Will the Dodgers win the 2026 World Series? The case for and against a historic 3-peat

The Los Angeles Dodgers are trying to join an exclusive club this October – the 3-peat club.

Only two franchises have won three straight World Series titles. The Athletics did so from 1972-74, and the Yankees achieved the feat three times, winning four straight from 1936-39, five straight from 1949-53, and then the most recent 3-peat in MLB history taking place from 1998-2000, which was preceded by a title win in 1996. 

The Dodgers won the 2024 World Series rather easily, defeating the Yankees in five games. Last year’s title defense was tougher, as the Dodgers had the third-best record in the National League, resulting in a Wild Card Round appearance. L.A. cruised through the NL bracket with series wins over Cincinnati, Philadelphia and Milwaukee, but it took seven games and coming back from a 3-2 deficit to beat the Blue Jays, winning the final two games in Toronto.

All eyes are on the Dodgers in their quest for a 3-peat, but how likely is that? There are signs pointing to another Dodgers title, but there are also quite a few obstacles in their way this year that some may not realize. 

With SeatGeek serving as the Official Ticket Marketplace of MLB, we’ve been keeping a very close eye on the reigning champs. Here, we break down the cases for and against the Dodgers winning their third straight World Series title. 

Why Dodgers will win the 2026 World Series and complete the 3-peat

First off, they’re the Dodgers. They have the best collection of high-end talent in baseball, and they’ve only kept adding since winning the 2024 World Series.

Los Angeles is in a better spot entering this postseason than the team was this time last year. The Dodgers are the No. 2 seed in the National League, which comes with a bye to the Division Series. Additionally, the team is in pretty good shape in the health department.

Their top hitters are all healthy and playing, as Shohei Ohtani returned last Wednesday after an IL stint due to both left knee and right bicep injuries. Ohtani is unlikely to see the mound this postseason, but Tyler Glasnow is healthy and Blake Snell is back after he left his second-to-last start of the season after one inning due to groin tightness. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the reigning World Series MVP, is a stud, and oh, in case you missed it, Tarik Skubal is in L.A. now, and he owns a sub-3 ERA since the trade from Detroit. 

The team also got Edwin Diaz back this month after lengthy IL stints, and both Roki Sasaki and Justin Wrobleski – an All-Star this season – can work multi-inning roles, which is critical for postseason play. Unfortunately, Blake Treinen will not be part of the postseason roster due to another injury.

Prized offseason addition Kyle Tucker flirted with an OPS over 1.000 in September, while Mookie Betts had a monster month to wrap up 2026. The lineup also features reliable bats in Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy and Will Smith.

The Dodgers own the second-best run differential in MLB and are one of only two teams to rank in the top five in both team ERA and runs scored. They also rank in the top 10 in home runs, top five in walks drawn and among the five teams with the fewest strikeouts at the plate. This team is patient, makes pitchers work and has power to make them pay. That’s a winning formula. 

The Dodgers are healthy, playing well, have a first-round bye and also have the most playoff and World Series experience in either league. They’ve won the last two World Series for a reason, and this team finished with a better regular season record (100-62) than those two title-winning clubs. 

Why Dodgers will not win the 2026 World Series and come up short in 3-peat bid

This year’s National League field is tough, to be sure. The Dodgers’ path last year saw them dominate a young Reds team, a Phillies team missing Zack Wheeler and then sweep a young Brewers team that couldn’t score. Things won’t be nearly as easy this time around to win another pennant.

First, Ohtani is back in the lineup, but he likely won’t be pitching in October. That’s a big dent given how good he is when he does toe the rubber. 

Second, while the Dodgers cruised to another NL West title, they haven’t had the best track record against most of the teams in this year’s playoff field.

The Dodgers went just 1-6 against the Braves, who will face the Phillies for the right to play L.A. in the NLDS. Atlanta is healthy and has been great on the mound while providing a deep lineup. The Dodgers also went just 2-4 against the Cubs, who look awfully dangerous, particularly at the plate. The Brewers, which scored four runs in last year’s NLCS, look improved overall from last year and took four of seven from L.A. this season.

The Dodgers did take four of six from Philadelphia and went 8-5 against the Padres, but you could argue those two appear to be a step below Milwaukee, Atlanta and Chicago. 

On the other side of the bracket, Boston, Chicago and Cleveland all have winning records against L.A. this year, but the Dodgers took two of three from New York. Most notably, the Dodgers swept the Rays in three games, and Tampa Bay is the No. 1 seed in the AL. 

I also still worry about the Dodgers’ bullpen. That has been a bit of a weakness over the years, which was why they signed Diaz to a big deal. But Diaz had a tough year on the mound and battled numerous injuries. He’s back, but how effective will he be? It looked like we’d be saying the same for Treinen, but he’s set to miss the postseason with a shoulder injury. 

The Dodgers certainly have the pieces to make a run at this 3-peat, and they should 100% be viewed as the favorites to win the whole dang thing once again. But the path this year looks more daunting than the previous two postseasons, and I do wonder if their luck will finally run out this October.