Dodgers Enter October With 100 Wins — and an Owner Under Fire

The Los Angeles Dodgers closed the regular season exactly where they wanted to on the field: a 5-1 win in 10 innings at San Francisco on Sunday, a sweep of the Giants, and an even 100 wins. At 100-62 (.617), with 801 runs scored against 600 allowed, they finished as the No. 2 seed in the National League, earned a first-round bye, and will open the NLDS on Saturday, October 3 at Dodger Stadium against the winner of the Braves-Phillies Wild Card Series.

It's the sixth time the Dodgers have reached triple digits under manager Dave Roberts, and the franchise's 14th consecutive postseason berth — tied for the longest streak in MLB history.

That's the week on the field. Off it, the loudest story in Los Angeles baseball had nothing to do with the standings.

The Ownership Story That Won't Go Quiet

Owner Mark Walter recently agreed to sell his majority stake in the Lakers, and the fallout has followed him across town. Team president Stan Kasten met with reporters to address the speculation directly, saying he "wanted to make sure everyone understood one thing very clearly: The Dodgers are not being sold." Kasten also pushed back on the idea that the Lakers sale signals anything about the Dodgers' future.

The backdrop is heavier than a routine denial. Reporting this week described a federal inquiry into Walter's insurance empire, a lawsuit accusing him of insurance fraud and of hiding that investigation from policyholders, and a new class action adding another layer to an already complicated stretch. One columnist framed the rumblings as a "scary outcome" worth watching beneath the on-field success.

For a roster built on top-of-market spending, ownership stability isn't a footnote — it's the foundation. Any real change in the Dodgers' financial posture would matter not just for future payrolls but against the backdrop of a looming collective bargaining fight. That's why the story carries more weight than the typical October noise.

Meanwhile, the Roster Is Getting Healthier — Mostly

Shohei Ohtani returned from the injured list and finished the year with 30 home runs and an .889 OPS over 139 games, but the immediate form is a caution flag: .200 average, a .433 OPS, and a 38.9% strikeout rate across his last eight games. The good news is time — the bye gives him a week to find his timing rather than being thrown into a wild-card game cold.

Andy Pages is the opposite story. After returning from the IL, he's slashing .333/.455/.722 with a 1.055 OPS over his recent window, and he went deep in the season finale. Roki Sasaki has slid into a relief role, throwing three consecutive one-inning, two-strikeout outings (Sept. 22, 25, 27) after a season of rotation struggles (4.49 ERA, 122.1 innings).

The pitching staff enters October in strong shape: a 3.64 team ERA, 9.62 K/9, and 1.15 WHIP, with Blake Snell looking sharp (1.90 ERA, 55 strikeouts in 42.2 innings). The bullpen sits at 3.67 with a 1.222 WHIP.

The Read Going In

By points-based power rating, the Dodgers grade as the third-best team in baseball at 1.062 runs above average — but that's a notable drop from their 1.404 rating a season ago, a reminder that this is a very good team rather than the juggernaut of recent years.

So the Dodgers head into their title defense with a bye, a 100-win résumé, a lineup healing at the right time, and a question mark hanging over the owner's box. The first two chapters of October will be decided on the field. The third might not be.