October baseball has a way of making believers—and skeptics—out of everyone, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are once again at the heart of the drama. After dispatching the Philadelphia Phillies in a tense four-game National League Division Series (NLDS), the Dodgers have punched their ticket to the National League Championship Series (NLCS), where they await the winner of the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers showdown. The journey toward a potential back-to-back World Series crown is alive and well in Los Angeles, but if recent games are any indication, this team’s story is just getting interesting.
The Dodgers’ 2025 postseason campaign has been a study in contrasts. On one hand, their rotation has found another gear, with starters delivering dominant outings when it matters most. On the other, the offense—so potent during the regular season—has yet to fully ignite. Third baseman Max Muncy summed up the team’s state of mind, declaring, “I still think there’s another gear in there. I don’t think we fully reached where we can be at. And that’s not saying we are, and that’s not saying we aren’t. But I still think there’s a whole other level in there we haven’t reached yet.” When pressed on what would signal that breakthrough, Muncy simply replied, “I think you would know.”
There’s no denying the Dodgers’ postseason record so far: five wins in six games, a testament to both their resilience and their ability to grind out results even when the offense sputters. Shohei Ohtani, the club’s two-way superstar, epitomizes this duality. After a blistering start against the Cincinnati Reds, where he crushed two home runs in Game 1 of the Wild Card round, Ohtani has cooled considerably, going just 2-for-22 with two RBIs in the next five games. Andy Pages, another regular-season power threat, has struggled even more, managing just one hit in 24 at-bats during the playoffs. Yet, it was Pages who drove in the winning run in Game 4 of the NLDS—a broken bat comebacker that turned into a wild, game-ending sequence thanks to a bases-loaded walk and a fateful throwing error by the Phillies pitcher.
Fans have watched this rollercoaster with a mix of anxiety and exhilaration. “All’s well that ends well,” wrote one, “but during the entire Game 4 on Thursday night it felt to me like a game the Dodgers would lose as soon as the bullpen got to the mound, because they were not hitting worth a darn.” The tension was palpable, with the specter of returning to Philadelphia for a decisive Game 5 looming large. Instead, the improbable unfolded at Chavez Ravine, sparking memories of Kirk Gibson’s legendary walk-off in the 1988 World Series. “In the year of the improbable, the impossible has happened!” Vin Scully once proclaimed—words that felt apt once again as the Dodgers survived and advanced.
While the offense searches for its stride, the Dodgers’ pitching staff has carried the torch. The starting rotation, featuring Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow, has been nothing short of sensational. In the first six postseason games, Dodgers starters logged outings of at least six innings with eight or more strikeouts and four or fewer hits allowed five times—a feat they managed just 16 times in the entire 162-game regular season. “That’s not just a hot run; that’s a rotation finding an extra gear when it matters most,” noted one observer. The bullpen, too, has been bolstered by the emergence of Roki Sasaki, whose electric stuff and poise have answered some lingering doubts about Los Angeles’ relief corps.
Manager Dave Roberts faces some intriguing roster decisions ahead of the NLCS. Shohei Ohtani will continue in his unique two-way role, while the starting trio of Snell, Yamamoto, and Glasnow will be tasked with setting the tone. The bullpen will feature veterans like Clayton Kershaw, Emmet Sheehan, Blake Treinen, and new additions such as Justin Wrobleski and Ben Casparius. Notably, Tanner Scott will be unavailable until a potential World Series appearance, necessitating further depth from arms like Wrobleski and Casparius. “With this being a seven-game series, relievers that can take down multiple innings will be highly significant,” a team insider emphasized.
The position player group is equally stacked, with Will Smith and Ben Rortvedt handling catching duties, and a versatile infield led by Freddie Freeman, Miguel Rojas, Tommy Edman, and Max Muncy. Injuries have nagged at Rojas, Edman, Freeman, and Muncy, but the recent break is expected to have them ready to go. Outfielders Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernandez, Kiké Hernandez, Alex Call, Justin Dean, and Andy Pages round out a lineup that, if it finds its rhythm, could be the most formidable in baseball. “The duo [Ohtani and Pages] had the Dodgers’ two highest home run totals during the regular season, and if they find their form again, the Dodgers’ offense will be far more formidable,” one report noted.
For all the star power and financial muscle—built on a billion-plus in deferred contracts—the Dodgers’ real advantage may be their ability to tailor their roster for October’s unique demands. “The point of all that cap gymnastics wasn’t to hang a banner for most stylish balance sheet—it was to ensure that when the bracket shrinks, Dave Roberts can send out arms and bats that are elite enough to control pace and outcomes against the best,” explained a postseason analyst. This approach has allowed Los Angeles to focus on winning the handful of moments that actually decide championships, rather than chasing regular-season accolades.
Yet, as one fan candidly put it, “I don’t yet see them as a ‘dominating team’ and am holding my breath while waiting for their luck to maybe run out. That said, I’ve really enjoyed their 2025 season… so far.” The skepticism is understandable—October is unforgiving, and the margin for error is razor-thin. But with a rotation firing on all cylinders, a bullpen finding its groove, and an offense that could erupt at any moment, the Dodgers are positioned as well as any team in baseball to make another deep run.
As the NLCS looms, all eyes are on Los Angeles. Will Ohtani and Pages rediscover their power strokes? Can the pitching remain dominant against the Cubs or Brewers? The answers will come soon enough, but for now, the Dodgers and their fans can savor a hard-fought advance—and dream of what might still be possible in this most unpredictable of baseball months.
