{"id":618383,"date":"2026-03-11T11:32:22","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T11:32:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/618383\/"},"modified":"2026-03-11T11:32:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T11:32:22","slug":"three-things-that-could-happen-in-the-dodgers-2026-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/618383\/","title":{"rendered":"Three things that could happen in the Dodgers 2026 season"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s hard to believe that Opening Day is less than three weeks away, and it looks like the Los Angeles Dodgers are readying themselves to defend their back-to-back titles<\/a>. But who knows? Everything can look good on paper, but baseball is known to throw a curveball or two. However, here are three positive predictions for the Boys in Blue.<\/p>\n

Will They Hit 100 Wins?<\/p>\n

This seems to be low-hanging fruit. After all, this appears to be the deepest team ever assembled in Dodgers history. However, it looked like winning 100 games was a good assumption last season, and Los Angeles struggled to win 93. As a result, they had to play in the Wild Card Round of the postseason. Third baseman Max Muncy<\/a> said that 2025 was a challenging year. \u00a0There were times when the offense unexpectedly scored runs and injuries<\/a> plagued the team. Thus proving that nothing is a given.<\/p>\n

Granted, 2026 is a new year, and the Dodgers\u2019 philosophy is to win as many games as possible. However, it is not the preeminent goal. The regular season serves as a prelude to the postseason. The primary goal is to win a World Series. To do that, Los Angeles tries to get to October as healthy as possible. The Dodgers may not sacrifice games, but they will not sacrifice arms for regular-season success. All things being equal, the Dodgers have enough talent to win 100 games, and it\u2019s more than likely they will.<\/p>\n

High Five for Shohei<\/p>\n

Is there anything that Shohei Ohtani<\/a> can\u2019t do? He has four Most Valuable Player Awards to his credit, including back-to-back years<\/a> with the Dodgers. In 2025, he was recovering from elbow surgery and couldn\u2019t pitch, so he reeled off the first 50\/50 season<\/a> in baseball history. Last year, he hit 55 home runs while rehabbing his arm on a major league mound. This year, manager Dave Roberts<\/a> expects Ohtani to have a \u201cnormal\u201d year on the mound and be in the Cy Young conversation. Is there anything \u201cnormal\u201d about Shohei? Not really. But if he has a successful year and stays healthy, it is easy to see another M.V.P. season in his future. It\u2019s hard to bet against him.<\/p>\n

The Difference Maker<\/p>\n

River Ryan<\/a> came up in the middle of the 2024 season and was inserted into the starting rotation in a time of need for the Dodgers. He quickly made a name for himself as his repertoire was nasty and his mound presence commanding. He proved it with a high strikeout rate and a microscopic Earned Run Average. However, he was soon sidelined with an elbow injury. After missing all of 2024, Ryan is back and making a bid for the starting rotation<\/a>. Now, thirty pounds heavier, Ryan has regained his 95 mph-plus fastball. The Dodgers are hoping that with the increased weight and velocity, the right-hander will be able to fill a hole, stay healthy, and be effective. Someone is going to have to step up in the absence of Blake Snell<\/a> and Gavin Stone<\/a>. Ryan has filled a void once. Why can\u2019t he do it again?<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

River Ryan gave up a home run, but was otherwise SUPER impressive. Fastball sat 96.3 and touched 98.5, and the slider was SIC.
2.2IP | 2H | 1R | 3Ks | 1BB<\/p>\n

Dodgers fans are very excited about this young man, and rightfully so, but you have to understand that he\u2019s coming off Tommy\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/Naaiex1C7B<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) March 9, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

All in all, Prognostications are fine on paper. It won\u2019t be long, however, before they are tested on the diamond.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Main Photo Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t