SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. –– Dave Roberts has had a lot of great teams during his tenure asDodgersmanager.
But his 2026 squad, he believes, is “probably the best team we’ve had on paper.”
There’s plenty of premium talent, of course, from returning stars includingShohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, to this offseason’s blockbuster additions of Kyle Tucker andEdwin Díaz.
There’s also ample depth, from longtime veterans inMax Muncy, Teoscar Hernández and Tommy Edman, to younger options including Andy Pages, Roki Sasaki, Hyeseong Kim and a crop of other talented pitchers returning from injury.
Yet, as Roberts spoke at aCactus Leaguemedia day event Thursday, on the eve of his team’s firstworkout of spring trainingat Camelback Ranch, there was another, more intangible dynamic bolstering his belief in this year’s team.
“Knowing we have a target (on our backs) –– as we should if we’re the defending champions –– but to still focus on yourselves and what’s forward, that’s what our guys do a good job of,” Roberts said. “It’s easy to say, to not concern yourselves with people that are trying to knock you off the hill or whatever analogy. But it’s harder to do in practice.”
Indeed, for all the money they’ve spent and talent they’ve accrued in recent years, the Dodgers have been steadfast about how their behind-the-scenes culture has buttressed their on-field success.
Players, coaches and executives have all pointed to the team’s clubhouse chemistry as the bedrock to their back-to-back World Series championships.
Even with the influx of new faces, the consistency of their core has served as a stabilizing foundation.
To that end, the Dodgers made some long-anticipated moves in the final days of their offseason this week, locking down some familiar faces in order to keep the gang together.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
