The Dodgers are back in the World Series. They swept the Brewers in the NLCS, marking their 26th Fall Classic appearance in franchise history. For Milwaukee, the championship drought continues. The irony? These same Brewers had dominated Los Angeles during the regular season. So what changed now? Shohei Ohtani‘s two-way skills showed up at the perfect moment, and the roster decisions made months earlier suddenly looked brilliant.

That depth became evident throughout the postseason run. They beat the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card Series, the Philadelphia Phillies in the Division Series, and the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS. They only gave up four runs in the NLCS and kept the other team from hitting with an incredibly low batting average of .118. This wasn’t about one star carrying the load—it was collective execution at the highest level.

The architect behind that roster strategy had plenty to say after the sweep. Following that decisive Game 4 victory, team president Andrew Friedman addressed questions about roster construction. His explanation cut through the noise about the trade deadline inactivity.

“We just felt really good about the roster, that we had the guys that were coming back, that were making progress at that point, and just felt like at that point in time, we were already in a position where we were going to be leaving some really talented pitchers off the playoff roster. And so for us, that factored in for sure.” Andrew Friedman said. The Dodgers made minimal moves at the deadline, trusting internal development over external acquisitions. That calculated patience is paying dividends now.

But success hasn’t silenced the critics—especially regarding finances. Their financial commitment this season tells its own story—over $500 million when you combine salaries and luxury tax payments. The payroll alone sits at $341.5 million, edging out even the Mets for the top spot. That figure comes with consequences: nearly $168 million in luxury tax penalties, a jump from last season’s $103 million. To put it in perspective, Milwaukee’s entire payroll stands at $121M. The Dodgers structured deals with deferred payments totaling over $1 billion across eight players, including Ohtani, Betts, Snell, and Freeman. Some see financial creativity. Others see a system being pushed to its limits.

Despite the external noise, the Dodgers focused on what happened between the lines. And what happened was Ohtani delivering when the stakes reached their peak. In Game 4, he struck out 10 hitters in the six scoreless innings, and he hit 3 homers, stunning not only the Dodgerland but the front office too.

So, when the reporters asked Friedman about whether anyone else could do what Ohtani did, he didn’t shy away from appreciating the star. He said, “No, definitely not. … It’s hard to say ever, but I’m comfortable saying in my lifetime.” Ohtani became the first pitcher to have three 3 strikeouts and a homer in one inning.

That assessment captures where the Dodgers stand entering the World Series—confident in their construction, unfazed by criticism, and powered by historically unique talent.

One goal, one team: Chasing the championship ring

With the NLCS behind them, the focus has shifted entirely forward. The clubhouse has one clear target: winning the championship and completing what they started this season.

The Dodgers’ front office has made it clear what their goal is: to win. “Our goal is to win the World Series,” said Andrew Friedman, the president of baseball operations. “Need? Want? It all bleeds together for me. It is very clear that that is our goal — our ultimate goal. And to all of our coaches’, players’, front office’s credit, everyone had their eye on that the entire time. We’re going to really enjoy tonight and then get back to work tomorrow, because we’ve got four more games to win .” This shows that everyone in the corporation, from the top down, thinks that anything less than the top reward in October is not good enough.

The tone in the dugout is just as strong. Dave Roberts, the manager, talked about critics who argued the team’s dominance was corrupting the game: “Before the season started, they said the Dodgers are ruining baseball,” Roberts said. “Let’s get four more wins and really ruin baseball.” That direct drive shows that the squad is highly motivated.

Players also have the same mindset. “Showing up to spring this year, it was like, ‘Hey, we need to repeat,'” said the veteran infielder Max Muncy. He continued and told about the mindset, “It wasn’t like, ‘We want to repeat.’ It’s like, ‘Hey, we need to repeat.'” And that urgency was seen in how they won every series.

Kershaw, who will be retiring after this season, was also excited. He said, ” I feel pretty good, one more time. Why not?” Well, what can be better than a WS ring for the future HOF?

Four wins separate Los Angeles from validation—where massive spending, strategic patience, and generational talent converge to answer every critic simultaneously. Can they become the first team to win the October glory for the second consecutive time and become the first club to do so in 25 years?