5 MLB teams with the best chance to take down the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024
The Dodgers have put the rest of the league on notice, becoming unquestioned title favorites with a dominate off-season
To say the MLB offseason has been dominated by the Los Angeles Dodgers might be a bit of an understatement. The Dodgers have taken a step back each of the last two postseasons and decided to attempt to put together a super team in an attempt to end their recent playoff struggles.
The biggest headline was obviously signing the face of baseball in Shohei Ohtani. The historic $700-million dollar contract made headlines across the sports world, and more than put the Dodgers back at the top of the National League. This, however, was simply the Dodgers' opening act, with the team landing prized pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto and putting together a scary rotation.
These two moves made the offseason trade for Tyler Glasnow and Manuel Margot almost a footnote. The Dodgers added three legitimate top-of-the-rotation arms and a needed addition in the outfield. While Ohtani won't be in the rotation just yet, you still added one of the best players in baseball to a great lineup.
It is clearly the Dodgers vs. the field in 2024, leaving the obvious question of who could take this super team down? With a great top of the rotation and Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Ohtani sitting at the top of the lineup, it is going to take a special team to topple the offseason favorites.
1. Philadelphia Phillies
Yes, on paper the Dodgers are a far more talented team than the Phillies are, even at their best in the 2024 season. However, let's consider what this team has accomplished in each of the past two seasons. First, it is important to note that both in the Championship series and in the World Series the past two years, the Phillies have come up just short. But on their route through the postseason ... they've been nearly unmatched.
What still makes this a team that can take down a more talented roster is the fact we have seen it each of the past two seasons. The Atlanta Braves were a dominant team in 2023 and a great team in 2022. Each year, they faced the Phillies in the Division Series as clear favorites, and there was zero question about who the best team -- on paper -- was.
Bryce Harper's iconic stare down of Orlando Arcia or the dugout erupting anytime anything remotely good happened represented just a bit of the energy that was brought for Philadelphia. The Phillies, in the early part of the postseaso,n have proven they can beat anyone. The swagger and "us vs. everyone" mentality is impossible to miss for Philly. If there is anyone with a less talented roster capable of catching L.A. off guard, it is a mentally tough Phillies team with a great top of the rotation and an offense carried by Bryce Harper. Especially at home.
2. Houston Astros
If the Dodgers make a run through the National League, the team they shouldn't want to see waiting on the other side of the bracket is Houston. The Astros are the least talked about dynasty in sports. Since the start of the 2017 season, any team attempting to make the World Series from the American League had the Astros waiting for them in the championship series. In four of those seasons, the Astros made the World Series.
When naming one roster that is not going to be afraid or intimidated in a series by the Dodgers, the Astros clearly come to mind. Perhaps the lack of recognition for their accomplishments is due to the cheating scandal; regardless, this isn't a team to be taken lightly.
The Astros lack the depth of the Dodgers in the rotation, but arguably have a more complete lineup from top to bottom. Houston may not be a very well-liked team, but they are a great roster fans should believe will be in the championship series with a shot at a title yet again in 2024. If the Dodgers had to pick one team not to face in a potential World Series matchup, it should be this experienced Houston roster, even without Dusty Baker at the helm.
3. Atlanta Braves
After the Phillies, if there is one team that is going to stand in the Dodgers' way, it is the Atlanta Braves. The only thing Atlanta has to do to find a way back into World Series contention is find a way not to face Philly in the first round of the playoffs. It is a team that clearly has Atlanta's number come postseason time.
However, putting this aside and looking at the top of the rotation and this lineup, why can't the Braves beat the Dodgers in a series? You have the horses in the rotation to match up with LA, as long as Max Fried, Spender Strider, and Charlie Morton all remain healthy. Each is capable of beating anyone on their best day. Atlanta also possesses a lineup that might be the most complete group in baseball. They at least remain in the argument, even after LA's retool.
Aside from the MVP sitting atop the lineup, you have Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris, Sean Murphy, and Marcell Ozuna, all with reasons to believe they can take a step forward in their production next season. It is a lineup that isn't afraid of the Dodgers, and is going to put a lot of pressure on the top of LA's lineup to keep up.
The Dodgers may be stealing all the headlines this offseason, and rightly so, but don't forget what this Atlanta team accomplished and what they are capable of moving forward.
4. Texas Rangers
While maintaining that the Houston Astros are the worst matchup for the Dodgers in a potential World Series, we must give credit to the reigning champs. In one of the most shocking World Series matchups in recent memory, the Rangers got it done, clearly being the best team in what was an odd postseason. Looking at the regular season results, it is fair to wonder if the run can be replicated.
What we do know is that this is a great Rangers lineup that is bringing back the majority of a championship roster, and one that found a way to get it done without Jacob deGrom. The Rangers are expected to get the star pitcher back at some point in the 2024 season, just in time to set the ace up for the postseason.
Texas had such an up-and-down season it is hard to put bass in your voice when saying this unit can take on the current Dodgers roster. However, this team has recently proven they can find a way to get it done when it matters most.
Clutch hitting and unexpected pitching performances dominated the postseason and gave us reason to believe it can happen again for a team that believes their best can beat anyone. Texas against L.A. in the World Series would be a fun matchup in which the underdog would have a real chance to surprise fans yet again.
5. Arizona Diamondbacks
The last team worth noting is the group that came up just short against the Texas Rangers. This Arizona team clearly needs to add another top-of-the-rotation arm either near the trade deadline or before the start of the season. If they can find a way to do that, they will have a very real chance against this Dodgers team. While divisional matchups might not happen as often as they used to, the familiarity is still an advantage.
The Dodgers were swept out of the playoffs last season by the Diamondbacks. That confidence is still there for this roster, no matter who the Dodgers might have added throughout the offseason. You have a confident young team that has proven they can upset the Dodgers before. Why can't it happen again, now that they've got more postseason experience under their belt?
Obviously, we are a long way off from knowing whether Arizona's run from last season is a sign of seasons to come. For now, however, the Diamondbacks have earned our respect and should be taken seriously heading into the season.
Just like the Rangers, this was a team that was overlooked in the postseason bracket and found a way to get it done. The biggest concern for this roster in a potential series is the Dodgers' rebuilt rotation. Can Arizona add enough pitching to compete with the Dodgers' top three? That is a question the front office should be attempting to answer as spring training draws closer.