Diamondbacks GM confident in his team despite Dodgers' dominance heading into 2025 season

The reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers are strong contenders for the 2025 season. Their division rivals, the San Diego Padres and the Arizona Diamondbacks, are aware of their stacked roster, which includes several big names such as Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and newly acquired Roki Sasaki.

The Diamondbacks have one of the most heated rivalries with the Dodgers in the NL West. In a recent "Foul Territory" podcast episode, D-backs general manager Mike Hazen was asked about facing the Dodgers in the upcoming season, to which he responded:

“We're going to have to deal with them. It is what it is. Everybody has to deal with them, but we are going to have to deal with them. But I try not to focus too much on that."

"We consciously try to focus on the race that we're going to run, that we have to run over 162. I think with the talent that we have on this roster, if we do our job, we're going to at least be able to go out there and go toe-to-toe with them at some point.”

Heading into the 2025 season, the Arizona Diamondbacks’ roster features several key players, including outfielder Corbin Carroll, second baseman Ketel Marte, and pitcher Zac Gallen, who could play crucial roles in competing against the Dodgers.

Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen candidly expresses his views about the Dodgers organization

According to MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince, the Dodgers hold the No. 1 spot in the top 10 lineup rankings, while the Diamondbacks are ranked No. 8. Discussing the Dodgers' organization as a whole, Mike Hazen said:

“They're one of the best-run organisations in sport. That's probably the biggest problem we have, is it's not just that they have the resources to do what they do, go look at how they draft and develop, go look at the young kids that are on their roster.”

“Give them the opportunity to make trades or withstand the pitching injuries they had, let's say, last year. It's all because of the guys under the hood over there. And so that's the biggest issue we have, is that it's not just they have the resources, it's they're one of the best-run organisations, and we have a tremendous amount of respect.”

Last year, the Diamondbacks finished third in the NL West standings, while the Dodgers secured first place. In 2023, the Dodgers finished first, but the D-backs claimed second place and earned a Wild Card spot. The clubhouse then faced Los Angeles in the NLDS and swept them 3-0.