The Los Angeles Dodgers have the best roster in Major League Baseball history. From top to bottom, it resembles an All-Star team, and even after winning the last two World Series they signed Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz — the two top free agents this winter — before trading for Tarik Skubal, the best starting pitcher on the planet.
And yet they are not invincible.
Going on deep postseason runs puts plenty of wear and tear on players’ bodies. But the World Series is not won on paper. Between underperformances and injuries, the Dodgers are being tested, and even at 80-51, feel as vulnerable as they have been in quite some time.
So who are their biggest threats in the National League? Let’s dive into it.
San Diego Padres
Perhaps this is bold of me, but the Padres feel like arguably the Dodgers’ biggest threat.Â
The pitching improved at the trade deadline with the acquisitions of Robbie Ray and Casey Mize. The offense still has the pieces capable of making noise and the star-caliber players in Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado that postseason runs require. And despite some struggles to start the year, Tatis Jr. is now hitting .287/.358/.449 with 17 home runs and 67 RBI.
These Padres have shown they can compete with the Dodgers, even on the playoff stage. They have the talent, and especially the bullpen, to pull it off. Do not discount San Diego by any means.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers are pesky, a difficult opponent who puts pressure on opponents with seemingly every pitch — whether by putting the ball in play or being aggressive on the basepaths. Factor in their defense, and oh yeah, Jacob Misiorowski and their star-studded rotation, and they are a nightmare.
Last year, the Brewers had success against the Dodgers in the regular season, and then were beaten rather easily once the playoffs started. Perhaps this year will be different with Misiorowski more experienced, but I’m uncertain that Milwaukee will be able to dethrone the Dodgers. Still, they should be a much tougher opponent, and test L.A. more than they did in 2025.
Philadelphia Phillies
What the Phillies have done this year is rather remarkable. When they fired Rob Thomson early in the season, their yearcould have gone one of two ways: It could have cratered and resulted in another year of Bryce Harper and Co.’s primes being wasted, or they could have rallied around it and bounced back into contention.
Hoo boy, have the Phillies bounced back.
The Phillies are 73-59 and only 3.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the division. They recently went on a seven-game winning streak, including a miraculous 4-0 comeback with two outs in the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals, and the vibes in Philadelphia feel right. Don Mattingly deserves a ton of credit for the job he’s done within that clubhouse. Without him, this season very easily may have been lost, and fast.
Chicago Cubs
The injury to Dansby Swanson hurt the Cubs. A lot. But what’s helped them tremendously is that Alex Bregman, their prized offseason acquisition, is finally performing exactly how the organization had hoped. And that absolutely changes how the Cubs should be viewed.
Bregman is a star player who can take the Cubs to new heights. If this is here to stay, and Swanson returns as expected later in the year, they become an incredibly dangerous opponent.
The Cubs, too, added to the rotation at the deadline in acquiring Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes, with Holmes posting a 2.81 ERA in three games in Chicago. He fit in seamlessly and within the organization, which viewed Holmes as a great fit behind the Cubs’ dominant infield defense. So far, that has worked as planned.
This is the best roster that Craig Counsell has had since going to Chicago. And if they can get to the World Series — and then win it — the record-setting contract the franchise gave to him will immediately be worth it.
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