Los Angeles Dodgers
Team Record: 98-64 (.605)
1st Place, NL West
Team ERA: 3.92 (13th)
Team OPS: .781 (1st)
What Went Right
The Dodgers won an MLB-best 98 games on their way to the 2024 World Series title, their second in five years and fourth World Series appearance in eight. After back-to-back exits in the NLDS, the Dodgers put themselves over the top with the biggest signing in major league history, inking reigning AL MVP Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million contract. Ohtani put together a historic season in his first year at Dodger Stadium, becoming the first player to hit at least 50 home runs and steal 50 bases. The 30-year-old superstar totaled 54 homers, 59 steals, 134 runs scored, and 130 RBI while slashing .310/.390/.646 across 731 plate appearances, all career highs. It wasn’t just Ohtani contributing to the team’s MLB-leading .781 OPS. Mookie Betts missed significant time with a fractured hand but still posted a .863 OPS with 19 homers and 16 steals over 116 games. World Series MVP Freddie Freeman slugged 22 homers with nine steals while hitting .282/.378/.476 over 638 plate appearances. And Teoscar Hernández was an invaluable addition to the lineup, posting a .840 OPS with 33 homers, 84 runs scored, 99 RBI, and 12 steals. It was the offensive firepower and excellent bullpen that carried the team through the season. Only the Diamondbacks scored more runs, while the Dodgers led baseball in run differential.
What Went Wrong
While the team had no problem scoring runs on their way to a title, the pitching fell in the middle of the pack with a 3.92 team ERA that ranked 13th in baseball. There was a wide discrepancy between the starting pitching and the bullpen, with starters posting a collective 4.23 ERA (19th) and relievers recording a 3.53 ERA (4th). It isn’t what the team hoped for after acquiring Tyler Glasnow and signing Yoshinobu Yamamoto last offseason, but the Dodgers had to overcome injuries to the two starters. Glasnow was solid over his 22 starts, posting a 3.49 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 168 strikeouts across 134 innings before he was shut down in August with right elbow inflammation. Yamamoto missed nearly three months with a triceps injury before returning for the title run. He had recorded a 3.00 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 105 strikeouts over 90 innings in the regular season. Bobby Miller was expected to be a major piece of the rotation, a popular breakout candidate, but he struggled…