Will the Dodgers' Big Three Win it All This Season?

Even before the 2024 MLB season began, the pressure could already be felt for the Los Angeles Dodgers considering how well they managed to land yet another primetime talent in Shohei Ohtani, who was named the AL MVP last season. Now teaming him up with Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, it does seem that the stakes are even higher for the team as they look to come up with a promising push for a title.

What are the Stakes for the Los Angeles Dodgers This Season?

Dodgers big 3 image

The trio of Betts, Ohtani, and Freeman are all MVP winners, and it cannot be denied that all of these stars can be a promising set of players who can guide the Dodgers to a promising victory by the end of the season. It is not often that we get to see multiple MVP winners playing on the big stage and being contained in one single squad. The last time that we had three MVP winners in a single team? The 2004 Yankees, and they have not been able to capitalize on that success – showing that even having the three best players in the game does not often translate to league titles as well. The 2024 Dodgers are slated to be the fifth team to start a season with at least three of the top-three MVP finishers in the prior year.

The other instances are the 1967 Baltimore Orioles, 1960 Chicago White Sox, the 1942 Los Angeles Dodgers, and the 2004 New York Yankees. However, the major difference is that most of these trios were built together with the draft and became MVP candidates together as teammates.

Ohtani running down the field image

Why the stakes are higher for the Dodgers? The MLB has seen multiple superteams being assembled over the years, and not all of them have managed to end up with the World Series title by the end of the season. This puts a lot of pressure on the Dodgers not to join the long line losing clubs even though they had some of the best players in the game at their disposal. This just proves that the expectations are even higher for the club now more than ever.

How Can the Dodgers Win a Title?

While the Dodgers are already put as favorites to win the 2024 MLB season, there’s no denying that there are some doubts as to how they can actually make it work and come up with a promising campaign that will see them eclipse at least 100 wins and even secure a berth to the World Series down the stretch. It cannot be denied that the pressure is on for the club to finish with the title by the end of the season.

So how can the Dodgers win a title this season? Let’s break down the best ways they can pull that off.

Put MVPs in the Batting Order

Without any strategies considered, I think it is a no-brainer that the Dodgers will definitely field their stars on the batting order. One of the biggest questions in the offseason, when Ohtani was acquired, is how the batting order for the Dodgers will look like. That was answered when the trio played together for the first time in a Cactus League game back in February 27th, with Mookie Betts being on the first order, before Shohei Ohtani would take on the second spin and Freeman being the last option. That order was seen in Opening Day and the consecutive games, with the team moving to a 9-4 record as of the time of writing, and those two losses ended up being close games as well.

Freeman and Ohtani image

This just says a lot about how the Dodgers can definitely rely on their star-studded batting order that would really give them a better chance of showing what they can offer on the big stage.

Play Through Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani batting image

Shohei Ohtani has been the big star for the Angels in his time of greatness there, and he is expected to be the big name that will shine bright for the Dodgers as well. However, the underlying issue is that many fans are disappointed with the way that Ohtani has been “relegated” to being a designated hitter. Everyone knows that no DH have won an MVP award, and yet it does seem that Ohtani continues to thrive well in whatever role he plays in – even making a case to be the first DH to win the said award. Still, Ohtani has been hailed as the baseball unicorn – being able to play on both ends of the field and building up the bulk of the best offense in the MLB right now.

He even managed to nail a homer in his game against the San Francisco Giants, which is definitely the first of many that we will see from him in the long run. One can say that Ohtani is expected to bring more impressive games down the stretch, and his big game will definitely help the Dodgers establish its dominance in the game once more.

Capitalize Betts’ MVP Campaign

We all know that Mookie Betts is slated for an MVP push this season with Ohtani being set as the designated hitter for the Dodgers. This just means that there is more to look out for Betts’ push as one of the impressive stars who will be making yet another leap in his games with a chance to win the MVP again. So far, he is the best pick to win the NL MVP this season – too early for a league that has more than a hundred games to see. Still, Betts is strongly doing his part well, and it cannot be denied that he is making the most of his chances to continue making a much stronger case for the MVP.

Mookie Betts pitching image

The last time that Mookie Betts won the MVP award? The Dodgers reached the World Series in 2018. While they did lost to the Boston Red Sox at that time, it was a promising run for the team as Betts done a great job of showing that he can lead a team to the biggest stage of the MLB. Considering that he now has two other MVP teammates joining his campaign, it may just be well time for the Dodgers to capitalize on his push and let the rest of the team ride on the pace that he is setting right now.

Will the Dodgers Win the World Series with Their Three MVPs?

None of the four teams that had three MVPs in their squad have won a single title when they had the star players at their disposal. This just means that the odds are stacked well against the Dodgers at this point. However, it is also a chance for them to cement their place on the annals of the MLB and prove that star-studded super teams can emerge victorious on the biggest stage of the sport. Who knows, there’s always a first time for everything, and the Dodgers would not want to miss that chance.

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