PHOENIX — The reigning World Series champions have not seemed to be able to get out of their own way. They are paragons for consistent success in a game that thrives on chaos, yet have fluctuated enough to make another celebration a legitimate sweat.
The Los Angeles Dodgers winning the National League West again felt like a given. The journey was littered with self-created potholes. After being accused of ruining the sport, they threatened to ruin themselves.
The result was the same. For the 12th time in 13 seasons, the Dodgers can celebrate a division title. Shohei Ohtani tied his career best with his 54th home run, and Freddie Freeman added two of his own to highlight an 8-0 rout of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The victory piled on to a run of dominance; all the other teams currently in the division have only won the NL West a combined 19 times ever, highlighting an accomplishment the Dodgers have made look routine. They have now won 90 or more games in each of their past 12 full seasons, something baseball has not seen since the 1947-58 New York Yankees.
Dodgers storm the field and go crazy as they clinch the division. pic.twitter.com/MkOIb6kpqI
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) September 25, 2025
They are seeking to accomplish something baseball hasn’t seen in a quarter century, from another Yankees dynasty: a repeat.
The 2025 Dodgers were a maddening example of how difficult that can be.
“It’s no secret that you either love or hate the Dodgers, and every team we play, they’re doing everything they can to beat us,” manager Dave Roberts said. “That’s part of what we signed up for, but it takes a tax. It’s a toll, it’s tough every day to bring your best when you know that other teams are bringing their best.
“We have an opportunity to make history. It hasn’t been easy, but that’s part of it. It shouldn’t be easy.”
No reigning champion in baseball history had won eight games in a row to start their title defense until this team. They’ve stumbled ever since. Their bullpen took on baseball’s biggest workload before it broke down. Their offense went quiet for months. They built a nine-game lead only to squander it. They lost their “joy” along the way, veteran Miguel Rojas said. A half-billion-dollar payroll took until the final week of the regular season to fend off the San Diego Padres.
The feat remains notable and historic nonetheless. With it, they think they’ve found their second wind.
“You try to put forth every game is the same, April is just as important as September and October, and that in theory is great,” Roberts said. “It’s hard to do that in practice in baseball, but I do think we’ve gotten to this point and I feel we’re all aligned and we’re all in the right mindset for the rest of September and through October.”
Their journey has made their October path harder. The Dodgers will have to win 13 games in October to reclaim their title, two more than they required a season ago. Their bullpen has become a nightly adventure.
Yet they still post perhaps the most formidable starting staff in this postseason field. Their offense, even sans franchise catcher Will Smith, has found its footing. In winning the division, they’ll at least get to host the Wild Card Series at Dodger Stadium.
“Even when it was our darkest, I just always saw our guys stay together and compete. I believe the talent with the fight is going to show through October,” Roberts said.
The signs of a looming celebration were there in the visiting clubhouse at Chase Field on Thursday morning. Rolled-up tarps hung from the walls, preparing for the bacchanal to come. In order to repeat, they’ll need four more.
“The party I want is at the end, the last one,” Blake Snell said. “It’s exciting. It’s a good season. But I’m focused on that last one, for sure.”
(Photo of Freddie Freeman and Miguel Rojas: Chris Coduto / Getty Images)