When the Los Angeles Dodgers take the field for the 2026 MLB season, they are going to have a few teams in the National League looking to take them down.

First baseman Freddie Freeman and his Dodgers teammates are aware that NL teams want to keep the Dodgers from winning a third straight World Series championship. This, of course, comes on the heels of Los Angeles signing two big free agents, Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz, to join the team.

OK, so who in the NL is gunning to take down the Dodgers? There are a few teams that are receiving attention at this point. Remember: Spring training is just around the corner, so these teams might have pictures of the Dodgers with a bull's-eye somewhere in their clubhouses.

Anthony Castrovince, who writes about the MLB for MLB.com, listed off a number of teams in the mix. Among the teams that Castrovince mentions in his story include the New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and Chicago Cubs.

Oh, Castrovince also added the Milwaukee Brewers, who lost to the Dodgers in last season's National League Championship Series, among the top teams he believes will challenge the Dodgers this season.

About the Mets, Castrovince wrote, " This has been an odd but ultimately compelling offseason in Queens. The Mets are taking massive defensive risks (and potentially making history) with Bo Bichette at third base and Jorge Polanco at first.

"They let Díaz walk to the Dodgers, and it remains to be seen if they were right to trust the underlying metrics about Devin Williams’ 2025 instead of just sticking with what works," Castrovince added. "They have a lot of injury concerns baked into this roster."

And, what about the Braves? "To list the Braves here requires belief in better health in 2026," Castrovince wrote. "This belief is already being tested by an offseason injury to re-signed shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, and I’d like to see Atlanta add another starter to its current group.

"Still, I like the possibilities for the rotation with (Chris) Sale in a contract year, (Spencer) Strider further removed from surgery, (Reynaldo) López coming back and youngster Hurston Waldrep in the mix after his impressive big league break-in," Castrovince added.

"And the Braves definitely beefed up their bullpen by signing free agent Robert Suárez for the eighth and re-signing Raisel Iglesias for the ninth," Castrovince wrote.

Castrovince offered other breakdowns for the Phillies, Cubs, and Brewers, too. But the big question really comes down to this: Can these teams really challenge the Dodgers, who have a payroll nearing $400 million?

This and many other questions will be answered, or start to get answered, when spring training starts soon for all MLB teams. 

The Dodgers have a roster of amazing players that manager Dave Roberts will be rolling out throughout the season. Roberts, though, gets his first look at how everyone came back in some decent shape at spring training in Arizona.

And, of course, these players understand what the main goal is this season. They probably have heard enough talk about it during the offseason. Now, they're going to come into camp, ready and willing to get down to business.

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