The Dodgers are almost guaranteed a spot in the playoffs with a probability exceeding 99%. Currently, they lead the National League West Division by 13 games, making them the likely winners.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, a Major League Baseball team, compete in the National League West Division.
Originally formed in Brooklyn in 1883, the team moved to Los Angeles in 1958 after 68 seasons. This makes them one of the oldest and most triumphant teams in the league.
Over the years, the Dodgers have secured 20 division titles, 24 American League pennants, and 7 World Series titles.
Their home matches take place at the Dodger Stadium, Major League Baseball’s second-oldest stadium.
The Dodger Stadium, situated in Elysian Park, Los Angeles, California, was inaugurated on April 10, 1962. It can accommodate up to 56,000 fans for a single match.
Are The Dodgers In The Playoffs?
The Dodgers are guaranteed a spot in the 2023 Major League Baseball playoffs, having reached the postseason for a decade consecutively.
They commenced their season with a win against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium on March 30, finishing the series with each team winning two games.
The initial away series for them was against the Diamondbacks as well, starting on April 6. The Dodgers won the first game of the four-game series 5-2.
Despite this, the Diamondbacks made a comeback by winning the rest of the games, taking the series 3-1. They have managed to stay consistent throughout the year, despite a brief slump in June and July.
Nonetheless, they bounced back in August, securing twenty-four victories out of twenty-nine games. Despite being only two and a half games ahead of the San Francisco Giants in July, they managed to extend their lead to thirteen and a half games by the end of August.
September began a bit unstable for Los Angeles, as they lost four out of the first five matches. However, with an advantageous schedule ahead, the team is expected to win the division without much trouble.
Even if they do not clinch the division, they are still fifteen games ahead of the third Wild Card spot holder in the National League.
With just twenty-three matches left in the regular season, this significant lead virtually assures the Dodgers a place in the playoffs.
Nonetheless, the team aims to win their division to directly advance to the Division Series, avoiding the Wild Card Series. Currently, they are the second seed in the National League, with an eight-game lead over the third seed, the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have several matches lined up for September:
September:
- September 8-10: Against the Washington Nationals at the Nationals Park.
- September 11-13: Against the San Diego Padres at the Dodger Stadium.
- September 15-17: Against the Seattle Mariners at the T-Mobile Park Stadium.
- September 18-20: Against the Detroit Tigers at the Dodger Stadium.
- September 21-24: Against the San Francisco Giants at the Dodger Stadium.
October:
- October 1: Against the San Francisco Giants at the Oracle Park Stadium.
Los Angeles Dodgers Magic Number 2023
As of September 7, the Los Angeles Dodgers are well on their way to securing a spot in the Major League Baseball playoffs of 2023.
Their magic number is currently 9, which suggests that they are nearing the end of their journey to clinch the division.
Interestingly, the same magic number applies to the Dodgers for acquiring a Wild Card position. This is because the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are right behind them, occupy both the second place in the NL West division and the third Wild Card position in the league.
The concept of the magic number in baseball is a way to gauge how close a team is to securing their division or earning a place in the playoffs.
For the Los Angeles team, the magic number 9 indicates that they are just nine wins, or nine losses by their nearest competitor, away from taking the division.
This magic number decreases by one every time the Dodgers win a game, or when their nearest rival in the division, in this case the Dbacks, lose a game. Speaking of the Dbacks, their magic number to clinch the NL West stands at 36.
Additionally, the Giants, who are currently third in the West, have a magic number of 39 to secure the division.
Given the significant difference in the magic numbers of the Dodgers and the other two teams, it is highly likely that the Los Angeles team will emerge as the division champions.
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ magic number was determined through the following method:
- A Major League Baseball season consists of 162 games.
- The Dodgers have completed 139 matches, leaving 23 matches to be played.
- The Arizona Diamondbacks, who are currently ranked second in the NL West, have finished 141 matches, meaning they have 21 matches left this season.
- The Dodgers have secured 85 victories, while the Dbacks have suffered 68 defeats.
- To secure the Division title, the Dodgers need to end the season with at least one victory more than the second-placed team.
- The formula to find the magic number is: Total MLB games – Team wins – Losses by nearest competitor +1. This results in a magic number of 10.
- However, since the Dodgers are ahead in the season series against the Diamondbacks, the second-placed team in the NL West, their magic number is reduced to 9. This means that even if the Dodgers have the same record as the Dbacks, they will still clinch the title.
Note:The calculation mentioned before is important for finding out the exact number needed to win the division. In the same way, we used the same method to figure out the final number needed to get a Wild Card spot.
Los Angeles Dodgers Playoff Rotation
The Dodgers have announced their pitching rotation for the upcoming playoffs, which includes Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin, and Julio Urias. Kershaw is anticipated to be the primary starting pitcher for the Dodgers during the postseason.
Additionally, Lance Lynn, Emmet Sheehan, Micheal Grove, and Alex Vasia are also potential candidates to play in the playoffs.
Nonetheless, their participation in the rotation will be contingent upon their performances in the remaining matches of the regular season.
In the 2022 postseason, the Dodgers utilized Tyler Anderson, Gonsolin, Kershaw, and Urias as pitchers. Moreover, throughout the postseason, a total of nine relievers were employed by the team.
Among the nine relief pitchers were Chris Martin, Evan Phillips, and Brusdar Graterol, all of whom participated in the opening match of the Division Series against the San Diego Padres.
Last Time The Dodgers Made Playoffs
The Dodgers managed to secure a spot in the playoffs during the 2022 Major League Baseball season, after emerging as the champions of the National League West Division.
The season ended on a high note for them with a 111-51 win-loss record, a massive 22 games ahead of the San Diego Padres, the runners-up.
This marked the 65th year since the franchise relocated to Los Angeles and the 60th year of games at the historic Dodger Stadium.
The team’s performance was significantly enhanced by the addition of first baseman Freddie Freeman. The season started on a positive note with a victory against the Colorado Rockies on April 8.
The Dodgers made history by being the first team to secure a position in the postseason on September 12.
This achievement marked a decade of consistently advancing beyond the regular season. The very next day, they secured their 20th National League West title, and notably, their ninth in the past decade.
A memorable moment of the season came on September 28, when the Dodgers set a new franchise record by securing their 107th win of the year. This victory also solidified their position as the top seed in the league, a feat not achieved since 2017.
Ultimately, the Dodgers pushed the franchise record to an impressive 111 victories, the highest by any team since the Seattle Mariners’ 116 wins in 2001.
However, despite a remarkable and historic regular season, the Dodgers were unfortunately overcome by the Padres in a four-game series in the ALDS.