{"id":115453,"date":"2026-03-10T20:45:06","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T00:45:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=115453"},"modified":"2026-03-10T20:45:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T00:45:06","slug":"three-predictions-for-the-2026-dodgers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/03\/10\/three-predictions-for-the-2026-dodgers\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Predictions for the 2026 Dodgers"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s hard to believe that Opening Day is less than three weeks away, and it looks like the Los Angeles Dodgers are readying themselves to defend their back-to-back titles<\/a>. But who knows? Everything can look good on paper, but baseball is known to throw a curveball or two. However, here are three positive predictions for the Boys in Blue.<\/p>\n

Will They Hit 100 Wins?<\/h4>\n

This seems to be low-hanging fruit. After all, this appears to be the deepest team ever assembled in Dodgers history. However, it looked like winning 100 games was a good assumption last season, and Los Angeles struggled to win 93. As a result, they had to play in the Wild Card Round of the postseason. Third baseman Max Muncy<\/a> said that 2025 was a challenging year. \u00a0There were times when the offense unexpectedly scored runs and injuries<\/a> plagued the team. Thus proving that nothing is a given.<\/p>\n

Granted, 2026 is a new year, and the Dodgers’ philosophy is to win as many games as possible. However, it is not the preeminent goal. The regular season serves as a prelude to the postseason. The primary goal is to win a World Series. To do that, Los Angeles tries to get to October as healthy as possible. The Dodgers may not sacrifice games, but they will not sacrifice arms for regular-season success. All things being equal, the Dodgers have enough talent to win 100 games, and it’s more than likely they will.<\/p>\n

High Five for Shohei<\/h4>\n

Is there anything that Shohei Ohtani<\/a> can’t do? He has four Most Valuable Player Awards to his credit, including back-to-back years<\/a> with the Dodgers. In 2025, he was recovering from elbow surgery and couldn’t pitch, so he reeled off the first 50\/50 season<\/a> in baseball history. Last year, he hit 55 home runs while rehabbing his arm on a major league mound. This year, manager Dave Roberts<\/a> expects Ohtani to have a “normal” year on the mound and be in the Cy Young conversation. Is there anything “normal” about Shohei? Not really. But if he has a successful year and stays healthy, it is easy to see another M.V.P. season in his future. It’s hard to bet against him.<\/p>\n

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The Difference Maker<\/h4>\n

River Ryan<\/a> came up in the middle of the 2024 season and was inserted into the starting rotation in a time of need for the Dodgers. He quickly made a name for himself as his repertoire was nasty and his mound presence commanding. He proved it with a high strikeout rate and a microscopic Earned Run Average. However, he was soon sidelined with an elbow injury. After missing all of 2024, Ryan is back and making a bid for the starting rotation<\/a>. Now, thirty pounds heavier, Ryan has regained his 95 mph-plus fastball. The Dodgers are hoping that with the increased weight and velocity, the right-hander will be able to fill a hole, stay healthy, and be effective. Someone is going to have to step up in the absence of Blake Snell<\/a> and Gavin Stone<\/a>. Ryan has filled a void once. Why can’t he do it again?<\/p>\n

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River Ryan gave up a home run, but was otherwise SUPER impressive. Fastball sat 96.3 and touched 98.5, and the slider was SIC.
\n2.2IP | 2H | 1R | 3Ks | 1BB<\/p>\n

Dodgers fans are very excited about this young man, and rightfully so, but you have to understand that he’s coming off Tommy\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/Naaiex1C7B<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) March 9, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n