more effectively, as it can impact their performances in the postseason, when winning games truly matters, which is why the Dodgers need to rest key players when they get too exhausted.
Will Repeat: Continued Improvement
Even though key guys from their 2024 roster departed during the offseason, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ roster did improve with left-hander Blake Snell and relievers Kirby Yates and Tanner Scott to further bolster the roster. So far, these additions have held their own and have embraced the winning ways of the Dodgers and have the potential to help the team hoist another Commissioner’s Trophy by the end of the 2025 season.
On top of that, they’ve re-signed key talent like Clayton Kershaw (who’s currently on the 60-day injured list), Blake Treinen, Teoscar Hernández, and Enrique Hernández, who all helped the Dodgers win the 2024 World Series against the New York Yankees. With new talent in the fold mixing well with the current talent that helped bring the Commissioner’s Trophy to Los Angeles, it gives the Dodgers a recipe for success.
Won’t Repeat: Injuries to Key Players
As talented as the Dodgers are, no one is immune to injury. Clayton Kershaw is recovering from surgery done on his left knee (meniscus repair) and his left big toe (ruptured plantar plate) and is on the 60-day injured list. The Dodgers have dealt with injuries before, like every other team.
However, if Shohei Ohtani or Mookie Betts suffer injuries towards the end of the season, it would significantly impact the Dodgers’ chances of possibly returning to the World Series negatively. As mentioned earlier, the Dodgers must rest their aging veteran stars every so often and have them fresh for the postseason, if they make it back to that.
Will Repeat: Most of the 2024 Talent is still on the roster
Even though the Dodgers lost Jack Flaherty, Joe Kelly, Connor Brogdon, and Gavin Lux in the offseason, the Dodgers still have Clayton Kershaw (when he returns from the 60-Day injured list), Mookie Betts, Yahinobu Yamamoto, Blake Treinen, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, and of course, Shohei Ohtani, who were all a apart of the 2024 Dodgers team that won the World Series, in five games, against the New York Yankees.
With these big names still on the roster, they give the Dodgers the juice the team needs for a very strong chance at a second straight World Series victory. However, it’ll all depend on how healthy the key talent stays, but we’ll just have to see what happens by the conclusion of the 2025 season.
