Dodgers 2025 Prediction & Preview: Key players, World Series odds, pitching rotation, batting lineup, rookies to watch and what to expect

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been the epitome of greatness dating back to 2013. 12 consecutive playoff appearances translated into 11 NL West pennants, four NLCS titles and two World Series titles.

Coming off a season in which the Dodgers won 98 regular season games and the eighth World Series championship, Dave Roberts' squad is once again predicted by oddsmakers to be one of the elite teams in the league entering 2025.

Los Angeles Dodgers Betting Odds

Win Total	NL West	NL Pennant	World Series
104.5	-600	+145	+240

Oddsmakers from BetMGM Sportsbook have the Dodgers lined up +240 favorites to defend their World Series title. Their 104.5-game win total is also the highest in franchise history. Having claimed the division pennant 11 of the last 12 seasons, Los Angeles is a heavy -600 favorite to win it a fourth straight year.

Key Players

Often taken off the board as the first overall pick in 2025 fantasy baseball drafts, Shohei Ohtani is the straw that stirs the Dodgers' drink. The reigning and three-time MVP comes off a season in which he established the 50-50 club with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases. He'll become an even bigger factor for the reigning champs in 2025, with his return as a starting pitcher at some point in 2025.

MLB: Spring Training-Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles Dodgers - Source: Imagn

Other key players expected to play huge roles in the team's success include Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez. This quadrant at the top of the lineup is expected to instill fear in opponents.

The pitching staff is loaded with supreme talent and depth allowing it to utilize a six-man starting rotation. Provided injuries don't take a toll, it's expected to be one of the best in the business. The offseason signing of Blake Snell further strengthens an already formidable unit that includes Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, Clayton Kershaw and rookie Roki Sasaki.

LA's below-average bullpen of a year ago also received a major upgrade in former San Diego Padres left-hander Tanner Scott.

Projected Batting Lineup

Player	Position
Shohei Ohtani	DH
Mookie Betts	SS
Freddie Freeman	1B
Teoscar Hernandez	RF
Max Muncy	3B
Will Smith	C
Michael Conforto	LF
Tommy Edman	CF
Hye-Seong Kim	2B

Projected Pitching Rotation

Player	Handness
Yoshinobu Yamamoto	RHP
Blake Snell	LHP
Tyler Glasnow	RHP
Roki Sasaki	RHP
Shohei Ohtani	RHP
Bobby Miller	RHP

Rookie Watch

The Dodgers have Roki Sasaki to contend for National League Rookie of the Year in 2025. He is the current 2/1 favorite to win it all, as per BetMGM.

If allowed to remain on the big club and throw in the neighborhood of 130 to 150 innings, Sasaki will flourish once acclimated to the MLB level. The transition may be rocky at first, but winning an award is about the finish, not the start.

Either way, the right-hander will be targeted heavily in the strikeout prop markets until linemakers adjust with expectations of a 30% strikeout rate.

2025

The Dodgers will be in the thick of the playoff chase throughout the 2025 MLB season. While many baseball fans will be rooting against them, it would be shocking if they weren't contenders given the nearly $320 million in payroll the team is shelling out this year.

However, the NL West greatly improved as a whole during the offseason and all opposition will be gunning for the defending champs every time they play.

The regular season is a grind. Injuries are a reality. This is an aging roster, and while it's exceeded the current win total in two of the last four seasons, the bar has been set too high.

Los Angeles Dodgers Prediction: Under 104.5 Wins