After a 100-win regular season in 2023 before zero playoff wins, the Los Angeles Dodgers have had quite the offseason. As a result of the carry-over talent combined with the newcomers, expectations should be incredibly high. Sure enough, superstar Mookie Betts says he and the team have set their sights on the World Series.
"It's going to be a blessing and a lot of fun batting in front of him and seeing all that he's going to do" @mookiebetts on Shohei Ohtani. pic.twitter.com/P73Zj4frmJ
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) February 3, 2024
"It's World Series or nothing," Betts told SportsNet LA during the team's FanFest Saturday. "We're all trying to do the same thing, but we can't add extra pressure to do it. Adding extra pressure only does more harm than good. We just gotta play the same game we're gonna play. You know it's gonna be tough. Every game is gonna be the other team's World Series. It is what it is, but we signed up for it. We have to embrace that."
The headline move, obviously, would be the Dodgers landing two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani on a $700 million deal. They added NPB ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto in free agency and traded for Tyler Glasnow to shore up the rotation while also signing Teoscar Hernández to add some thunder to the back part of the batting order. This is all in addition to Betts and Freddie Freeman, who finished second and third, respectively, in NL MVP voting last season, joining Ohtani toward the top of a stacked batting order. Oh, and they also have Gavin Lux returning and Will Smith behind the plate and on and on and on.
Betts' view is the correct mindset. The Dodgers are almost certainly headed to the playoffs again, but they'll be judged solely on how things fare there again. Another 100-win season will net a collective scoff from the rest of the baseball world unless they can bring home a ring.
