When the Los Angeles Dodgers started 2025 with the hopes of a championship again, two of its largest sources of optimism were Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.
Both of them are tested, star players who shift lineup makeup and clubhouse personas - Betts with his explosive bat and high-end versatility in defense and infield, and Freeman with his reliability and middle of the lineup power.
However, baseball is a lengthy season, and talent is not the only issue for L.A.; it is also health, matchup timing, and whether the supporting cast (depth of pitching, bullpen, and role players) comes together in September and October.
Betts & Freeman Matter More Than Box Scores
Mookie Betts is not just a shortstop or outfielder, but a game-changer. He has the ability to transform at-bats with plate discipline, generate pressure on the basepaths, and defensively cover a lot of ground.
That adaptability enabled the Dodgers to tweak this season with Betts playing infield more frequently, an intervention calculated to idealize the roster mix and defensive set-up.
Betts will play the "1a" position in the line when he is healthy and rolling: high contact, run creation, game-changing defense.
The antithesis is Freddie Freeman, a conventional middle-of-the-order bat whose walks, doubles, and clutch hits will steady any offense.
His high batting average and great OPS in 2025 indicate that Freeman is still an elite run producer despite operating in the later years of an already Hall of Fame-caliber career.
Such a blend of the dynamism of Betts and the consistency of Freeman is the perfect foundation of a postseason push.
Recent Form, Injuries & Why Timing Matters
Baseball seasons are about thin margins. In 2025, Betts was poor and lost weight and rhythm, and he has occasionally had trouble getting back in shape, which is a perfectly natural reaction when you are sick and life has been shaken up.
The speed with which he can get back to the plate discipline and defensive timing of the top level shall largely determine whether the Dodgers' lineup can continue to drive runs in October.
Another scare Freddie Freeman has had this year was a contusion to the left wrist, following a hit-by-pitch, and a sprained ankle earlier in the year, but tests have been mostly positive, and Freeman is back to performing at a high level.
Both players need to be made to agree on durability in September; even temporary loss or chronic restrictions can transform short postseason series.
For betting fans who follow multiple sports and enjoy comparing how injuries and player form affect odds across leagues, the bookmakers providing NFL on Cheeky Punter show similar volatility in market prices when key stars are absent.
Helping Cast & Pitching Context
It takes more than two bats to make a deep playoff. The Dodgers also turned up with a leading rotation led by Yoshinobu Yamamoto and a bullpen that is re-equipped to handle heavy loads during October.
That pitching profundity is one cause analysts still enumerate Los Angeles as one of the preferred destinations in the World Series.
The difference between a favorite in the regular season and a champion in the postseason is frequently a matter of the health of a bullpen and the opportune work of the role players—the bench bats, pinch runners, and platoon players who make or break a close playoff game.
Pairs that will determine a deep run
Power rotations within the National League: Games with high velocity and sharp breaking stuff can also neutralize contact-reliant and situational-based lineups. The power of Betts and adjustments by Freeman in these matchups will be tested.
Bullpen attrition: Managers reduce benches and extend bullpens in October. The Dodgers shall have need of men to pitch up leads, and in case the pen fails, not even the greatest hitters will be able to regain themselves.
Health of role players: Young call-ups and bench bats should be able to deliver late-inning offense - a common thread in recent postseasons.
Final Word: Probability of Additional Deep Run
Short answer: yes—but not necessarily. The Dodgers have the firepower in Betts and Freeman to drive a lineup into October competition, and the rotation and organizational depth of the club make them one of the contenders to make it to the postseason.
Recent estimates continue to make L.A. one of the greatest World Series competitors, both in roster composition and performance. At that, the post-illness shape of Mookie and the health of Freeman will be the highlights of September.
Assuming the bullpen supports the rest and both are close to or within their full strength, the Dodgers have a very plausible way back to another strong postseason appearance.
When one of them stumbles or when the supporting cast does not make its timely contribution, the margin can be lost in a loaded National League very rapidly.
