The Dodgers are a problem.<\/p>\n
They\u2019ve won three World Series since 2020, including the last two in a row, and built a roster that keeps pushing the limits of what a superteam looks like. They spend big, develop talent, maintain a deep farm system and just added Tarik Skubal for good measure.<\/p>\n
Everyone worries about the Dodgers in October.<\/p>\n
The NL West has been dealing with them for much longer.<\/p>\n
LA has won 15 division titles since 2000 and 12 of the last 13, with the 107-win Giants of 2021 providing the only interruption.<\/p>\n
This year, LA is 8.5 games ahead of Arizona and 24.5 games ahead of Colorado.<\/p>\n
When you share a division with the Dodgers, you don\u2019t get to wait until October to worry about them. You check the standings all summer and, more often than not, there they are at the top.<\/p>\n
So let\u2019s combine forces.<\/p>\n
Build the NL West superteam!<\/p>\n
Take any players currently on the Rockies, Diamondbacks, Giants or Padres, using the current FanGraphs depth charts, and build a 26-man roster.<\/p>\n
The first goal: beat the Dodgers\u2019 current fWAR total.<\/p>\n
The rule: spend less than their current 26-man roster.<\/p>\n
Spotrac lists the Dodgers\u2019 total 2026 payroll at $312,015,118. For this exercise, we\u2019re only counting the salaries of the 26 players currently listed on the FanGraphs depth chart.<\/p>\n
I understand the Dodgers\u2019 injured list is basically a superteam of its own \u2014 Will Smith, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow aren\u2019t even included here, and Shohei Ohtani can pitch. But we\u2019re taking one exact slice in time: the 26 players on the Dodgers\u2019 roster right now.<\/p>\n
Using the Dodgers\u2019 current FanGraphs depth chart for fWAR and Spotrac for 2026 payroll salary:<\/p>\n
PlayerPositionfWARSalaryShohei OhtaniDH3.6$28,216,944Andy PagesCF3.6$800,000Freddie Freeman1B3.2$22,874,920Max Muncy3B3.2$10,000,000Mookie BettsSS1.3$25,167,520Kyle TuckerRF1.0$1,000,000Tommy Edman2B0.9$12,091,513Teoscar Hern\u00e1ndezLF0.6$14,709,589Hunter FeducciaC0.4$782,000-Total:17.8 fWAR$115,642,486PlayerPositionfWARSalaryMiguel RojasINF0.7$5,500,000Alex CallOF0.4$1,600,000Ben RortvedtC0.0$1,250,000Enrique Hern\u00e1ndezINF\/OF0.0$4,500,000-Total:1.1 fWAR$12,850,000PlayerfWARSalaryYoshinobu Yamamoto3.3$20,333,333Tarik Skubal3.0$32,000,000Justin Wrobleski1.9$790,000Roki Sasaki0.8$800,000Eric Lauer-0.4$4,400,000Total:8.6 fWAR$58,323,333PlayerfWARSalaryTanner Scott1.5$12,588,508Alex Vesia0.8$3,550,000Jack Dreyer0.8$810,000Edgardo Henriquez0.8$790,000Kyle Hurt0.4$820,000Edwin D\u00edaz0.3$17,000,000Jonathan Hern\u00e1ndez-0.1$850,000Evan Phillips-0.2$6,500,000Total4.3 fWAR$42,908,508<\/p>\n
Dodgers 26-man fWAR: 31.8<\/p>\n
Dodgers 26-man payroll salary: $229,724,327<\/p>\n
Build 26 players from the other four NL West teams. Stay below $229.72 million and, as a first measure, get above 31.8 fWAR.<\/p>\n
Then comes the more interesting question: Is your roster actually built to beat the Dodgers in October?<\/p>\n
fWAR is a good checkpoint, but a short series brings matchups, bullpen leverage, defense, speed, platoon advantages and roster flexibility into the equation. A lower-fWAR player can still make sense if his skill set gives you a better chance against this particular opponent.<\/p>\n
Build the 26 you\u2019d want to take down LA.<\/p>\n
And yes, more Rockies gets extra credit.<\/p>\n
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