Call to the pen
Fansided

Why the Los Angeles Dodgers are STILL World Series Favorites

By Sarah Maninger

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 19: Clayton Kershaw #22 of the Los Angeles Dodgers stands between Walker Buehler #21 and Rich Hill #44 before the game against the Miami Marlins at Dodger Stadium on July 19, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 19: Clayton Kershaw #22 of the Los Angeles Dodgers stands between Walker Buehler #21 and Rich Hill #44 before the game against the Miami Marlins at Dodger Stadium on July 19, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
(Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Why the Los Angeles Dodgers are World Series Favorites

The Houston Astros did a thing too

This is the biggest trade news to come out of Houston since they acquired Justin Verlander two years ago. Now, Greinke joins Verlander, along with Gerrit Cole, in what is probably the strongest rotation in baseball.

I’m not over the Dodgers’ 2017 World Series loss (probably never will be) but any baseball fan, regardless of allegiance, can see that this makes the Astros lethal. The road to the World Series, for the AL at least, will probably go through New York or Houston. Zack Greinke is going to help these Astros down the stretch and it is going to be really hard for any team, even the Yankees, to slow them down.

So, say the Astros get to the World Series. Who do they face?

Now, this isn’t my alliances talking, it’s sheer, objective observation; it could very well be the Dodgers. They have been the best team in the National League, sometimes even all of baseball, all season long.

They were the first to reach 70 wins just a few days ago, and they have shown that any lead can be erased with the right lineup. Their bullpen needs a little bit of help, but Tony Gonsolin put on a clinic in Colorado Tuesday night in a win over the Rockies. Gonsolin is a very realistic bullpen option in October, so is May, so is Ross Stripling and Julio Urias.

What makes this all so insane is that all those names I mentioned were drafted by the Dodgers over the past decade.

The Dodgers didn’t do a lot at the deadline but, honestly, they didn’t need to. They can contend, they can win, and they can put on a show in the process with the guys they have.

So, now that we have established that a 2017 World Series rematch is all kinds of possible, let’s think about how it could go down.

Home/Los Angeles Dodgers