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.

It feels hard to believe, but with the Dodgers having played 52 games, they’re about a third of the way through the regular season. There’s a long way to go, of course, but that gives us enough of a sample size to start drawing some conclusions.

A lot will change over the next couple of months. Injuries will undoubtedly happen. The Trade Deadline always changes the landscape of the league. But until all that takes place, let’s take a look at three things I know and three things I think about where the Dodgers are with June just a week away.

I know … Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts will battle each other for the National League Most Valuable Player Award
Ohtani and Betts will play with each other for nearly a decade, so this felt inevitable. The fact that the two superstars are already on their way to fighting it out for the award in their first season together, is pretty remarkable.

Offensively, Ohtani has the better numbers. He leads the Dodgers in just about every offensive category and is on pace for a 40-homer, 40-stolen base season. We saw the impact stolen bases had last season in Ronald Acuña Jr.’s campaign, beating out Betts for the hardware.

Ohtani, though, is now competing for award consideration as a designated hitter. The two-time unanimous AL MVP isn’t pitching this season, as he underwent a second Tommy John surgery last year. But he gets paid to hit, and he’s hitting at an elite level.

Betts, on the other hand, has really good offensive numbers of his own, but is benefitting from playing shortstop -- the most important position on the field. The six-time Gold Glove Award winner in right field has eight errors at the position and it hasn’t always looked smooth, but he deserves some credit for taking on the challenge.

Again, there’s a long way to go. But Betts and Ohtani still have a lot more to give.

I know … Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto give the Dodgers a solid 1-2 punch
Even with the historic $325 million deal this winter, there were still some question marks and concerns around Yamamoto. How could a pitcher with no big league experience get the most guaranteed money by a starting pitcher ever?

Well, Yamamoto is showing some signs of why with impeccable command. His pitch mix is starting to show a little more. The question, however, will be how Yamamoto holds up through the course of a 162-game season. At some point, the Dodgers will need to get on his back and he’ll have to deliver. But luckily for Yamamoto and the Dodgers, they also have Glasnow, who has been one of the best starters in the NL. With Glasnow, he just needs to find a way to stay healthy.

I know … This team is poised for another NL West title
What else is new? The Dodgers are starting to pull away from the rest of the division, something that has happened in 10 of the past 11 seasons. But just because it happens all the time doesn’t mean it should be taken for granted. The pitching staff needs to hold up over the 162-game season. If it does, there’s not an NL West rival that can hang.

I think … Gavin Lux is turning the corner
It hasn’t come easy for Lux in his return to the field after missing the entire 2023 season, but he’s starting to come around slowly at the plate. After a slow start, Lux has now recorded at least one hit in 11 of his 15 games in May, including multi-hit games in back-to-back games against the D-backs.

The Dodgers need to get Lux going, and maybe it’s starting to click.

I think … The bottom of the order still has a lot to prove
With all that being said about Lux, the entire bottom of the Dodgers’ order needs to show improvement over the next few months. James Outman was optioned out. Andy Pages had a strong start, but he has since struggled at the plate. Miguel Vargas is getting a look with Max Muncy out. Jason Heyward is finally back, but he has yet to really get going.

The top of the order will do what they do, but for the Dodgers to be at their best, they need one or two players to step up in order to turn the order.

I think … What the bullpen has done is impressive
The Dodgers are missing four of their best relievers right now, but the bullpen has more than held its own, especially during a 13-game stretch with no off-days. Some tough roster decisions will need to be made as guys get healthier, but that’s exactly where the Dodgers want to be.