For the Dodgers, every season is ‘World Series or bust’.
They have one of the best rosters in all of baseball. Their payroll is near the top. Expectations are higher than they’ve ever been. With the Dodgers on the verge of a historic season, the pressure is on.
They NEED to win the World Series in 2022.
Over the last decade, the Dodgers have been the best team in all of baseball. They’re a playoff team every season and have appeared in the World Series three times since 2017. Unfortunately, all they have is one ring to show for it. For many people, a ring that doesn’t count.
No matter how good the Dodgers are, no matter how many records they set, none of it matters. For many people, the Dodgers haven’t won a “legitimate title” since 1988. Don’t listen to those people. Given the circumstances, you can make the argument that winning in 2020 was more difficult than normal.
It’s tiring at this point. The only way the Dodgers can shut all those people up is if they win a championship this season. Not only do the Dodgers need to prove they can win it all in a full season, they may never have a better team than the one they currently have.
LA is on pace to win 112 games, which would set a new franchise record. They lead in nearly every offensive category. Their starting rotation leads in nearly every category. Their bullpen leads in nearly every category. This is the greatest team in Dodgers history.
It won’t mean a damn thing if they come up short.
This is going to be a huge postseason for the Dodgers, for multiple reasons. Like I mentioned, they need to win another championship to make everyone forget about 2020. Until the Dodgers win it all, they’ll never hear the end of it. I’d prefer to never hear the words “Mickey Mouse” associated with a championship ever again.
I want there to be a parade. Unfortunately due to COVID, we didn’t get to celebrate as a city the last time. We need a championship parade.
Another reason is just how dominant this team is. They are superior in every asset of the game and should beat any team they are put up against.
Years down the road, when people remember the 2022 Dodgers team that set a franchise record in wins, what do you want them to remember? A team that was bounced in the NLCS? Or a team that dominated through October and won their eighth World Series?
I’ll take the second option.
