The Los Angeles Dodgers' lavish spending finally paid off in 2024, winning the World Series in a full-length season for the first time since 1988.
They spent $1.2 billion last offseason to bring home the hardware, and have only continued moving aggressively through this one, signing Cy Young winner Blake Snell and Japanese pitching sensation Roki Sasaki.
The "super team" mentality that the Dodgers took while leveraging a big, attractive market like Los Angeles left baseball fans wondering, "have the Dodgers ruined baseball?"
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal said via The Athletic that he's spent the offseason answering questions about how could defeat the Dodgers this year—if anyone.
He revealed five teams that he believes will compete to dethrone the defending World Series champions, all of which residing on the other side of the country.
Rosenthal said that the New York Yankees' addition of Max Fried, Cody Bellinger and Devin Williams is enough to compensate for the loss of Juan Soto to the New York Mets. After winning the American League pennant in 2024, the Yankees are in the conversation to make another run at the Dodgers.
The Atlanta Braves return the elite likes of Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider from injury and add a big bat in outfielder Jurickson Profar. Rosenthal said, "if Chris Sale can come anywhere near repeating last year’s NL Cy Young season, then keep an eye out [for Atlanta]"
Plus, the Braves have plenty of room in the budget to make big moves at the trade deadline come summer time.
The Boston Red Sox, who missed the playoffs for the third straight year in 2024, are one of baseball's most improved clubs. They signed Gold Glove infielder Alex Bregman and former Dodgers star pitcher Walker Buehler among other additions.
A lot hinges on whether Trevor Story can return to his once-elite level of play now that he is starting a season healthy at short stop.
"Throw Garrett Crochet into the rotation, and I think they may have a shot at the AL East title," Rosenthal writes.
Rosenthal points out the dual threat of Trea Turner and Bryce Harper, two premiere players still in their primes, for the Philadelphia Phillies. Along with having the "second-best" rotation in the game, their contention window is "still open."
Of course, there is 2024's biggest feel-good story: The New York Mets.
After reeling in perhaps the biggest offseason fish in history by signing Juan Soto to a historic contract and bringing Pete Alonso back, too, Rosenthal equates the Dodgers' "Death Star" to that of Steve Cohen's Mets.
