The Athletic’s Jim Bowden listed the Los Angeles Dodgers as favorites to win the World Series and complete the franchise’s first three-peat in 2026.
Bowden, after ranking the Dodgers’ offseason as an ‘A’, said the Dodgers’ additions are enough to keep them at the top of the food chain heading into the new season.
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“The Dodgers have won back-to-back titles and had only two real weaknesses last year — no impact closer and below-average defense in right field,” Bowden wrote. “Well, they addressed both of those areas, signing the top closer in the NL, Edwin Díaz, and the top-overall free agent, Kyle Tucker, to play right field. They had the best team in baseball before those moves; now, they’re set up nicely to three-peat, clear favorites to win it all again.”
L.A. is always a clear favorite heading into the regular season, especially with their dominance over the NL West. They finished last season three games clear of the Padres to take first in the division and win it for the 12th time in 13 seasons.
Oct 31, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) celebrates on the podium during the post game celebration after defeating the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2025 MLB World Series at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Who Can Challenge the Dodgers in the Upcoming Season?
While the Dodgers have improved on their team from last season by adding Tucker and Diaz, other teams have made some big signings to try and keep up.
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The New York Mets have had an eventful offseason, losing key pieces like Diaz and All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso but also aggressively adding. They brought in Freddy Peralta, Luis Robert Jr. and Marcus Semien via trade, and also signed All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette and relief pitcher Devin Williams to multi-year deals.
New York missed the postseason entirely in 2025, and have made moves to ensure they won’t miss out again.
Another team to watch is the Toronto Blue Jays, who have maintained most of their key pieces and also added to an already strong pitching staff. They may have lost Bichette to the Mets, but signed Dylan Cease and Coy Ponce — who won KBO’s equivalent to the Cy Young award last season — to their rotation.
The Dodgers spent big in 2025 as well and still struggled a fair bit on their way to a consecutive World Series title. They’ll look to have a smoother ride this season as they chase their three-peat.
Who is L.A.’s biggest threat in 2026?