On a chilly November evening in Toronto, the Los Angeles Dodgers etched their name into the annals of baseball history, defeating the Toronto Blue Jays in a dramatic, extra-innings Game 7 showdown. The win, which capped off one of the most thrilling World Series in recent memory, secured back-to-back championships for the Dodgers—making them the first team since the turn of the century to repeat as World Series champions and bringing their franchise total to nine titles.
But if you thought the Dodgers would be content to bask in the glow of their latest triumph, think again. As the confetti settled during Monday’s victory parade, the conversation quickly turned to an even loftier goal: a three-peat. "I’m ready to get another ring next year. Let’s go," declared two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, whose arrival in Los Angeles has electrified fans on both sides of the Pacific. The sentiment was echoed by Mookie Betts, the active player with the most championships, who quipped, "I got four. Now it’s time to fill the hand all the way up, baby. Three-peat ain’t never sounded so sweet. Somebody make that a T-shirt." Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, never shy about embracing high expectations, added, "What’s better than two? Three! Three-peat!"
The magnitude of what the Dodgers are chasing cannot be overstated. Winning three consecutive championships is an exceedingly rare feat in Major League Baseball. Only two franchises—the New York Yankees and the Oakland Athletics—have ever managed it. The last MLB team to pull off a three-peat was the Yankees, who, led by Hall of Famers Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and manager Joe Torre, captured the crown in 1998, 1999, and 2000. The Yankees even made a run at a four-peat, only to be denied by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2001 Fall Classic’s epic seven-game saga.
For the Dodgers, repeating as champions already puts them in elite company. They are now just the eighth team in MLB history to claim back-to-back World Series titles. Should they achieve the elusive three-peat, they would become only the third franchise to do so, joining the Yankees—who have accomplished it three times (1936-39, 1949-53, and 1998-00)—and the Athletics, who won three straight from 1972 to 1974 under the leadership of Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, and Rollie Fingers. The Yankees remain the gold standard with a staggering 27 championships, a record that dwarfs the rest of the league.
Yet, the Dodgers’ 2025 World Series victory was about more than just adding another trophy to the case. This year’s Fall Classic showcased the global reach of baseball like never before. The matchup between the U.S.-based Dodgers and Canada’s Blue Jays, featuring elite talent from Japan and Latin America, was a testament to the sport’s internationalization. Magic Johnson, the Dodgers’ part-owner and NBA legend, captured the spirit of the moment: "This was a worldwide World Series. It’s great for the game. I think baseball, with what happened in this World Series, has a chance to keep growing now. You want to bring in new fans, younger fans. That happened in this World Series."
The numbers back up Johnson’s optimism. Major League Baseball broadcasts soared to heights not seen since before the COVID-19 pandemic, with global audiences tuning in to watch stars like Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman—whose Canadian roots added a layer of intrigue for local fans. The Dodgers themselves drew over 4 million fans to Dodger Stadium for the first time, breaking the $1 billion barrier in local revenue. League-wide, attendance reached 71.4 million, even as teams like the Athletics and Rays played in minor league parks. Sponsorship revenue hit a record $2.05 billion, with nearly half of all league revenue going to the players.
Of course, success on the field has come with a hefty price tag. The Dodgers’ payroll for 2026 is projected at a jaw-dropping $416.8 million, with their star-studded roster accounting for $104.2 million next year alone. For context, three MLB teams spent less than that total on their entire rosters this season, highlighting the growing disparity between baseball’s haves and have-nots. While the Dodgers have dominated the National League West—winning the division 12 times in the past 13 years and making the playoffs for 13 consecutive seasons—other teams struggle to keep pace in an era of escalating financial stakes.
This financial imbalance is fueling anxiety as MLB approaches a potentially tumultuous period of labor negotiations. The current Basic Agreement expires on December 1, 2026, and both sides are bracing for a contentious battle. Tony Clark, executive director of the MLB Players Association, acknowledged the uncertainty but struck a note of cautious optimism: "We prepare for everything we need to prepare for. But we don’t go into a negotiation expecting the music to stop. We look and we’ll fight to find common ground and an equitable deal. If the music stops, then we’ll have to deal with it." Clark emphasized that, so far, no formal or back-channel talks have taken place, but the union is ready to negotiate in good faith. Commissioner Rob Manfred, for his part, has admitted that another lockout is possible but deferred detailed comments until after the World Series, stating, "A year from now, we’ll have plenty of time to talk about labor."
At the heart of the debate is how to equitably divide the sport’s immense revenues. Owners are reportedly exploring new ways to distribute income more fairly, but any attempt to introduce a salary cap or floor has met fierce resistance from the union. Clark has made it clear: "If they again come to the table trying to jam a salary cap and floor down the union’s throat, it will be dead on arrival." The scars of past labor strife—most notably the 1981 mid-season strike that wiped out 712 games—still linger.
Yet, for now, the Dodgers are the talk of the baseball world, both admired and resented as the league’s new "evil empire." Their generational stars and deep pockets have made them a box office draw and a ratings bonanza, reminiscent of the late-1990s Yankees. Magic Johnson, who owns a 2.3% stake in the team and has now celebrated three World Series titles as an owner in the past six seasons, summed up the mood: "As a champion you have to go up and beyond. This is great for us. I’m going to take it back-to-back. Amazing baseball."
As the dust settles on a World Series that captured imaginations across continents, one thing is clear: the Dodgers are not satisfied with just two in a row. With their core stars locked in and the city of Los Angeles behind them, the quest for a historic three-peat is officially on. The rest of Major League Baseball—and the world—will be watching closely as the chase for immortality begins anew.
