As the Los Angeles Dodgers prepare to open their 2026 season on Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made one thing clear in his pregame media scrum: The noise surrounding his club’s lofty expectations isn’t driving the mindset inside the clubhouse.

“At this moment, very minimal,” Roberts said when asked about anxiety. “It’s more excitement to get going. Our players are excited.”

That tone reflects a team attempting to balance external hype with internal discipline. With talk swirling about the possibility of a historic run, Roberts acknowledged the conversation — but stressed that it won’t define their approach.

“There’s obviously going to be a lot of talk about it,” he said. “But our guys are just trying to think about winning a game today.”

One of the more emotional decisions of the day came at second base, where Roberts elected to start Miguel Rojas in his final Opening Day. 

“I told him the other night, and he got pretty emotional,” Roberts said. “This means a lot to him, his family, and the fans. Most importantly, I think he’s a great option for today.”

On the mound, the Dodgers will lean on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, whom Roberts expects to simply execute his game.

“Get ahead, use his entire pitch mix, and compete,” Roberts said. “We’ve seen enough to know he’s ready.”

While the Dodgers’ talent has sparked conversations about win totals and even chasing history, Roberts was quick to shut down any fixation on numbers like 116 victories.

“That’s not our North Star,” he said. “Our goal is not how many games we win in the regular season — it’s bigger than that.”

Instead, Roberts pointed to something less tangible but equally important: Buy-in.

“This is as complete a team as I’ve had,” he said. “The talent, the way they’ve come together — it’s special. But we still have to go out there and play.”

Roberts even leaned into the idea of the Dodgers being labeled as baseball’s “villain.”

“If that’s what they say, I guess I’ll embrace it,” he said with a smile. “People like a villain. That’s probably respect in some way.”

Ultimately, despite the spectacle of Opening Day and the weight of expectations, Roberts insists the formula remains simple.

“Once that first pitch is thrown, it’s just baseball,” he said. “And we’re going to lock in.”

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