{"id":116836,"date":"2026-03-27T23:35:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T03:35:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=116836"},"modified":"2026-03-27T23:35:19","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T03:35:19","slug":"three-nl-teams-could-be-threats-dodgers-dominance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/03\/27\/three-nl-teams-could-be-threats-dodgers-dominance\/","title":{"rendered":"Three National League Teams That Could Disrupt Dodgers&#8217; Dominance"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Los Angeles Dodgers began their campaign for a three-peat on Thursday night with a win over the division rival Arizona Diamondbacks. The reigning World Series champions are the odds-on favorite to do again, and certain prognostications have them winning 120 games this season. However lofty these predictions sound, are there any teams that threaten the Dodgers&#8217; dominance? Maybe. Here are three National League squads to consider.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"max-width: 610px\"><smartframe-embed class=\"smartframe_wp_element\" customer-id=\"b0c95bc04383cef69c6b47df872135cf\" image-id=\"WmOB3XgodQ36\" style=\"width: 100%; display: inline-flex; max-width: 3072px; aspect-ratio: 3072\/2048;\" ><\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n<h2>Three NL Teams Who Could Be Threats to the Dodgers in 2026<\/h2>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The Dodgers are \u20135000 to make the playoffs on <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DKSportsbook?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@DKSportsbook<\/a> ?<\/p>\n<p>They also have the shortest odds to win the World Series\u2026 by a wide margin ??? <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/m3unSCUF0d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/m3unSCUF0d<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/5SqzSzWhYO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/5SqzSzWhYO<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 ESPN BET (@ESPNBET) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ESPNBET\/status\/2037187036881301601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 26, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2>The North Side Residents<\/h2>\n<p>The Chicago Cubs appear to have <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/01\/10\/chicago-cubs-land-alex-bregman-in-late-night-shocker\/\" target=\"_self\">gotten better this offseason<\/a>. <a  target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/c\/cabreed02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-03-27_br\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Edward Cabrera<\/a> was brought in to anchor the starting staff and help <a  target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/i\/imanash01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-03-27_br\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shota Imanaga<\/a>. If those two arms can be as effective as they have been in the past, they could be quite a one-two punch that adds depth. Add <a  target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/b\/bregmal01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-03-27_br\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Alex Bregman<\/a> (a former World Champion with the Houston Astros) to a lineup that features <a  target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/c\/crowape01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-03-27_br\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pete Crow-Armstrong<\/a> and <a  target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/b\/buschmi02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-03-27_br\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Michael Busch<\/a>, who enjoys tormenting his former team. Busch has a batting average of over .400 against the Dodgers, and multiple home runs. (Bush had 34 in total last year.) If the bullpen can add the relief that they are capable of and avoid injury, who knows what could happen? However, it looks like the Wrigley residents are on the rise.<\/p>\n<h2>Kings of Queens<\/h2>\n<p>The New York Mets have impressive resources at their disposal with Steve Cohen at the helm. A flurry of moves at the end of the winter may have made them perennial postseason contenders and rivals of not only the Philadelphia Phillies but the Dodgers as well. <a  target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/l\/lindofr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-03-27_br\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Francisco Lindor<\/a> and <a  target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/s\/sotoju01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-03-27_br\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Juan Soto<\/a> have some added protection in the lineup. <a  target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/b\/bichebo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-03-27_br\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bo Bichette<\/a>, <a  target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/r\/roberlu01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-03-27_br\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Luis Robert Jr.<\/a>, and <a  target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/p\/polanjo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-03-27_br\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jorge Polanco<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/01\/18\/mlb-sunday-notes-kyle-tucker-joins-dodgers-mets-land-bichette\/\" target=\"_self\">lengthen<\/a> the lineup and give opposing pitchers less space to breathe. <a  target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/p\/peralfr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-03-27_br\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Freddy Peralta<\/a> is a <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/02\/27\/freddy-peralta-easy-transition-mets-opening-day-start-extension\/\" target=\"_self\">quality arm<\/a> and could act as an ace to a rotation that needs one. <a  target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=willide03,willia005dev&amp;search=Devin+Williams&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-03-27_br\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Devin Williams<\/a> is a legitimate closer from the left side of the rubber who, when he executes his pitches, can neutralize a lethal lineup like that of the Dodgers. If they can stay healthy and get long in the clubhouse, they could pose a threat to Los Angeles.<\/p>\n<h2>Philly Powerhouse<\/h2>\n<p>The Philadelphia Phillies came precariously close to <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/10\/10\/four-turning-points-for-dodgers-2025-division-series\/\" target=\"_self\">upending the Dodgers<\/a> last season in October. In fact, they were the higher seed because they beat the Dodgers in the regular-season series. They match up really well, and every contest seems tight. Now, proven ace <a  target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/w\/wheelza01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-03-27_br\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zack Wheeler<\/a> returns to a rotation that features left-handers <a  target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/s\/sanchcr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-03-27_br\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cristopher S\u00e1nchez<\/a> and <a  target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/l\/luzarje01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-03-27_br\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jes\u00fas Luzardo<\/a>, and the Phillies have one of the deepest pitching staffs in baseball, including a proven closer on the back end of the bullpen. Any lineup that has <a  target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/s\/schwaky01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-03-27_br\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kyle Schwarber<\/a> and <a  target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/h\/harpebr03.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-03-27_br\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bryce Harper<\/a> is capable of producing runs in bunches. Unless injuries short-circuit their season, expect them to challenge the Dodgers in 2026 and beyond.<\/p>\n<h2>No Division Rivals?<\/h2>\n<p>It looks like the rest of the National League West got better on the margins, but Los Angeles <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/01\/20\/offseason-dodgers-news-rumors-roster-construction\/\" target=\"_self\">addressed<\/a> the weaknesses they had. As a result, it feels like the majority of threats to the Dodgers will arise elsewhere in the NL. However, the Dodgers do have a rather large target on their back, and surprises inevitably arise, so let&#8217;s see what happens.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Main Photo Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Los Angeles Dodgers began their campaign for a three-peat on Thursday night with a win over the division rival Arizona Diamondbacks. The reigning World Series champions are the odds-on favorite to do again, and certain prognostications have them winning 120 games this season. However lofty these predictions sound, are there any teams that threaten [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5226,"featured_media":114027,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33,1071,35],"tags":[1156,1608,315,3365,380,2133,516,3683,28268,683],"class_list":["post-116836","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dodgers","category-mlb","category-news","tag-alex-bregman","tag-bo-bichette","tag-bryce-harper","tag-edward-cabrera","tag-francisco-lindor","tag-juan-soto","tag-kyle-schwarber","tag-pete-crow-armstrong","tag-shota-imanaga","tag-zack-wheeler"],"modified_by":"Lewis Masella, Site Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116836","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5226"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116836"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116836\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":116908,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116836\/revisions\/116908"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/114027"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116836"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116836"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116836"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}