Dodgers Teetering on the Edge of Becoming 90’s Braves with Latest Playoff Flameout

Sports dynasties are not built on regular-season accomplishments.

The late 1990s and early 2000s New York Yankees were a dynasty, winning four World Series titles in a span of five years as part of a run of 13 consecutive trips to the postseason, a run that stands as the second-longest streak in MLB history.

The Los Angeles Dodgers now sit third on that list after reaching the postseason for the 11th time in a row, but have just one World Series title to show for that run of April-September success.

The longest streak belongs to the Atlanta Braves, who punched their ticket to October 14 times in a row from 1991 through the 2005 campaign, also winning a division title each year during that stretch aside from the strike-shortened 1994 season.

However, those Braves teams won just one World Series title during that span. As a result, what should be considered the most successful stretch in franchise history is instead generally viewed as a decade-plus missed opportunity to build what could have been a legendary dynasty.

Is that the same legacy awaiting this current Los Angeles Dodgers team decade down the road?

After getting swept by the upstart Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS—the same team they topped by a whopping 16 games in the NL West standings during the regular season—that has undeniably become the narrative surrounding this group.

The Similarities to the 1990s Atlanta Braves

Those legendary Atlanta Braves teams of the 1990s were loaded with superstar talent, from Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and Steve Avery in the starting rotation to the likes of Chipper Jones, Fred McGriff, Andruw Jones, David Justice, Ryan Klesko, Javy Lopez and Terry Pendleton on the offensive side of things.

Sound familiar?

In recent years, the Dodgers have consistently trotted out a roster filled with All-Stars. The future Hall of Fame trio of Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Clayton Kershaw are the current faces of the franchise, but guys like Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Kenley Jansen and others have also taken star turns with the club before moving on in free agency.

Yet, being the most talented team on paper doesn’t always equate to October success.

The Braves reached the World Series in 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996 and 1999, but the only time they hoisted the trophy was during the ’95 season when they bested a juggernaut Cleveland offense in six games.

David Schoenfield of ESPN wrote an interesting piece back in 2014 pinpointing why the Braves didn’t win more titles that’s worth a read for some further comparison. Everything from an all-time great performance by Jack Morris in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series to uncharacteristic duds from Maddux and Glavine in key outings to multiple crucial errors contributed to their inability to get over the hump.

The Dodgers made it to the World Series in 2017, 2018 and 2020, winning their lone title during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. On the flip side, they were sent packing in the NLDS five times during their current 11-year run, which just happens to be the same number of times the Braves suffered that same fate during their streak.

Two impressively long contention windows, two rosters loaded with superstars, and two teams that above all else consistently failed to live up to lofty expectations in October.

What Went Wrong for the 2023 Dodgers

The Dodgers led the majors with 111 wins last season, setting a franchise record for victories while spending the bulk of the season as the odds-on favorite to win the World Series.

This year’s squad was not the same runaway freight train, but they still managed to cruise to another NL West title while winning 100 games thanks in part to a 24-5 month of August.

The question mark heading into October was the starting rotation.

With Walker Buehler recovering from Tommy John surgery and both Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May suffering season-ending injuries, the club was forced to lean heavily on young arms. Rookies Bobby Miller, Michael Grove, Emmet Sheehan, Gavin Stone and Ryan Pepiot made a combined 52 starts, and the team swung a trade for workhorse veteran Lance Lynn at the deadline.

Meanwhile, while he is no longer the workhorse he was in his prime, Clayton Kershaw still pitched like an ace when healthy with a 2.46 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 137 strikeouts in 131.2 innings over 24 starts.

Kershaw (0.1 IP, 6 H, 6 ER), Miller (1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER) and Lynn (2.2 IP, 6 H, 4 ER) were all shelled in their respective NLDS starts, with Lynn essentially pitching batting practice in the bottom of the third.

However, the blame doesn’t fall entirely on the pitching staff.

The Dodgers ranked second to the Atlanta Braves in OPS (.795), runs scored (906) and home runs (249) during the regular season, but they were held to four runs and 10 hits in Game 1 and Game 2 before getting blanked for 4.1 innings by rookie Brandon Pfaadt en route to mustering just two runs in Game 3.

Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Max Muncy and J.D. Martinez racked up a combined 417 RBI during the regular season.

They had one RBI combined in the NLDS.

Betts has gone 6-for-48 in his last 13 playoff games dating back to the 2021 NLCS. Freeman went 1-for-10 this October. Kershaw’s postseason woes are well-documented. It takes an entire team to win a title, but superstars have to perform like superstars.

That said, the 2023 postseason was a total failure up and down the Dodgers roster, plain and simple.

How Do the Dodgers Change the Narrative?

The Dodgers only have six players officially under contract for the 2024 season.

A reasonable club option on Max Muncy ($10 million) will almost certainly be exercised, while a group of 13 arbitration-eligible players that includes Will Smith, Walker Buehler, Evan Phillips, Brusdar Graterol and Gavin Lux (returning from an ACL tear) is projected for $38.8 million in salaries.

That adds up to $131.1 million in committed money, which is more than $100 million less than their final 2023 payroll figure.

In other words, the Dodgers have a ton of money to spend, they just need to make sure they spend it wisely.

Shoring up the starting rotation will be priority No. 1, regardless of whether or not Kershaw returns on another one-year deal.

Japanese League star Yoshinobu Yamamoto went 17-6 with a 1.16 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 176 strikeouts in 171 innings this season for the Orix Buffaloes, and is widely regarded as the best pitcher in Japan. He is also still only 25 years old and will be the most sought-after arm on the market this winter.

For all the hype surrounding Shohei Ohtani in free agency, Yamamoto is arguably an even better target for the Dodgers considering Ohtani won’t be back on the mound until 2025, and there’s no telling how well he’ll bounce back from a second elbow surgery.

Reeling in Yamamoto and signing another proven veteran starter like Aaron Nola or Sonny Gray would once again give the Dodgers a rotation that rivals any in baseball, and the money is there for the front office to make those moves without sprinting past the luxury tax threshold.

Pitching wins championships, but there is no denying the offense also let the Dodgers down, and there is ample room to upgrade both middle infield spots and left field. The return of Lux could plug one of those holes, but giving 400 plate appearances to Miguel Rojas and David Peralta is not going to cut it.

The only way the Dodgers are going to avoid being forever linked to those talented but underperforming 1990s Braves teams is by adding another World Series trophy in the very near future.

Decades from now, no one will remember who won the most regular season games in 2024. They will remember who won the World Series.