The Los Angeles Dodgers have done everything they can to make their team world champions.
During Major League Baseball’s offseason, they spent more than $1 billion (£773 million) on new players.
It paid off last week when their star-studded roster reached the eighth World Series in franchise history.
BBC Sport takes a look at how the Dodgers did and why this could be the start of an MLB dynasty.
Why is Todd Boehly part of the Dodgers’ success?
The Dodgers have had one of the highest MLB payrolls since 2013, when an ownership group including Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly bought the team.
In each of the following twelve years, the Dodgers reached the postseason, won their division eleven times and reached four World Series. But their success isn’t just down to money.
“The Dodgers have a sophisticated formula for building rosters,” says baseball writer David Lengel.
“It’s a combination of tremendous wealth and leveraging an analytics-based approach.”
Former World Series winner Chase Utley, who retired in 2018 after four seasons with the Dodgers, believes they are “doing a remarkable job across the organization, not just with the players they bring in.”
He added: “The front office is one of the best in baseball – because of the way they think about their players, how they maneuver through the season, the coaching staff they bring in. They are very forward thinking.”
How did the Dodgers build a championship team?
Utley credits Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ 47-year-old president of baseball operations, with leading that approach.
He came in 2014 from the Tampa Bay Rays, located in one of MLB’s smallest markets with one of the lowest payroll costs, but Friedman transformed them into postseason contenders.
“He put their team together for a lot less than what other teams were spending,” Utley said. “Now he works at a much larger organization, with a bigger checkbook, and he has the same philosophy.
“He has a unique way of consolidating and finding talent, but not necessarily paying for it. The Dodgers spent some money, but they don’t grab every free agent, they choose wisely.”
Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto were the Dodgers’ big signings in free agency and both had a big impact this season.
The Dodgers also leaned on homegrown players and some were released by other teams. They also dealt with a wave of injuries among pitchers.
“It takes more than just one or two players to win a World Series,” Utley adds.
“With the injuries, you’re constantly rotating guys in and out, which brings up guys from the minor leagues. The Dodgers had prepared those players not only to move up to the Major League level, but into a championship-caliber atmosphere, and the young players The boys did not shy away from that.”
Are the Dodgers on the cusp of a dynasty?
Friedman and the Dodgers will look to improve again this winter, but already have key players on long-term contracts, like Ohtani, who will be a new addition next season.
This year’s likely National League MVP is unique in that he is an elite player at both pitching and hitting, and he will be able to pitch as a Dodger for the first time after elbow surgery kept him from taking the mound this year.
“They are built for success,” Utley said. “A lot of these players will stay for four, five, six years.
“The core is there, but the Dodgers also bring additional pieces and change them up a bit to create a youthful, energetic team.
“They’re exciting. Their whole lineup has the ability to hit a home run and they play great defense. They’re just really good in all aspects of the game and they’ve got some great personalities on the team, a really strong player. ” group of guys who care about each other.”
The Dodgers’ victory in the 2020 World Series came in a season shortened due to the Covid-19 pandemic, so this year’s title was their first full-season championship since 1988. They may be much shorter have to wait for their next one.
“They are more than capable of taking away multiple World Series titles in the coming years,” Lengel said.
