It was the kind of swing that sends shockwaves through a stadium. Shohei Ohtani uncorked a monster home run in the fifth inning, the kind that leaves outfielders frozen and fans roaring. The Dodgers won that night—again—and inched further ahead of the National League pack. From the outside, it looked like everything was clicking. But not everyone’s buying into the hype.
Inside the press box, one insider folded his arms, unimpressed. “They’re winning, sure,” he said, eyes still on the field. “But this isn’t even their final form.” He wasn’t being dismissive—just honest. Because for those who have tracked this Dodgers team from the moment they assembled a super-squad in December, this blazing 13-2 start feels more like a warm-up than a statement.
“They’ve been good,” the insider said on the Talking Baseball podcast, “but I don’t think they’ve played great baseball yet. That’s what’s crazy. They’re already steamrolling teams—and they still haven’t hit their ceiling.”
The numbers back it up. Ohtani and Mookie Betts are playing like MVP co-captains. The pitching staff has quietly been one of the most efficient in baseball. Yet the Dodgers are still operating without Freddie Freeman, waiting for guys like Max Muncy and Will Smith to find a rhythm. And that’s where it gets scary.
This team hasn’t peaked. It’s simply doing what elite teams do—winning even when things aren’t fully locked in.
You can feel it in how Dustin May stepped back onto the mound, throwing absolute gas, and how Walker Buehler is slowly building back toward form. “Glasnow’s been the ace we hoped for,” the insider added. “But May? He looked nasty. Like playoff-nasty.”
And then there’s the lineup. Deep doesn’t do it justice. Even without Freeman, the Dodgers are deploying Betts-Ohtani-Smith-Muncy-Thompson-Lux in one breath. “It’s just weapons on top of weapons,” he said. “They lose one All-Star and plug in another. Most teams don’t have that luxury.”
The team’s preseason over/under was a staggering 103.5 wins. Some hesitated to take the offer. Now? It looks conservative.
“They might win 110,” the insider shrugged. “And that’s with room to grow.”
So while other teams scramble to find footing in April, the Dodgers are quietly stacking wins—and leaving the baseball world wondering just how dangerous they’ll look once they shift into full throttle.
No Torpedo bats for now—Dodgers’ loyalty to their swing tool
On a night when Shohei Ohtani’s walk-off homer sent Chavez Ravine into a frenzy, the question wasn’t just how he did it, but what he used to do. With the baseball world buzzing over the new torpedo-style bats, Ohtani was asked whether he’d consider making the switch. His answer? A measured no, delivered with the cool confidence of a guy who knows exactly what he’s holding. “I’m very satisfied with my current bat,” Ohtani said in Japanese.
“I don’t think I’d suddenly start using it… I feel like I’m getting the right feel from it.” This isn’t just about preference—it’s about performance history. Ohtani’s current bat is more than lumber; it’s a legend. It helped him become the first player to notch 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. That kind of bond doesn’t break easily.
In the end, while other players chase innovation, Shohei—and, by extension, the Dodgers—are sticking with what’s proven. Why change a winning formula when you’re already rewriting the script night after night?
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