The Los Angeles Dodgers have proven they are more than just a roster full of talent.
Much of the reason the Los Angeles Dodgers are back-to-back World Series champions is because of a star-studded roster, but it is not the only reason.
The Dodgers have a seemingly insatiable hunger for winning, and it was proven in a seven-game series brawl against the Toronto Blue Jays when Dave Roberts' team fell behind 3-2 and had to win twice in Toronto to raise the Commissioner's Trophy yet again.
Even in Game 7, down 4-3 with two outs remaining, the Dodgers were able to force extra innings thanks to a Miguel Rojas solo shot before Will Smith homered in the top of the 11th inning to give them the lead. Yoshinobu Yamamoto closed the deal on the mound, pitching 2.2 innings after a six-inning outing the day before. All in all, what Los Angeles achieved is emblematic of the balance between tenacity and talent.
“Yeah, I mean, that's a big thing for us,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said at the Winter Meetings. “And, obviously, you know, those long-term commitments; they're challenging. And it's so important to us to get the right kind of person.”
“The talent is easier to identify, but the type of person, the work ethic, how much they care is really important to us and I think you can see through our longer term commitments those guys and it does it stands out to me every day watching our star players their daily routine how they prepare to go win a baseball game that night and then looking across the field every day I kind of say to myself like this stands out and I can't say enough about our guys the culture that has been created within them and just how much they care about winning."
One player who spearheads that culture is shortstop Mookie Betts, who continues to be a key to the team’s success despite the obstacles he faced last season that included a stomach illness that caused him to lose 20 pounds and the death of his stepfather.
“I can't say enough about Mookie," Friedman said. "And I don't think enough attention has been paid highlighted on the fact that he became a finalist for the Gold Glove,” Friedman said. “Yeah, there were questions about whether he could do it or not. To the people who knew Mookie it was ‘you'll never bet against the guy.’”
“I don't know if Comeback Player of the Year works for a guy who played, but I'll bet on whatever that award is. I'll bet on Mookie in 2026.”