What happened to the Dodgers in the NLDS?

This story was excerpted from Juan Toribio’s Dodgers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Just two weeks ago, the Dodgers were planning on having a long October. With some new faces and experienced players, the Dodgers were confident that they were going to put up a better showing this postseason than they did in 2022 when they lost in four games to the Padres in the National League Division Series.

Their postseason run ended even quicker in ‘23, getting swept by the D-backs in the NLDS. Before we spend the next few months looking at what the Dodgers need to do before the start of the ‘24 season, let’s review the year that just was.

Defining moment: The Dodgers enjoyed a lot of positive moments during the 2023 season. Winning 100 games is not an easy thing to accomplish. But the goal this season was to win the World Series, and that didn’t happen, so the defining moment wasn’t one they expected. In Game 2 of the NLDS against the D-backs, superstars Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman had a chance to come through in the clutch against All-Star Zac Gallen. Betts, however, grounded into a fielder’s choice on the first pitch he saw. Freeman then struck out looking on a 3-2 curveball to end the threat. Betts and Freeman came through for the Dodgers in every way during the regular season, but they went 1-for-21 in the postseason, which will make for a long winter for the two stars.

What we learned: Things have to change in October. Of course, this is easier said than done. The Dodgers have been bounced in the NLDS in three of the last five seasons. They have failed to win the World Series in each of the last four full seasons despite winning over 100 games. So what needs to change?

There’s no clear answer to this, but the Dodgers will need to figure things out this winter. It’s becoming more and more clear that the postseason isn’t as random as people make it out to be. The Astros have made seven consecutive ALCS appearances and the Phillies are in the NLCS for a second consecutive season. Maybe the Dodgers need to alter the current personnel. Maybe it’s an offensive approach that doesn’t work in the postseason. Or maybe it’s just being more aggressive in certain areas. Again, there’s no perfect science. But it’s up to the Dodgers to fix it.

Best development: James Outman and Bobby Miller

Both Outman and Miller will get top-three votes for National League Rookie of the Year and it’ll be well-deserved. Miller came with a lot of hype, often being regarded as the best pitching prospect in the organization. The right-hander, despite a rough postseason start, established himself as one of the best options in an injury-depleted rotation. Outman, on the other hand, didn’t come with the same hype. In fact, it was unlikely for Outman to make the Opening Day roster until Gavin Lux was lost for the season with a serious knee injury. The 25-year-old center fielder made the best of his opportunity and will now head into the offseason with a prominent role on the roster.

Area for improvement: Starting pitching

Betts and Freeman didn’t hit in the postseason and the offense has been a problem in back to back Octobers. But the Dodgers’ starting pitching was historically bad in the NLDS and it must be vastly improved over the next couple of months. Clayton Kershaw is a free agent and he might not return. That decision, of course, will be made by the left-hander this offseason. This winter, the Dodgers will have a chance to sign at least a pair of top targets in what should be a solid free agent class for starting pitchers. Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are the two big prizes, but there’s also Jordan Montgomery, Aaron Nola and others. The Dodgers could also be aggressive in pursuing deals for Dylan Cease or Corbin Burnes, assuming they get made available by their respective teams.

Team MVP: Freddie Freeman

Betts will finish ahead of Freeman in NL MVP voting because he has better stats, but when it comes to the Dodgers, perhaps nobody was more valuable, on and off the field, than the star first baseman. Freeman started 161 games at first base this season and has helped change the culture around the Dodgers in just two seasons.