The Dodgers’ World Series Hopes May Rest on Their Four-Man Rotation

As the Los Angeles Dodgers’ luster starts to dim both on and off field, and a new sports conglomerate continues to form in Southern California, an alternate plan seems to be forming on the baseball diamond atop the hill that rises above downtown.

From their lofty perch, the Dodgers appear resigned to a new path for earning new fall colors.

Shohei Ohtani might not pitch again this season, and at the present time, he isn’t doing much hitting either. Freddie Freeman, whose game-ending grand slams have been a staple of the last two World Series, hasn’t lit the fuse on a blast of any kind since July 4.

Kyle Tucker arrived in the offseason to make an intimidating lineup even more formidable, but so far he has been a bust in the first year of a $240 million deal. After high-priced bullpen addition Tanner Scott had mixed results in 2025, the latest bullpen anchor in Edwin Diaz has only stepped on the mound in 16 of 138 games this season.

The Dodgers insist there remains enough time to find a regular-season stride and ride a star-powered wave to a third consecutive title and a fourth in seven seasons.

But as September arrived with a 13-8 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday, it is becoming apparent that the most viable plan for raising another trophy, while solidifying their dynasty and cementing the ire of a baseball-loving nation, might rest on four players.

Inside LA's pitching staff moving forward

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Tarik Skubal appear to be the path forward for a roster that is one of the best ever assembled. The quartet will have little margin for error. The track record of each suggests they should be able to handle the load.

Snell, Glasnow, and most famously Yamamoto, all pitched in Game 7 of last year’s World Series, widely believed to be one of the best ever contested. The fact that none of them started the game, and had to come on in relief, is a testament to just how far the Dodgers were pushed by the relentless Toronto Blue Jays.

In many ways, the Blue Jays appear to be paying the bill for that October run with a substandard season filled with injury and regression from some stars.

That is essentially what the Dodgers are dealing with after a succession of playoff runs, although their deep roster still has them within four games of baseball’s best record.

Snell and Glasnow each missed significant time with injuries this season, although both seem to be on a roll now. Ohtani has dealt with biceps and left knee discomfort that has kept him off the mound since early July and could be taking a toll on the offensive side as well.

Ohtani’s .795 OPS in 27 August games was his lowest over a full month since 21 games in April to start the 2022 season (.722) as a member of the Los Angeles Angels.

Those Ohtani-era Angels, and their lack of a playoff appearance, have been in the spotlight this week with Angels owner Arte Moreno announcing his intent to sell the club to Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke.

Kroenke has done for the Rams what the Dodgers did by building a star-studded roster to become a prohibitive favorite for a championship. The difference is that the Rams have done it with the constraints of a salary cap.

That reality is not insignificant. Baseball’s lack of a payroll constraints is expected to be a major negotiating point toward reshaping the collective bargaining agreement between owners and players that expires this offseason.

A work stoppage is imminent, leaving the final month of the regular season and a playoff-filled October as a last chance to talk about the game itself before labor strife takes over the news.

The Dodgers and their free-spending ways are looked at as the reason for the labor issues, although by and large, the players want nothing to do with restrictions on salaries.

Another title in Los Angeles will only solidify the blame, if and when a work stoppage begins. Current attendance growth numbers figure to wane after a pair of wealthy camps cry foul. Fan bases aren't likely to offer much sympathy.

Regardless of what lies ahead, the Dodgers' title quest will be arresting.

The World Series is far from a foregone conclusion for a team that will have challengers like the Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs to contend with in the National League alone. Those three clubs went 9-1 against Los Angeles in August.

There was once a Fearsome Foursome in L.A. in another sport. Another one might have to deliver if the Dodgers can draw a line and win it all again.