The Los Angeles Dodgers are shaping up to be more dominant than ever with the additions of Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz, but what if they never needed either one of them to improve?
The Los Angeles Dodgers have largely stolen the attention of the Major League Baseball offseason with the massive free agent signings of Edwin Díaz and Kyle Tucker. The additions of the two players undoubtedly make Los Angeles—which was already a powerhouse — that much better.
Yet, what if the Dodgers could have been better in 2026 even without bringing Tucker and Díaz aboard? Manny Randhawa of MLB.com makes his case in his piece titled “4 reasons Dodgers were poised to be better even before Tucker, Díaz." Below are two of the reasons why Randhawa believes the Dodgers will be better.
The first reason concerns Shohei Ohtani and his return to being a full-time two-way player.
“Shohei Ohtani has won two World Series rings and two MVP Awards in two years with the Dodgers, but we still haven’t even seen the totality of what the two-way superstar can do for his club during a full season as a hitter and a pitcher,” Randhawa wrote. “In 2024, Ohtani didn’t pitch at all as he recovered from elbow surgery the prior year. All he did was become the first player in Major League history to hit 50 home runs (54) and steal 50 bases (59) in the same season.
“In 2025, Ohtani made his pitching debut for the Dodgers, but it wasn’t until June, and he ended up making 14 starts in all with a 2.87 ERA and 33% strikeout rate. At the plate, he set a career-high with 55 homers.”
Ohtani also put on a heroic, never-before-seen performance in Game 4 of the 2025 National League Championship Series when he hit three home runs and recorded 10 strikeouts to lead the Dodgers to a sweep over the Milwaukee Brewers. The performance illustrated that rehabilitation from injury did not deter Ohtani’s greatness as a two-way talent.
“With Spring Training just a few weeks away, the Dodgers can dream about what a full season of two-way Ohtani might be like. Could Ohtani give Los Angeles 25 starts and 50-plus homers?
“By now, we should know that it would be foolish to put anything beyond Ohtani.”
The second reason in Randhawa’s argument is the re-emergence of Mookie Betts.
“Mookie Betts entered last season as one of the most consistently excellent players in the game. But he produced the lowest OPS (.732) of any season in his 12-year MLB career in 2025. There is plenty of reason to expect a bounce-back campaign from Betts in 2026. First, he went through some difficult personal trials in ’25, including a severe stomach virus that caused him to lose around 15 pounds and the death of his stepfather.
“Beyond that, Betts was much better toward the end of the season. From Aug. 4 through the end of the regular season, he hit .311/.369/.505 with nine homers.”
Betts experienced a level of adversity he could have never planned for and still found a way to be incredibly effective despite it all. If Ohtani and Betts can produce the best versions of themselves in 2026, Randhawa may have a point.
Join the Community
Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!
It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!