The Los Angeles Dodgers haven't needed homefield advantage in the last couple of seasons, but that may not be the case this season.
Will the Dodgers Three-Peat?
It's that time of year again for the Los Angeles Dodgers to begin their quest to defend their World Series title.
Over the last two seasons, Los Angeles was easily the league's best team, and the gap was considerable, even though they didn't have the best record or homefield advantage in the National League playoffs.
However, this season, with more talent, the Dodgers have surprisingly not been as dominant as their previous two World Series-winning teams, which makes this upcoming postseason more interesting.
Dodgers have history of winning teams
Those winning teams were so good that they seemed to instill fear in other teams. It didn't matter whether they were at home or on the road; they were, without a doubt, the best team on the diamond. But this season, none of the top teams have seemed afraid of the mighty Dodgers.
Which is why the lack of home-field advantage in a potential NLCS may cost them this season, unlike last season, when they still swept the Milwaukee Brewers.
Homefield advantage doesn't guarantee wins, but it can make a game more or less winnable than it otherwise would be.
With Milwaukee regaining the advantage after another great regular season, it may have a bigger impact than last season, given the Brewers' series wins over the best teams in baseball, including Los Angeles.
Also, with Milwaukee's biggest strength on the mound and the Dodgers' Achilles' heel on offense, crowd noise in a big postseason game may play even more in the Brewers' favor.
Dodgers, Brewers have business to face
Nonetheless, before we can assume the Brewers and Dodgers will meet in the NLCS, both teams have to take care of business, but a lack of home-field advantage could be a problem for the reigning champions.
With the Dodgers clinching the second seed, they still have that advantage for at least the first two rounds, but, to be frank, they face several problems.
As mentioned, the team has struggled to produce at the plate, the complete opposite of the last two seasons, even after adding another silver slugger, Kyle Tucker, who has also struggled this year.
Four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani is also just returning to the lineup this past week after dealing with right bicep inflammation that had him on the 15-day Injured List.
While the Dodgers may still be stacked and have the best depth to absorb their setbacks compared to any other team, that doesn't mean they won't be affected during this playoff run.
