The Dodgers are projected to have one of the deepest starting rotations in 2025. Some would go so far as to say that it is not only the best in franchise history but also the best in baseball history. After all, this winter, they signed Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki and three-time Cy Young Award Winner Blake Snell to a formidable duo of Yoshinobu Yamamoto and last year’s ace Tyler Glasnow. As if that weren’t enough, future Hall-of-Famer Clayton Kershaw is also scheduled to join the team mid-season. The baseball unicorn, Shohei Ohtani, is also set to return. Should we assume that they will win the World Series going away? Not exactly.

The Winter of 2024

The Dodgers have been here before, at least sort of. The Dodgers entered spring training of 2024 reportedly nine starters deep. Some wondered what Los Angeles would do with the surplus of arms. Before the All-Star Break, the Dodgers were claiming journey-men relievers off waivers to cover innings. By September, every starting rotation member had made a trip to the Injured List. When October arrived, the Dodgers were using bullpen games to survive elimination games, and their coaching staff was searching for answers.

The Best Stuff in Baseball

One of these answers was acquiring Roki Sasaki. The Dodgers have been scouting him since he was 15 years old. Sasaki almost threw back-to-back no-hitters in Japan. His manager took him out of his second game after eight innings. If that isn’t testimony enough, baseball experts marvel at the right-hander’s split-finger fastball as it just disappears.

Blake Snell is no slouch either. Snell’s sinker is heavy and hard to hit. He was shutting down the Dodgers in the 2020 World Series before, some would argue, being taken out prematurely. The Dodgers heaved a sigh of relief, rallied, and eventually won.

Reason For Concern in 2025?

The Dodgers have announced they will have a six-man rotation this year, most likely when Ohtani returns. (Ironically, his timeline has been pushed back.) This will help the Japanese contingent keep their routine and hopefully limit the wear and tear of a long season on an injury-prone set of starters. Lest we forget, Glasnow has never pitched more than 140 innings in a season due to a finicky elbow. Yamamoto missed significant time last season with a shoulder injury, Sasaki has never been through the riggers of a Major League season, and Dustin May is also coming off two major surgeries.

Does the Answer Lie In the Bullpen?

Another way to control the starters’ workload is to shorten games with quality arms in the bullpen. The Dodgers President of Baseball Operations, Andrew Friedman, is known for his bargain-hunting in the bullpen. This off-season was different, as he signed Blake Trenien, Kirby Yates, and closer Tanner Scott to bolster the back end of games. It remains to be seen if the Dodgers have their version of  “The Nasty Boys” like the Cincinnati Reds in the 1990s, but it’s certainly in upgrade from recent years.

The Proof is in the Pudding

There is no question that, on paper, the Dodgers have the top starting rotations in baseball. However, it’s a long way to the postseason, and the question will be, how healthy will the starting rotation be if and when the Dodgers get to October?

Main Photo Credits: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images