The Dodgers still look like a powerhouse on paper, but the cracks are showing at exactly the wrong time. And for the Phillies, that matters. A bruised Los Angeles roster could change the entire shape of the National League playoff bracket, especially if the Dodgers stumble into a tougher route while Philadelphia keeps pressing Atlanta.
As of Thursday morning, Los Angeles is 82-57 and sitting on a 9.0-game cushion in the National League West. But the standings picture is not as clean as that lead suggests.
The Dodgers are one win behind the Atlanta Braves and trail the Milwaukee Brewers, who are 87-53, by a wider margin. If the season ended right now, Atlanta and Milwaukee would earn first-round byes, while Los Angeles would be forced into a best-of-three Wild Card Series as the sixth seed.
Philadelphia is in a strong spot too, holding the top wildcard position at 79-61 and sitting 4.0 games behind Atlanta in the East. Even more important, the Phillies and Braves are set to play seven times over the next 10 days, which gives Philadelphia a real shot to make a move in the standings.
That’s where the Dodgers enter the picture. On most October paths, they’re the team the Phillies would rather avoid. Los Angeles handled Philadelphia quickly last fall on the way to its second straight title, which is why the Dodgers are still seen as the major obstacle between the Phillies and a World Series run.
But the latest Shohei Ohtani update only adds to the uncertainty. Dave Roberts didn’t exactly sound optimistic when he spoke to reporters after Wednesday’s game: “Clearly, tonight, you could see the swing wasn't the swing that we're used to seeing.
So he's not close to optimal,” Roberts claimed after Wednesday's game. “Where we're at, I think he's just going to have to find a way to make do, and do the best he can.”
Ohtani, the 32-year-old centerpiece of the Dodgers, hasn’t pitched since early July, and the way things are trending, it looks like he may not make it back to the mound this season. At the plate, he’s been good but not fully himself, posting a .792 OPS since the start of August. That’s a solid number for most hitters, but nowhere near his .951 career mark.
If Ohtani isn’t operating at his usual level, the Dodgers become a much different team. That’s especially true with Mookie Betts not looking like his old self over the last two seasons, Kyle Tucker struggling to the point of being a negative-WAR player, and Andy Pages, Roki Sasaki and Edwin Díaz all on the shelf.
Los Angeles is still capable of winning the World Series. No one’s taking that away from them. But the image of an untouchable superteam doesn’t really fit this version of the Dodgers.
For the Phillies, the dream scenario is pretty clear: win the division, let the Dodgers end up as the third seed, and maybe watch another club take them out in a chaotic three-game series before Philadelphia even begins its postseason. A lot has to break the right way for that to happen. First things first, the Phillies have to handle the Braves and see where the rest of the bracket shakes out.
In Other News...
Phillies Top Prospect Is Raising A Bigger Pitching Question
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Drafted 26th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Wood has already become one of the more closely watched arms in the organization, with an MLB debut projected for 2027. The question now is less about whether he can miss bats and more about how the Phillies will shape his path as the innings get longer and the expectations grow. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Enter Braves Showdown With Their Biggest Stars Under Pressure
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With the lead now down to four games, this isnt just another late-summer series at Citizens Bank Park. Philadelphia needs its biggest bats to start looking like themselves and its ace to give the rotation the kind of outing that steadies everything around him, because a lot of what comes next in the division may hinge on whether those three can answer the moment. [Read more 🡒]
Bryan De La Cruz Changed One Phillies Weakness In A Hurry
Since Bryan De La Cruz arrived from Triple-A, the Phillies have gotten more than just another outfield option. His presence has helped deepen a bench that already includes Derek Hill and Edmundo Sosa, giving the club more ways to mix and match late in games and cover for injuries or rest days without losing much defensively. Philadelphia has gone 23-15 since the promotion, a stretch that has only reinforced how quickly the roster balance has shifted.
That kind of production also helps explain why the front office was comfortable standing pat at the trade deadline instead of chasing another outfielder. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski pointed to the decision to lean on De La Cruz as part of the organizations thinking, and it is the sort of move that can look obvious only after it starts paying off. For a team built to chase October, the value of finding extra versatility in-house can be just as important as a headline addition. [Read more 🡒]