The 2026 Dodgers’ regular season just wrapped up, and man, what a ride it was, especially through those final 54 games. Seriously, the offense, which had been cooking earlier, totally took a dive in that last stretch. They were hitting .247/.332/.408 with a 105 wRC+, a noticeable drop from their first two thirds. But thank goodness for the pitching staff, who somehow pulled a full Houdini and bounced back big-time with a 3.46 ERA, stopping things from completely falling apart. It’s wild to think they started that final third with their longest losing streak of the season, dropping seven straight, yet still recovered to win 32 games, a 96-win pace!
The Rollercoaster Final Third
Looking at the splits for the entire 54-game increments, it’s clear how much the team had to adjust. In the first 54 games, they were a beast, going 34-20 with a ridiculous +108 run differential and a 3.10 ERA. The middle third, also 34-20, saw the run differential cut to +48 and the ERA jump to 4.08. Then came the final third: 32-22, still a winning record, but the run differential was only +45, the offense’s slash line dropped to .247/.332/.408, and the wRC+ dipped to 105. It’s a testament to the pitching staff that their ERA came back down to 3.46, with an ERA- of 83, compared to the 97 in the middle third. Without that rebound on the mound, this final stretch could’ve been a total disaster after that brutal seven-game skid.
Catching Catastrophe and Comeback
Behind the plate, it was pure chaos for a good chunk of the season. For the second year running, the Dodgers found themselves without both Will Smith and Dalton Rushing for extended periods. Rushing, after a decent start to the season, didn’t catch after August 1st due to a partially torn UCL in his right elbow, and then aggravated it during throwing drills in early September, limiting him to just eight plate appearances over the final eight weeks. Poor guy. Will Smith, bless his heart, also had his struggles, but he came roaring back in September. After a tough second third (.292/.452/.625 with a 193 wRC+ on just 31 PAs, which is actually a surge after a bad first third), he returned to his normal production level in the final month, posting a .290/.400/.548 slash line with a 160 wRC+ in 75 plate appearances. But before that, we saw Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia, reacquired at the trade deadline, handling catching duties through most of August. Rortvedt even managed a -3 wRC+ in 28 plate appearances in the final third. Yikes.
Star Power Swings and Misses
Man, some of the big names had wild finishes to their seasons. Shohei Ohtani started hot with a 140 wRC+ in the first third, climbed to 158 in the second, but then dipped to 111 in the final 36 games. Freddie Freeman? What happened there? After a 155 wRC+ in the middle third, his production absolutely fell off a cliff to a 75 wRC+ in his final 113 plate appearances. That’s a huge drop for a guy like him!
But then you had the guys who *finished* strong. Mookie Betts started the season with a shocking 55 wRC+ in his first 87 PAs, climbed to 101, and then absolutely exploded in the final third with a 148 wRC+ over 223 plate appearances. Andy Pages also found his rhythm, jumping from a 107 wRC+ in the second third to 143 in his final 113 PAs. And Teoscar Hernández, after a brutal 42 wRC+ in the middle third, put up a fantastic 131 wRC+ in the final 201 PAs. It really shows how individual performances can shift the team’s overall trajectory, especially when the catching situation was so messy and Freeman hit a wall.
So yeah, the 2026 regular season is officially in the books for the Dodgers. What a finish. That wild final third, with the offense sputtering and the arms dealing, really showed the grit of this squad to still post a 96-win pace after that brutal losing streak. You gotta wonder if those individual swings, especially from guys like Freeman and Betts, will carry over. It was a messy, yet ultimately successful, end to the regular season, proving these guys can adjust even when the chips are down.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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