The 1906 Chicago Cubs set the standard which has never been toppled. The team that featured the famed double play combination of Tinker to Evers to Chance along with a fourth hall of famer in pitcher Mordecai ‘Three Fingers’ Brown won one hundred and sixteen games.
They did that in one hundred and fifty-two games. The 1954 Cleveland Indians earned the American League record with a hundred and eleven in a one hundred and fifty-four game schedule. The 1998 Yankees went four victories better.
Then came the 2001 Seattle Mariners who matched the Cubs winningest season led by AL Rookie of the Year and MVP Ichiro Suzuki. They did what the Cubs did before them in more ways than one way. Both teams scored the most runs and allowed the fewest.
2022 Dodgers made a run
Three years ago the Dodgers came the closest to taking the national league record from those old Cubs but still fell five wins short. As many as twelve players from that team will return for 2025, augmented by some significant talent to make another run at it.
You would have to say these Dodgers should be better than that edition. They’ll put forward perhaps as good a pitching staff as has ever been put together. The drawback of course is just about every one of them carries injury history.
The 2025 Dodgers however have so stacked the staff by sheer numbers that it’s possible even injuries might not be able to derail a possible win record.
Rotation is ridiculously deep
The Dodgers added a two time Cy Young winner in Blake Snell and one of the best pitchers ever to come out of Japan in Roki Sasaki. They also get Shohei Ohtani on the mound, no longer confined to just breaking records at the plate.
While they’re talking about a six man rotation to hopefully help guard against the injuries, the rotation will still leave out top talent. Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow round out the amazing top five.
That will leave Landon Knack, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May and Bobby Miller to fight for the last rotation spot. Oh, and it’s expected that three time Cy Young award winner Clayton Kershaw should be back at some point as welll.
Bullpen superb as well
Tanner Scott who was probably the best free agent reliever available joins an already strong bullpen. The rumoured addition of Kirby Yates would put this bullpen over the top as well as the pair join Michael Kopech, Evan Phillips, Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia, Brustar Graterol and more.
Dodgers can hit too!
The 2024 Dodgers finished second in the majors in run scoring. Mookie Betts missed forty-six games. The team’s revolving door in rightfield has been fixed with Michael Conforto. Tommy Edman has been added for a full season and catcher Will Smith can be better.
Heck the Dodgers have a pair of talented youngsters in Andy Pages and Dalton Rushing who can’t find a starting spot.
The NL West still has the Diamondbacks who now have Corbin Burnes at the top of their pitching staff. The Padres may be downsizing a bit but they’ll still be good and the Giants are no slouch but these Dodgers as you see are special.
It’s possible that winning back to back world series might prove tougher than setting a win record. There’s simply less randomness over a grueling one hundred and sixty-two games than there is in the crapshoot that the MLB post season has become.
Bottom line, the 2025 Dodgers have the horses. Front line, back line, middle line. Don’t bet against anything.
