Among the 25 World Series champions since 2000, how did the 2024 Dodgers land in this spot?
It’s not that the Dodgers couldn’t pitch. They could! The problem was more that their leader in innings threw 140 of them, and was one of just two pitchers on the roster to even get to triple-digit innings, with the same pair the only ones to get over 20 starts — Yoshinobu Yamamoto was third on both counts, with 90 and 18, respectively. Six pitchers picked up at least 13 starts for the Dodgers; 17 different pitchers made at least one start. Starters, as a unit, posted a 4.23 ERA — the league-average for starters was 4.15 — and averaged under five innings per start.
The bullpen picked up the slack, in more ways than one. Whereas the league-average reliever posted a 3.97 ERA, the Dodgers’ bullpen combined for a 3.53 showing. Whereas the rest of the league’s bullpens pitched 41% of their teams’ innings, Los Angeles’ relievers accounted for 45% — that difference doesn’t sound huge on the surface, but over the course of 162 games it adds up.
The offense was the true high point, with the Dodgers leading the majors in adjusted OPS and finishing second in runs scored. The lineup — led by Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, breakout outfielder Teoscar Hernandez and the debut Dodgers’ season of major free agent acquisition Shohei Ohtani — was without peer in MLB. Ohtani led the majors in home runs, the only player in the NL to crack both 40 and 50 homers, and his 54 total blasts set what was, at the time, both a career-high and Dodgers franchise-best mark. He became the first-ever player to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases, led the majors with 411 total bases — the first player to amass that many since Sammy Sosa had 425 in high-offense 2001 — and led the NL in wins above replacement, too. Betts, Freeman and Hernandez all starred, too, but in comparison to Ohtani… well, there is no comparison. What’s absurd about this Dodgers’ club, though, is that the offense kept going. Catcher Will Smith wasn’t one of the four-best hitters on the team. He did, however, bat .248/.327/.433 as a backstop in a league where even that level of offense is a rarity. Miguel Rojas posted a .748 OPS at shortstop while playing quality defense. Max Muncy missed time, but bashed 15 homers in 73 games while slugging .493. Gavin Lux was probably the worst everyday starter with a dedicated position — Enrique Hernandez was a utility player spelling everyone else and filling in when needed — and he was above-average overall.
The Dodgers won 98 games and earned a first-round bye, but it took five games to escape the NLDS against the Padres, then six games in the NLCS against the Mets. The World Series victory against the Yankees was their most convincing and dominating showing: the Dodgers tested the Yankees’ defense and decision-making at every turn, and New York failed to pass those checks. Los Angeles would win the series 4-1, and bring home their second championship of the decade.
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