The Dodgers’ 2026 season may be finished, but the moments that defined it were built one night at a time across 162 games. October always gets the spotlight, yet the regular season supplied plenty of the swings, stops, and milestones that gave this team its shape.
One of the loudest came from Max Muncy on April 11 against the Texas Rangers. He launched three homers in the game, and the last one ended it, a walk-off that pushed the Dodgers past Texas. Muncy backed up that power with a season worthy of the All-Star conversation, pairing 29 home runs with some of the best defense of his career.
There was also a first to remember for Josue De Paula. Against the Miami Marlins, he picked up his first major-league hit with a towering home run. He had already been showing patience and quality at-bats with a handful of walks in his first few games, but the breakthrough came in his third.
On June 5 against the Angels, Miguel Rojas delivered one of the year’s best defensive plays, uncorking a cross-body throw from second base to first. Even at his advanced age, he kept showing that he can still defend at the highest level, and that play stood out among plenty of strong candidates.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto also had a signature performance worth circling. In the first series after the All-Star break, he threw a two-run complete game at Yankee Stadium against the Yankees.
He allowed just four hits, didn’t issue a free pass, and struck out seven, giving the Dodgers the kind of efficient length that has marked his best work this year. In a hitter’s park, New York’s lineup could do nothing but shrug.
The late-season surge from Teoscar Hernandez brought another big finish. When the Dodgers were down 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth against the Cardinals, he ripped a walk-off double. Over the final month and a half, he powered the offense when the bats weren’t clicking, and that hit was the clearest sign he was rolling.
Andy Pages also had a moment that said plenty about his growth. In a divisional rivalry game against Mason Miller, he worked the at-bat, fouling off pitch after pitch and showing a patient eye against the best closer in baseball. He eventually brought in a run with an RBI flyout that helped the Dodgers grab the lead in the ninth inning.
Kyle Tucker’s September turnaround made its own entry. After struggling for much of 2026, he broke out on September 11 by going 3-for-3 with five RBIs and a grand slam. Steven Nelson of Sportsnet LA summed up the moment with, “Kyle Tucker is alive,” a line that fit just how notable the rebound was.
Dalton Rushing was another early-season story, especially when Will Smith went down with a neck injury. Rushing stepped in and hit like one of the league’s top five catchers. He had his rough patches too, with cold stretches and strikeouts mixed in, but after struggling on June 19, he found his swing and drove in the game-winning run.
One of the more personal moments of the year came with Alex Vesia’s special nurses night. It was a tribute to the nurses who treated his wife during her pregnancy and through the loss of their newborn daughter, Sterling Sol. That tragedy struck the Vesia family during the postseason, and it led Vesia to step away from the team and miss the World Series.
And then there was Dave Roberts, who hit a major benchmark on June 30 against the Oakland Athletics. That win gave him 1,000 with the Dodgers, and he reached the number faster than any manager ever had, doing it in 1,606 games.
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For the Dodgers, it is another reminder that a well-regarded staff can become a target when clubs start hunting for a proven clubhouse voice. Seattle is actively making calls around the league as it sorts through possibilities, with options ranging from established big league managers to familiar front-office and coaching names, so this could develop quickly if the Mariners decide one of those Dodgers connections is the right fit. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Fans Have A New Star Power Debate On Their Hands
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Former Diamondbacks Outfielder Just Opened An Interesting NL West Door
Alek Thomas Dodgers stint never got as far as a major league cameo, but his path through the organization still left a notable footprint. The outfielder, who spent the 2026 season with Triple-A Oklahoma City, was part of a midseason trade from the Diamondbacks to Los Angeles and later came off the Dodgers 40-man roster in early September before finishing the year with the Comets.
Now Thomas has elected free agency after the minor league season, leaving another layer to a quietly interesting NL West story. He helped Oklahoma City win both the Pacific Coast League title and the Triple-A National Championship, and his next move will be watched closely by a division that already knows his name well. [Read more 🡒]