Dodgers fully embracing taking over Yankees' 'Evil Empire' title

The Los Angeles Dodgers are just four wins away from capturing their second consecutive World Series title, thanks in part to the highest active payroll of any MLB team and more than $1B worth of deferred payments that will start to become due in 2028.

A segment of baseball fans point at the Dodgers and say the title runs are only coming because of the money the organization spent. Those same fans argue that high amount of money puts the franchise out of reach of small- and mid-market teams who don't have the television revenue coming in to keep up with the Dodgers.

The Dodgers hear those comments ... and simply don't care.

That point was made clear by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts on Friday night after his team swept the Brewers out of the 2025 NLCS. His quote from the grandstand where he and his team accepted the NL title? "Before this season started, they said the Dodgers are ruining baseball. Let's get four more wins and really ruin baseball."

Los Angeles is leaning into the villain role in a way that would make those in Hollywood jealous. As Roberts wears his black hat and twirls his mustache standing over the damsel in distress tied to the railroad tracks, he laughs as he thinks, "We're winning. We know why and so do you ... and we don't care."

To be fair, the Dodgers haven't broken any rules. They figured out a way to bring together an Avengers-level of talent inside Chavez Ravine and one that makes other fanbases grumble with jealousy and rage. Their window for winning is right now, and they're taking full advantage of it.

Dodgers have overtaken the Yankees as the "Evil Empire"

There was a day when the New York Yankees had cornered the market on the term "Evil Empire" inside MLB circles. The Yankees earned that title from Boston Red Sox team president Larry Lucchino in late 2002 when his team was outbid for free agent pitcher Jose Contreras. In a comment to the New York Times, Lucchino said of the Yankees, "The evil empire extends its tentacles even into Latin America."

That was more than 20 years ago. Times change ... and so do nicknames and reasons why.

With the Yankees not having won a World Series since 2009 and the Dodgers on the verge of winning their third this decade, it's clear which coast owns the "Evil Empire" mantra right now in the eyes of 29 other fanbases. It's a title the Dodgers accept with pride right now, on the cusp of adding to their trophy case.

What happens after next season when the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) runs out remains to be seen, as does the impact the Dodgers' spending has on the negotiations that will surround what comes with the next CBA. That, however, is after the 2026 season, another campaign where the Dodgers will likely be the favorites to win the World Series thanks to a payroll that is keeping its star power intact while likely bringing in other talent to boost the overall roster.

Are the Dodgers ruining baseball? Whether you think they are or they're not, they don't care. They're just winning and loving every minute of it.