Photo by Steven Mynott
By Steven Mynott
With the 2025 Major League Baseball (MLB) season underway, the Los Angeles Dodgers are looking to become the first team to win back to back championships since the New York Yankees won three straight in the years 1998-2000. It is a high goal to meet, yet the Dodgers always set the bar high for themselves. Most of the core players from last year’s championship team are back in “Dodger blue,” and they will be helped by new additions who should make the team even stronger.
ALL STARS
What can be said about Shohei Ohtani, designated hitter, that has not already been said before? There is a reason they call him “the unicorn.” He is one of a kind; the greatest player in baseball history. No player has ever been able to both hit and pitch at Ohtani’s level. In 2024, he hit a whopping 54 home runs and stole 59 bases, becoming the first player to ever hit more than 50 home runs and steal more than 50 bases in the same season. What is even more impressive is that he did all of that while recovering from arm surgery that kept him off the pitcher’s mound for the entire season. This year he plans to start pitching again and work his way back into the Dodgers’ starting rotation. Only time will tell if he can get back to his pre-surgery form as a pitcher.
Mookie Betts, outfielder, and his switch to shortstop this season is one of the most fascinating storylines in baseball this year. Betts is a nine-time gold glove winner in right field, however this is not the first time that Betts has tried to transition to playing the infield. Before last year’s season, Betts was poised to be the team’s everyday second baseman in an effort to reduce the wear and tear on his body. However it became evident that Gavin Lux, second baseman, who now plays for the Cincinnati Reds, was not up to the task of being the Dodgers’ everyday shortstop. Without any other good options, Betts and Lux traded positions, with Betts starting the season at shortstop and Lux playing second base. This experiment would not last for long; Betts turned out to be a below average shortstop. Before the postseason started, Betts moved back to his more familiar right field because that is the position where he gave the team its best chance to win. The Dodgers are hoping that this year is different. Betts has had a full offseason to prepare for playing shortstop. But no matter where Betts ends up playing on defense, one thing is for sure: Betts is an offensive powerhouse.
Freddie Freeman, first baseman, was without a doubt, the star of the 2024 World Series against the New York Yankees. In five games he hit four home runs and scored 12 RBIs. In game one of the World Series, Freeman hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the tenth inning that will undoubtedly go down as one of the most iconic moments in all of Dodger history. And he did it all while playing with a badly sprained ankle and an intercostal strain (an injury to the muscle between his ribs). His ankle injury has caused him to miss several games already this season, but it should not be a big concern going forward. In addition to his own injuries, Freeman also faced adversity off the field. During the summer of last year, Freeman’s 3-year-old son, Maximus Freeman was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that left him with full paralysis. There is no known cure for Guillain-Barré syndrome; however most patients do make a full recovery. By all accounts, Maximus Freeman is well on his way to making his own recovery. Dodger fans everywhere are sending good wishes to the Freeman family for Maximus Freeman’s health.
NEW ADDITIONS
When Micheal Conforto, baseball outfielder, signed with the Dodgers’ this offseason, the news flew a bit under the radar. He played for the San Francisco Giants in the last two seasons and the New York Mets for seven years before that. Though he is capable of playing all three outfield positions, Conforto figures to play the majority of games this season as the Dodgers’ left fielder. He is always known as an above average hitter, and he has gotten off to a strong start to begin the season. Conforto has five runs batted in (RBI’s) and a .211 batting average in his first 18 games of the season. If he can keep it up for the whole season, he will bring stability to the left field position that the Dodgers have been missing for the last few seasons.
Roki Sasaki, starting baseball pitcher, was the highest profile free agent signing of the Dodgers’ offseason. MLB scouts have followed him since he was in highschool in Japan for the high velocity on his fastball and the unbelievable movement on his splitter. He cited the Dodgers’ well documented success in developing young pitchers as a primary reason for choosing the Dodgers. The fact that he will have the opportunity to play with fellow Japanese stars Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, baseball pitcher, does not hurt either. Sasaki isn’t expected to be an all-star pitcher right out of the gates. The 22-year-old has plenty of raw talent, but it could take some time for him to figure out how to put it all together to pitch effectively in MLB. While he probably will not be the Dodgers’ best starting pitcher for this season, it will be fun to track his progress and see him improve. He has all of the tools to become one of the greatest pitchers in baseball.
Dodger fans should already be familiar with Blake Snell, starting pitcher. He was part of the Tampa Bay Rays team that the Dodgers beat to win the World Series in 2020. Since then, he has also played for division rivals San Diego Padres and the San Francisco Giants. He is widely considered to be one of the top starting pitchers in baseball. Dodgers hitters are probably glad they finally get to play with this two time Cy Young award winner now instead of against him.
Tanner Scott, relief pitcher, is joining the Dodgers for his eleventh MLB season after solidifying his position as one of the most dominant closers in the league. The Dodgers have been reluctant to name a full-time closer since Kenly Jansen, former relief pitcher, and his departure after the 2021 season. Instead, the team has opted to distribute the closer role among several high leverage relievers on the team. So far, Scott has six saves in 10 games. It remains to be seen how many save opportunities he will get over the course of the season, especially when Evan Phillips, Brusdar Graterol and Michael Kopech, injured pitchers, return to the team.
2025 SEASON OUTLOOK
The 2025 Dodgers are one of the best baseball teams ever assembled on paper. They are among the best in every category. Their hitters are elite, their starting rotation is deep and their bullpen is practically unhittable. On-paper stats, however, mean nothing once the season is underway. The season is long and a lot can happen between now and the World Series, but the Dodgers are perhaps more prepared than anyone to go the distance.
