Five Takeaways From the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 2025 Season

The Dodgers have aggressively built this team through trades and free agency, adding big stars every offseason. For most teams, one or two is about all that the resources can handle, but for the Dodgers, the story is different.

Obviously, the biggest star is Shohei Ohtani, and he was once again magnificent. Launching 55 home runs and posting a 1.014 OPS to go with his 2.87 ERA resulted in another 7+ fWAR season. There’s zero doubt that this is the best baseball player to ever play the game.

Freddie Freeman essentially duplicated last year’s production with 24 home runs and a 139 wRC+. Even at 36, Freeman remains a top hitter in the game. Mookie Betts had his worst offensive season, but filled a big hole by playing shortstop all season, providing great defense. Not the year the Dodgers had hoped for from him, but he was still a crucial part of the team.

On the pitching side, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow all had their moments, especially in the playoffs. Yamamoto pitched his first full season in the majors and finished with a 2.49 ERA and 2.94 FIP while providing a steady presence as injuries popped up throughout the rotation.

The investments the Dodgers have made over the last few offseasons continue to pay off. We see so many free agent deals tank across the league, but L.A. has managed to avoid many disasters.

The Bullpen Needs Help

In the Dodgers’ defense, a few injuries changed what their bullpen would have looked like at the end of the season and into October. However, injuries are part of the game and cannot be an excuse for not addressing the bullpen this coming offseason.

The pitching staff as a whole has loads of talent, and maybe a younger starter moves to the bullpen, but even then, additions need to be made. Your rotation closing out games in the playoffs is awesome, but there are 162 games beforehand.

Tanner Scott, Blake Treinen, Kirby Yates, and other veterans did not look nearly as productive as we had expected. I like what we saw from Jack Dreyer and think the options from the left side are set. Adding more options that could pitch in high-leverage situations would surely help throughout the season.

Luckily, bullpen arms are always available. Cash restrictions will not be much of a problem, so the Dodgers will have the pick of the litter, as always. They have developed a number of arms that should also get innings, but L.A. is not the type of team that would leave fixing this issue up to unproven arms.

Andy Pages Is an Answer in Center Field

Andy Pages‘s name came up in trade discussions in previous years, but the Dodgers never moved him to provide a quick-fix solution. Even when the team needed help in the outfield, they turned to Pages as the answer, not the currency to acquire one.

In his second full season, Pages slashed .272/.313/.461 with 27 home runs, 14 stolen bases, and a 113 wRC+. Not only was he a stabilizing piece to the bottom third of the order, but he was a difference maker in the field.

Pages’s defense in center and right field was excellent all year. He was worth 11 outs above average, which was tied for fifth best amongst center fielders. With Pages being as good as he was, Mookie’s move to short did not simply move a hole from shortstop to the outfield, but instead solved two problems: short and the hole that would have been created in the outfield with Mookie moved.

As the team’s costs continue to rise, having Pages on a cheaper contract gives the Dodgers some relief, whatever that’s worth. Finding a center fielder as good as Pages is difficult. L.A. does not see many positions open up, and Pages has now, without a doubt, claimed his spot.

Mookie at Short Has Been a Mixed Bag

When the Dodgers moved Mookie Betts to shortstop, they filled a need they had carried for a few years. However, it came at a cost.

Mookie’s .258/.326/.406 slash and 104 wRC+ is a far cry from what he has established as a baseline throughout his career. However, he still put up a 3.4 fWAR thanks to his defense. We cannot say for sure how much Mookie’s odd health situation early in the season played into his production, but you have to wonder if the move to the infield impacted his offense.

A bigger concern would be if the wear and tear over the years is starting to catch up with him. I won’t go that far until we see back-to-back down seasons at the plate. He is simply too talented for me to bet against.

If moving to short did impact his bat, what’s the next step? Would playing second and having Edman cover short change anything? More time DH’ing? With Ohtani, that feels less likely. These are all questions the Dodgers have a few months to answer.

Dave Roberts Has Changed the Narrative

Fans complaining about managers is nothing new. We see it no matter how good or bad a team is or how justified the complaints are. Roberts has taken his share of criticism throughout his time in L.A., with last year’s World Series silencing some doubters. Now? Crickets.

Roberts made all the right moves. Right or wrong, luck or not, he gets credit for leaving Miguel Rojas in to hit in Game 7. Going to Yamamoto and allowing him to finish out Game 7 was another bold move that paid off. Defensive replacements and certain roster decisions helped lead the Dodgers to another championship.

He went from (some) fans wanting him out to having three rings with the Dodgers. Was it all perfect? No, but what manager is? Roberts seems to have the trust of the clubhouse, and that means something. I doubt we see any fans complaining now.

Final Thoughts

The Dodgers have won two straight World Series and are entering an offseason where they will likely improve. Like it or not, that is the world we are living in. With few holes and plenty of resources, L.A. is once again poised to make non-Dodger fans erupt.

As a fan of the game, I won’t take what we are seeing for granted. Payroll aside, we are witnessing one of the best teams the game has seen. The kind of team that does not come around every year. Hall of Famers stacked behind the best to ever do it? Sign me up.