The Los Angeles Dodgers wrapped up another NL West title on Sunday, and they did it in the most Shohei Ohtani way possible. Ohtani hit his 50th home run of the season in the eighth inning of Los Angeles’s 6-2 win over the San Diego Padres, an at-bat that clinched both a personal milestone and the division title in one swing.
The Dodgers now have 13 straight years of playoff appearances and 12 NL West titles in the last 13 seasons. This is the most dominant regular-season run in the National League since the 1990s Atlanta Braves, and it happened again despite a wave of pitching injuries that would have derailed most rosters.
Ohtani finished the day 3 for 4 with the home run, two RBIs, and a stolen base. He is now hitting .309 with 50 home runs, 129 RBIs, and 45 stolen bases. His pitching arm has been rested for much of the second half as the team preserves him for October, but he is expected to make at least four more starts before the playoffs.
The bigger celebration is Mookie Betts, who now has a chance to bring home his second MVP award of the decade. Betts has quietly put together a monster year at .312 with 34 home runs and elite defense at shortstop. The MVP conversation will come down to Ohtani, Betts, and Bryce Harper.
Los Angeles will enter the playoffs with real questions. The pitching depth is stretched thin. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been dominant when healthy but has already missed a month with forearm inflammation. Tyler Glasnow is on the injured list again. And Clayton Kershaw, in what is likely his final season, is being managed carefully.
The Dodgers made big trade deadline moves to address the rotation. Los Angeles acquired left-hander Robbie Ray from the Giants and starter Michael King from San Diego, both of whom have been solid additions to a staff that needed depth.
The offense should be terrifying in October. Ohtani, Betts, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernandez, and Will Smith is the deepest lineup in baseball. Rookie Andy Pages has stabilized center field, and Max Muncy is healthy and mashing at third base.
The Phillies are the biggest threat in the National League. Philadelphia has a similarly deep lineup and a more established rotation with Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, and Ranger Suarez. A Dodgers-Phillies NLCS would be baseball at its absolute best.
The Dodgers open the playoffs at home in early October. Ohtani chasing a second straight World Series ring is going to be one of the biggest storylines of the postseason. Los Angeles is built for October, and the rest of the National League should be worried.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
