ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle gave the Dodgers a pressure index of 89.9, the lowest in MLB, ahead of the 2026 playoffs. He argued their back-to-back 2024 and 2025 World Series wins mean failing to three-peat would not undo their recent success.
The article says Will Smith has missed significant time, Edwin Díaz and Kyle Tucker have disappointed, and Shohei Ohtani is not pitching. Despite those issues, it describes the Dodgers as being in strong shape to contend for another title.
Doolittle acknowledged that the Dodgers feel pressure to win a third straight title, but said it is lower than for other postseason contenders. He also argued that even if they do not win in 2026 and never return to the World Series during Ohtani’s tenure, his signing would still be considered a major success after two titles.
