Let’s take a look at the season that was for the 2024 Los Angeles Dodgers, the questions the team must address this winter and the early outlook for 2025.
Read more: 2024 MLB offseason previews: What’s next for the Mets, Guardians, Giants and more?
Postseason outcome
Despite being plagued by injuries throughout the regular season, the Dodgers secured the top overall seed in the postseason and won the World Series in five games against the Yankees.
Their postseason was in danger of ending early in the NLDS against the Padres, who went up 2-1 on L.A., but the Dodgers stormed back thanks to some dominant pitching. They then defeated the Mets in six NLCS games that were all blowouts one way or the other. A very hyped bicoastal World Series started strong with Freddie Freeman’s walk-off grand slam in Game 1, but from there, the Yankees couldn’t quite match the relentless Dodgers.
The Dodgers showed their full might in the World Series, with starting pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Jack Flaherty and Walker Buehler delivering some of their best outings of the year, the bullpen shutting down the Yankees’ bats in key moments and nearly every offensive contributor playing up to his potential. Freeman led the way with four home runs in the first four games and a 1.364 OPS overall, and pending free agent Teoscar Hernández delivered seven hits in the series.
Things that went right
The Dodgers finished the regular season with the best record in baseball and won the NL West for the 11th time in 12 seasons on the strength of an offense that ranked second in the majors in runs scored.
Shohei Ohtani was the biggest story in baseball, as he recorded one of the greatest offensive seasons in major-league history. The 30-year-old logged the league’s first 50-50 campaign, and he ranked first or second in baseball in homers, steals, RBI, runs scored and OPS. Ohtani should be a unanimous pick for the NL MVP award.
Ohtani was the headliner, but he had plenty of support from a star-studded lineup. Mookie Betts missed plenty of time due to a fractured left hand but was excellent (.863 OPS) in 116 games. Freddie Freeman didn’t have his best season, but it’s hard to complain about someone who hit .282 with 89 RBI and an .854 OPS. And a one-year, $23.5 million contract for Teoscar Hernández paid huge dividends, as he ranked second on the team in homers (33) and RBI (99).
Things that went wrong
The Dodgers finished first or second in baseball in ERA for six straight years from 2017 to ’22, but they had a middle-of-the-pack pitching staff the past two seasons. Injuries were a huge problem this year, as no one on the team threw 150 innings. Just two starters — Gavin Stone and Tyler Glasnow — tossed 100 frames, and those two missed the postseason due to injuries. All told, 12 hurlers made at least four starts for the club.
Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto were the team’s most effective starters, but Glasnow made his final start on Aug. 11, thanks to an elbow injury, and Yamamoto missed nearly three months due to a strained rotator cuff. Clayton Kershaw was supposed to give the rotation a boost when he returned from shoulder surgery in late July, but he lasted just seven starts before returning to the IL due to a toe injury. Walker Buehler was ineffective (5.38 ERA) over his 16 starts, though he came up huge in October, and Bobby Miller was even worse (8.52 ERA) in his 13 outings.
On the positive side, Jack Flaherty joined the Dodgers at the trade deadline and provided 55 1/3 innings with a 3.58 ERA. He, Yamamoto and Buehler then became the starting trio that carried the Dodgers through the postseason.
The bullpen was much more effective than the rotation in the regular season but struggled to settle on roles. Four relievers earned at least five saves, but none reached the 20-save plateau. Heading into the postseason without an established closer was less than ideal for L.A.
Offseason plans
Most of the key Dodgers are under contract for several years, but there are some big decisions to be made this offseason. Most notably, the team needs answers at shortstop, left field and the back end of the bullpen.
Although Will Smith is coming off a lackluster offensive season, he is locked in for several years as the team’s catcher. Freeman is set as the first baseman, and Max Muncy will return at the hot corner. However, the middle of the infield is in a state of flux. Gavin Lux could continue as the second baseman, but he has been underwhelming. Tommy Edman has extensive experience at second and shortstop, though he also played plenty of center field after joining the Dodgers at the trade deadline. Betts is an option at either middle infield spot but seems more likely to be the right fielder going forward. The Dodgers might exercise a $5 million option on Miguel Rojas, but he is better suited to be a reserve player than the starting shortstop.
The outfield is even less settled than the infield. Betts can be the right fielder, but there is no certainty at the other two spots. Hernández is heading to free agency, which leaves left field wide open. Edman and Andy Pages, who posted a .712 OPS, could share center-field duties. Overall, the team will need to add at least one outfielder to the mix.
The Dodgers have plenty of rotation options, but most of them come with questions and injury concerns. Yamamoto and Glasnow should be the staff anchors, assuming they enjoy better health in 2025. Ohtani is expected back on the mound next year. Coming off an injured-plagued season, Kershaw has let it be known that he intends to pitch in 2025. Miller is in the mix, but his ERA more than doubled in 2024. Landon Knack might compete for a rotation spot after posting a 3.65 ERA in 69 innings in 2024. Stone is expected to miss all of 2025 while recovering from October shoulder surgery, and Buehler and Flaherty are both free agents.
Most of the bullpen is set to return in 2025, except for key veterans Blake Treinen and Daniel Hudson. Both were part of the unsettled late-inning crew, and if they depart in free agency, they will need to be replaced. The Dodgers’ biggest bullpen dilemmas start in the ninth inning. The team could continue to share that responsibility, or it could look to Michael Kopech, who thrived after arriving from the White Sox at the trade deadline. Alternatively, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Brandon Gomes could provide stability by adding an experienced closer.
Prospects on the horizon
The Dodgers are incredible at developing prospects, as they consistently rank among baseball’s best teams and maintain one of the top farm systems. Somehow, it seems that as quickly as prospects are traded away, new ones emerge. And there are some good ones in the pipeline right now.
Dalton Rushing is the team’s top prospect and is knocking on the door to the majors. The 23-year-old started his minor-league career as a catcher but has recently gained experience in left field, thanks to the presence of Smith in Los Angeles. Rushing gets on base often and has notable power skills.
Alex Freeland is a 2022 draft pick who has reached Triple-A and should play for the Dodgers by next summer. A shortstop, Freeland could fill one of the few positions of need for the Dodgers. Despite being a career .253 hitter in the minors, he has found ways to maximize his premium speed by often drawing walks.
Lastly, Justin Wrobleski is barely hanging on to his prospect status after throwing 36 1/3 innings for the Dodgers this year. The lefty produced solid minor-league results in a 2024 season split between Double-A and Triple-A, and he profiles as a refined pitcher who doesn’t have a high ceiling but can help the Dodgers soon.
Goals for 2025
As has been the case in every recent season, the 2025 version of the Dodgers will rank among the World Series favorites. Coming off a victory over the AL’s best team in the World Series, the mentality around the organization will be championship-or-bust yet again.
The front office has work to do this winter in reshaping the bottom of the lineup and the bullpen, but the star power is already in place for a team that has been incredibly dominant atop its division. It would be difficult for the Dodgers not to have better injury luck next year, and considering the ongoing financial commitment from ownership, there is little doubt that the team’s wallet will be open this offseason.
Fantasy focus
As one would expect from a star-studded roster, the Dodgers will dominate the early rounds of fantasy drafts. Ohtani will be selected first overall in most leagues, Betts will come off the board a few picks later, and Freeman will be a coveted option in Round 2.
On the pitching side, Glasnow and Yamamoto will be valued as boom-or-bust options in the range of Round 5, thanks to their premium skills and recent injuries. Smith and Muncy will be middle-round picks, as would a closer, if the team settles on one man for the role by the end of spring training.
