The Los Angeles Dodgers did everything they could to make their team a world champion.
During Major League Baseball’s offseason, they spent more than $1 billion (£773 million) on new players.
It paid off last week as their all-star roster won the eighth World Series in franchise history.
BBC Sport takes a look at how the Dodgers found success and why this could be the start of an MLB dynasty.
Why is Todd Boehly part of the Dodgers’ success?
The Dodgers have had one of the highest payrolls in MLB since 2013, when an ownership group including Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly purchased the team.
In the 12 years since, the Dodgers have reached the postseason, winning their division 11 times and reaching four World Series. But their success isn’t just about money.
“The Dodgers have had a forward-thinking formula for building their roster,” baseball writer David Lengel said.
“It’s a combination of enormous wealth and leveraging an analytics-driven approach.”
Former World Series winner Chase Utley, who retired in 2018 after four seasons with the Dodgers, believes they “do an outstanding job throughout the organization, not just with the players they recruit.”
He added: “The front office is one of the best in baseball – for the way they think about their players, how they develop throughout the season, the coaching staff they hire. They are very avant-garde.”
How did the Dodgers build a championship team?
Utley credits Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ 47-year-old president of baseball operations, with leading that approach.
He joined the Tampa Bay Rays in 2014, based in one of MLB’s smallest markets with one of its lowest payrolls, but Friedman transformed them into playoff contenders.
“He built his team for a lot less than what other teams were spending,” Utley said. “Now he’s in a much bigger organization, with a bigger checkbook, and he’s adopted the same philosophy.
“He has a unique way of consolidating and finding talent, but not necessarily paying for it. The Dodgers have spent money, but they don’t grab every free agent, they pick wisely.”
Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani And Yoshinobu Yamamoto have been the Dodgers’ big signings in free agency and both have had a big impact this season.
The Dodgers also relied on local players and some released by other teams. They also had to deal with a rash of pitching injuries.
“It takes more than one or two players to win a World Series,” Utley adds.
“With injuries, you’re constantly rotating guys, bringing in guys from the minor leagues. The Dodgers had prepared these players not only to reach the major league level, but also for a championship-caliber atmosphere, and the young guys didn’t hesitate about that.”
Are the Dodgers on the verge of a dynasty?
Friedman and the Dodgers will aim to improve again over the winter, but already have key players under long-term contract, like Ohtani, who will be a rookie again next season.
This year’s likely National League MVP is unique in that he is an elite player in both pitching and hitting, and he will be able to pitch for the first time as a Dodger after a Elbow surgery kept him from taking the mound this year.
“They are built for success,” Utley said. “A lot of these players will be there for four, five, six years.
“The core is there, but the Dodgers also bring in some ancillary pieces and change it up a bit to create a young, energetic team.
“They’re exciting. Their whole lineup has the ability to hit a home run and they play great defense. They’re really good in all aspects of the game and they have great personalities on the team, a very strong team. a group guys who care about each other.”
The Dodgers’ World Series victory in 2020 came during a shortened season due to the Covid-19 pandemic, so this year’s title was their first full-season championship since 1988. They could face to a much shorter wait for their next one.
“They are more than capable of winning multiple World Series titles over the next few years,” Lengel added.
