The Los Angeles Dodgers spent much of 2025 piecing together a starting rotation ravaged by injuries. Now, as October approaches, that once fragile group is suddenly healthy, productive, and — according to one prominent insider — the best in baseball.
Los Angeles built its staff with big investments, headlined by Blake Snell in free agency and Yoshinobu Yamamoto entering his second full MLB season. Tyler Glasnow aimed to finally put together a complete campaign, while Clayton Kershaw targeted a late-season return. And, of course, two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani was set to make his long-awaited Dodgers pitching debut.
Dodgers Rotation Named Best In MLB
Vote For Your Favorite Dodgers Duo: Ohtani – Yamamoto, Betts – Freeman, Hernandez – Hernandez
Despite extended absences for both Glasnow and Snell, the rotation has rounded into form at just the right time. Bob Nightengale of USA Today called the Dodgers’ current staff the top group in the league.
“While the Dodgers have yet to get on a sustained roll, they are ecstatic by their starting rotation that has pitched the second-most innings in baseball since Aug. 1, yielding a 3.31 ERA,” Nightengale wrote.
“Their starting rotation of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani, Clayton Kershaw and Tyler Glasnow is now the best in baseball heading into October.”
That surge in starting pitching has come as a relief to a bullpen that carried a heavy burden early in the year. Manager Dave Roberts acknowledged just how stabilizing the rotation has become.
“Things have certainly stabilized on the pitching side, certainly the starting pitching,” Roberts said. “Like I said a couple weeks ago, I think we’re going to go as far as our starting pitching takes us.”
The Dodgers may soon have another intriguing option in Roki Sasaki. The 23-year-old right-hander, signed last winter after a highly publicized posting process, has struggled through his first stateside season and a lengthy IL stint. Sasaki’s rehab assignment at Triple-A has stretched past the usual window due to a calf issue, though Roberts noted he could return soon — potentially in a relief role.
If Sasaki proves effective out of the bullpen, he could help offset the inconsistency of veterans like Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates, and Blake Treinen. Combined with the revitalized rotation, that depth could make Los Angeles one of the most formidable postseason teams in baseball.
The Dodgers still face a fight for the NL West crown, but with their stars healthy and their pitching staff finally aligned, they enter October with the kind of balance that makes them a legitimate World Series favorite.