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Dodgers 2026 report card: Shohei Ohtani gets an F, only two hitters receive an A

The Los Angeles Dodgers secured their third straight National League West title in 2026, compiling a 100-win regular season that saw them rank among MLB’s top offenses in scoring, batting average, and OPS. Yet their postseason hopes crumbled in the National League Championship Series, where they were swept by the Milwaukee Brewers.

The collapse exposed critical weaknesses, particularly in their reliance on Shohei Ohtani, whose two-way dominance faltered under the weight of injuries. Despite finishing fifth in the majors in WAR and delivering a standout regular season—30 home runs as a hitter and a sub-2.00 ERA in 14 starts—Ohtani’s postseason struggles were glaring.

His .192 batting average in October, compounded by a single late swing in Game 4, underscored the Dodgers’ vulnerability when their star wasn’t firing on all cylinders. The team’s aging roster and Ohtani’s injury history now force a reckoning: how to deploy him without risking another late-season breakdown that derails their ambitions.

Among the Dodgers’ veterans, Freddie Freeman’s 17th season delivered another All-Star nod and a 10th career selection, though his production dipped for the fourth straight year. The 37-year-old’s decline—highlighted by a single post-July home run and a September knee issue—raised questions about his future beyond his contract’s final year.

Mookie Betts, meanwhile, contributed steady if unspectacular postseason play, though his role in the offense’s playoff collapse mirrored broader team struggles. With Ohtani’s health and Freeman’s longevity under scrutiny, the Dodgers face a pivotal offseason: retooling their approach to avoid repeating 2026’s heartbreaking exit.

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