The Los Angeles Dodgers are chasing a third-straight World Series title this Fall, and while they’ve got a first-round bye in the postseason, don’t crown them just yet. Sure, they’re still World Series favorites with a stacked roster, but ESPN’s Jorge Castillo just dropped some serious truth bombs about why this team could absolutely fall apart before they even get close to that trophy. The Milwaukee Brewers snagged the No. 1 seed, leaving LA to grapple with some heavy baggage heading into October.
The Double Whammy: Old Age and Bone-Deep Fatigue
Castillo hit it straight: if the Dodgers go home early, it’s because age, injuries, and their back-to-back World Series runs finally caught up with them. Let’s talk about that age thing first. The Dodgers boast the oldest roster in the Major Leagues, clocking in at a whopping 31.1 years old. Guys like Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, and even Shohei Ohtani are all past 30. That’s a lot of mileage on those legs, and it has to show up eventually when the pressure cooker gets turned to eleven.
Combine that age with plain old fatigue, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. These Dodgers have played more games than any other team in MLB over the last three seasons because they’ve been on those deep postseason runs every single year. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if they simply run out of steam, honestly. We saw something similar with the Kansas City Chiefs in their own three-peat attempt just last year. They got absolutely demolished in the Super Bowl back in 2025 by the Philadelphia Eagles, and then had a huge regression year. Fatigue clearly played a role for them, and it could totally sink the Dodgers’ October dreams too. You can’t just keep going on fumes, right?
The Injury Bug: A Major League Nightmare
As if age and fatigue weren’t enough, the biggest, most pressing issue hitting Chavez Ravine right now is injuries. Shohei Ohtani himself is hurt enough to keep him off the mound, which is a massive blow for any team, let alone one chasing history. But he’s definitely not alone in the Dodgers’ training room. Andy Pages, Will Smith, Brock Stewart, Blake Treinen, Roki Sasaki, and Justin Wrobleski are all coming off injuries, too. The Dodgers might get these guys back on the field for the postseason, but there are some huge, unanswered question marks about how they’ll actually perform when it matters most in October. Can they really turn it on at full speed after being sidelined, or will they be a step slow when every pitch counts?
Between the weight of their years, the sheer exhaustion from three straight grueling seasons, and a growing list of key players nursing injuries, this “stacked” Dodgers team is facing some very real, very underrated problems. They still have a chance to win it all, absolutely, but these issues could absolutely derail their entire season. It’s going to be a wild October, and you just know everyone will be watching to see if these cracks start to show. The pressure is on, big time, and the rest of the league is watching eagerly.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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