Spoiled Dodgers get a little ahead of themselves with spring training victory lap

The Los Angeles Dodgers enter MLB spring training as defending World Series champions, and the overwhelming favorites to achieve that feat again. LA spent more money than any MLB team this winter – an overwhelming $471.5 million on free agents and contract extensions – so anything less than a second straight World Series would be considered a disappointment.

All that being said, baseball is a notoriously unpredictable sport. The Dodgers could break the league record for wins in the regular season – 116, last achieved by the Seattle Mariners in 2001 – but lose in the postseason. October is a crapshoot each and every year, and while the Dodgers and Yankees met last year in a marquee World Series matchup, it's rarely that simple. Just the season prior, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers faced off for the Commissioner's Trophy.

So, any pundit, player or fan who presumes to know as absolute fact that the Dodgers or any other team will win the World Series in 2025 is lying. We won't know until the confetti drops, which makes the Dodgers overwhelming confidence heading into spring training all the more nauseating. A recent article by Bob Nightengale had a couple quotes I'd like to highlight for the sole purpose of drinking Hateraid.

Miguel Rojas and Max Muncy plan a Dodgers World Series victory parade

Miguel Rojas and Max Muncy specifically had a lot to say in Nightengale's column. These quotes, admittedly picked entirely out of context, should anger every non-Dodgers fan to their core. You're so welcome.

“The message our front office sent to everybody this winter was that we’re not just satisfied with winning one championship. We want to create something special that will always be remembered and sustainable.," Miguel Rojas said.

Ah, that's nice! My favorite team hasn't won a World Series in 40 years, but I'm thrilled the Dodgers aren't satisfied with JUST one title.

“We finally got the team over the hump last year, so it was a little bit of relief on that aspect,’’ Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said. “I know we won in 2020, but you want to get that full season one. And now that we did, we want to win more. We have the team to win more. So, it’s almost like we’re hungrier than ever.’’

Hungrier than ever? The Dodgers have two World Series in four years. Most athletes won't sniff that kind of team success over the course of their careers. But sure, order up!

“I’ve always really felt that we kind of had a target on our back,’’ Muncy continued. “Part of that is when you play at Dodger Stadium, it’s sold out on a Tuesday in July. Every (opposing) pitcher seems to find a couple of miles an hour. It’s always felt like that. People tend to find an extra edge against us.

Yes, the Dodgers are simply better than all of us. They didn't create the target, it was there to begin with, America.

“You’ve got to put some goals in your life, you know? Especially with this kind of team,’’ Rojas said about winning 116 games. “So why not shoot for the best?"

Why not? What could go wrong?

In truth, I am jealous of Dodgers fans. We all are. Nothing is guaranteed in sports, including another Dodgers World Series parade. But for now, these players are on top of the world.