If you’re asking "are the Dodgers winning," you’re probably looking at a scoreboard right now, or maybe you’re just feeling that familiar sense of dread that comes with being a Giants or Padres fan. It’s January 2026. The hot stove is practically melting. After a 2025 season that saw Shohei Ohtani continue to break physics and Mookie Betts remind everyone why he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer, the Dodgers aren't just winning games; they are winning the entire concept of a modern sports dynasty.
They win. A lot.
But winning in baseball isn't just about the final score on a Tuesday night in Milwaukee. It’s about the massive, gravity-defying payroll and a front office led by Andrew Friedman that seems to play chess while everyone else is playing Go Fish. Honestly, the Dodgers have turned winning into a bit of a bureaucratic process. They show up, they hit home runs, they deploy a bullpen of guys you’ve never heard of who throw $101$ mph, and they go home.
The Current State of the Dodgers Winning Streak
To really get whether the Dodgers are winning, you have to look at the roster turnover from this most recent cycle. We are officially in the "Post-Decade of Dominance" era, yet they haven't slowed down. When they landed Ohtani and Yamamoto back in that frantic winter of '23-'24, it shifted the NL West from a competitive division into a sort of "Dodgers and those other guys" situation.
Success is measured differently in Echo Park.
For any other team, a 95-win season is a parade-worthy achievement. For Dave Roberts and this crew? It’s basically the floor. If they aren't winning the division by ten games, something went drastically wrong with the starting rotation’s ligaments. Last year showed us that even when the pitching staff looks like a walking MASH unit, the "next man up" philosophy actually works for them because their "next man" was usually a top-50 prospect or a savvy veteran they picked up for a bucket of baseballs.
Why Everyone Asks "Are the Dodgers Winning" Every Single Day
Baseball has a long season. 162 games is a grind that wears down the soul. Yet, the Dodgers maintain a level of consistency that is, frankly, annoying to the rest of the league. They’ve built a system where the winning is automated.
Think about the depth.
When Freddie Freeman takes a day off, they don’t just plug a hole; they slide in a versatile utility player who would probably bat third on the Rockies. That’s the gap. The financial gap is real, sure, but the "intellectual property" gap is what keeps them on top. They identify spin rate efficiencies better than anyone. They fix hitters who were left for dead by other organizations. They win because they out-prepare, out-spend, and out-scout.
The Postseason Problem: When Winning Isn't Enough
Here is the nuance. If you ask a fan at Dodger Stadium "are the Dodgers winning" in October, the answer gets complicated. We’ve seen the 110-win seasons evaporate in the NLDS. We’ve seen the bats go cold against the Diamondbacks or the Braves.
It’s the great paradox of Chavez Ravine.
- They win the regular season by attrition.
- They win the trade deadline by aggression.
- They sometimes lose the postseason by... well, that’s the $300 million question.
Baseball is high-variance. In a short series, a hot lefty can shut down a billion-dollar lineup. That doesn't mean they aren't "winning" in the grand scheme of things, but it does mean the trophy room feels a little light compared to the talent they've put on the dirt over the last decade.
The Ohtani Factor in 2026
By now, Shohei is a fixture. We’ve stopped rubbing our eyes every time we see him in Dodger blue. But his impact on the "winning" metric goes beyond his OPS. It’s the global branding. The Dodgers are winning the war for international relevance. Walk through Tokyo, London, or Mexico City, and you see the LA cap.
They are the Real Madrid of baseball.
The revenue generated from these global partnerships allows them to keep the winning cycle going. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. They win, so they get more money, so they buy more talent, so they win more. It’s a closed loop that most MLB owners are terrified of.
Looking at the Numbers: Is the Record Actually Good?
If you're checking the standings today, you're seeing the result of a developmental machine. The Dodgers usually start slow—kinda like a heavy heavyweight boxer taking a few jabs in the early rounds—before they inevitably go on a 15-2 tear in June that puts the division away before the All-Star break.
- Run Differential: Usually leads the league.
- Home Record: They treat Dodger Stadium like a fortress.
- Road Performance: Even on the East Coast, the depth travels.
The Dodgers are winning because they don't have "punched-out" innings. There are no easy outs in that lineup. From the leadoff spot down to the nine-hole, you’re facing guys with disciplined eyes and high exit velocities. It’s exhausting for opposing pitchers. It’s why their win probability usually spikes after the 6th inning; they just wear you down until you break.
Misconceptions About the Dodgers Winning Culture
A lot of people think they just "bought" their wins. It's a lazy take.
Look at Will Smith. Look at the way they developed Walker Buehler (pre-injuries) or how they turned Max Muncy from a Triple-A afterthought into a powerhouse. You can’t just buy a winning culture; you have to build the infrastructure that supports the stars. If the Dodgers only spent money and didn't have the scouting, they’d be the Mets of five years ago. Instead, they are a juggernaut because their "cheap" players are often just as productive as their expensive ones.
What to Expect Moving Forward
Are the Dodgers winning? Yes. Will they keep winning? Almost certainly. The farm system is still producing arms like Bobby Miller and Gavin Stone, and the front office isn't afraid to pull the trigger on a blockbuster if they smell blood in the water.
The real test isn't the regular season anymore. For this franchise, "winning" has been redefined. A division title is just a receipt for a successful summer. The only win that actually matters to the legacy of this specific group is the one that ends with a trophy in late October.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
To truly track if the Dodgers are winning the "right" way this season, stop looking at the standings and start looking at these three specific markers:
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- Starting Pitcher Health: The Dodgers’ greatest enemy is the IL. Track the "Days Since Last Pitcher Surgery" metric; if the rotation stays intact, the winning percentage usually stays above $.600$.
- Plate Discipline: Watch the team's walk-to-strikeout ratio. When the Dodgers are winning, they are taking pitches and driving up pitch counts. When they struggle, they chase high heat.
- The "Gap" in the NL West: Keep an eye on the Padres and Giants. The Dodgers win when they demoralize their rivals early. If the division lead is 5+ games by Memorial Day, the season is essentially over for the rest of the NL West.
Stay tuned to the daily box scores, but don't be surprised when you see "LA" in the W column. It’s just what they do.