Dodgers under pressure to deliver vs. Padres after Freeway Series sweep

If the Dodgers wish to defend their World Series title, though, they can't get too down on themselves. 

After all, the team will kick off a critical stretch of games on Friday that features two series against the NL West-leading Padres. Now, six games in the next nine days between the division rivals could go a long way in determining which squad is leading the way come October.

The Dodgers continued to improve even after finishing 98-64 en route to the franchise's second World Series title in five years in 2024. But their relatively modest record this season has proven that L.A.'s roster tweaks haven't paid off as expected.

While L.A.'s championship-winning lineup remains mostly intact, the Dodgers completely revamped their starting rotation in 2025. Gone were James Paxton, Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller, and in their stead came former Cy Young winner Blake Snell, Japanese sensation Roki Sasaki and the return of future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw.

All signs pointed to the Dodgers surpassing the lofty 100-win mark and repeating as champions. But Los Angeles has learned the hard way that acquiring top talent only means something if they're available to play.

Health hasn't favored this new-look L.A. rotation, which also added Shohei Ohtani back into the fold after serving strictly as a hitter in his first season with the Dodgers. Snell and Sasaki have combined for just 12 appearances this season, which has forced the team to look deeper into their roster for inning-eaters.

Los Angeles certainly isn't lacking in pitching depth, but their notable back-end arms haven't filled the gaps as effectively as the franchise likely hoped. Currently, L.A. ranks just 19th in team ERA at 4.17, a problematic number that could continue to hurt the team down the line if its injury woes fail to subside.

The Padres are undoubtedly a great team and a contender themselves. But the NL West was always the Dodgers' to lose. However, if this supposedly unstoppable L.A. squad fails to turn things around against San Diego, the division could be crowning a new champion for the first time since 2021.