“Los Angeles Times” columnist and ESPN analyst Bill Plaschke said he doesn’t think the Los Angeles Dodgers will win the 2026 World Series.
The Dodgers won their second consecutive World Series in 2025, defeating the Toronto Blue Jays in a thrilling seven-game series and only got better this offseason after adding two of their biggest stars in free agency, but Plaschke isn’t convinced.
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“This is suddenly an older team,” Plaschke wrote. “They’re experienced, they’re savvy, but they’re increasingly fragile. Being too old can break you down with injury and fatigue. The hangover is a young man’s game. The hangover is hell for the old.”
The Dodgers have their oldest core of position players heading into the 2026 season, but that didn’t stop them last year. While age and injuries seem to go hand in hand in this league, the Dodgers still manage to keep a healthy team on the field thanks to their extensive depth.
October 31, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) celebrates on the podium during the post-game celebration after defeating the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2025 MLB World Series at Rogers Center. Mandatory photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Age isn’t the only issue Plaschke writes about, though, as Los Angeles has struggled with injuries throughout the regular season recently, and bullpen issues late last season also caught his attention.
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“Yes, they added their best free agent reliever in closer Edwin Díaz, and fans will go crazy for Timmy Trumpet’s first note, but do the Dodgers have enough middle relievers to handle him?” he wrote.
“Tanner Scott is back. Blake Trenin is back. The potential for chaos is back. The Dodgers need more revelations like Will Klein and Justin Wobleski to survive.”
In addition to those issues, Plaschke is concerned about the Dodgers’ ability to move forward after a subpar 2025 season as they chase a three-peat. The names he listed include Dalton Rushing, Andy Pages and Mookie Betts.
The last issue he listed is something the Dodgers have no control over: luck.
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“Even the Dodgers admit that there have been a number of key games in the past two postseasons that could have gone the other way and changed history forever,” Plaschke wrote. “It seems like every Dodger drive has been blown away. How can this continue to happen?
“Will Aaron Judge hit a fly ball again? Will Gerrit Cole forget to cover first base again?
“The bottom line is, can any team create so many chances three years in a row?”
Do you think Plaschke’s concerns are justified? Or will the Dodgers head to the World Series?
