Much of the discussion after the Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their second consecutive World Series after defeating the Toronto Blue Jays in Saturday’s epic Game 7 was that the Dodgers are ruining baseball. Is that really true?
It is no secret that the Dodgers spend a hefty amount on their players with the 2nd-highest payroll in baseball, but the Blue Jays themselves are big spenders as well, with the 5th-highest payroll, paying the likes of superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. a massive $500 million contract.
Some would argue that the other billion owners have no way of competing with the Dodgers; others would argue that this should motivate these multi-billionaire MLB owners to actually pay their players.
Are the Dodgers actually bad for baseball?
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The TV ratings suggest otherwise, as nearly 26 million people tuned in to watch Game 7 of the World Series, making it baseball’s most-watched since Game 7 of the 2017 World Series.
This is a massive success for baseball, as over 10 million more viewers tuned into Game 7 of the World Series than Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers back in June.
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Additionally, the Los Angeles Dodgers continue to spearhead baseball’s global popularity as Game 7 received a whopping 51 million viewers across America, Canada, and Japan, making it the most-watched World Series game since Game 7 of the 1991 World Series.
There is no debate that baseball is in many ways a dying sport. In 2023, baseball had its least-watched World Series ever when the Texas Rangers defeated the Houston Astros. The game is slow, boring, and with 162 regular-season games, the MLB season in its totality is way too long, with a massive increase in injuries to its players.
Rob Manfred gave the sport a complete facelift with major rule changes such as implementing the pitch clock, eliminating defensive shifts, implementing a 3 batter minimum, and putting a ghost runner at 2nd base in extra innings of regular season games.
All of these changes have helped make the game more palatable for fans. However, interest in baseball has completely plummeted over the years.
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Over the last two World Series, the ratings have spiked back up, and it is clear the Dodgers are exactly what the sport needs. The Los Angeles Dodgers are a team of lovable superstars that are recapturing the American imagination.
Many may not view the Dodgers that way; fans of other teams may view the Dodgers as the villains who only win because they buy the best players. Even though the Dodgers’ most expensive players shone throughout this postseason, it was the unlikely heroes who were instrumental in winning the Dodgers this year’s World Series.
Max Muncy went from castaway to the Dodgers’ all-time postseason home run leader with a big home run in the 8th inning of Game 7. 36-year-old infielder Miguel Rojas was a player nobody wanted and yet made crucial plays on defense throughout the playoffs and hit the game-tying home run in the top of the 9th inning of Game 7. Andy Pages was hitting .063 for the playoffs and .078 for the World Series, and he made the game-saving catch in Game 7 in the bottom of the 9th.
Unlikely heroes are ultimately who won the Los Angeles Dodgers this World Series.
Whether you hate them or love them, more people than ever watched these last two World Series because of the Dodgers. This alone is proof that the Los Angeles Dodgers are not ruining baseball and, in fact, are the best thing for baseball moving forward.