For months, the Dodgers have steamrolled opponents with an offense that looks unstoppable. They lead MLB in runs scored and rank second in home runs, powered by a star-studded core featuring Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Mookie Betts. Add in Will Smith’s .403 on-base percentage and Andy Pages’ 23 homers, and you have a lineup that can dismantle any pitching staff in October. However, beneath the offensive fireworks, a troubling weakness has emerged—one that could derail the team’s World Series ambitions.

The cracks begin with the pitching. While Yoshinobu Yamamoto has anchored the rotation, the staff’s overall data paint a less flattering picture: 18th in ERA and 14th in batting average against. Injuries have played a vital role—Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, who have only recently rejoined the roster, have combined for just four wins. Clayton Kershaw, though steady at 9-2 with a 3.06 ERA, has been pushed into a larger role than planned, while Shohei Ohtani’s 4.61 ERA over 10 starts highlights that he is still working back from Tommy John surgery.

Now comes the current blow: the bullpen, already a glaring issue, has taken another hit. Alex Vesia, the team’s reliable star with a 2.75 ERA in 59 games, has landed on the injured list with an oblique strain. The star’s absence adds to an enhancing list of sidelined relievers, leaving the Dodgers scrambling to piece together a group that currently ranks 20th in ERA, 22nd in WHIP, and has racked up 21 blown saves.

For rival NL contenders, such weakness has not gone unnoticed. “When you stack up their bullpen against teams like the Phillies, Padres, Brewers or even the Mets, it’s simply not in the same class,” noted the Athletic’s Jim Bowden. “You can get to this team late in games. That’s their soft spot”, he added. It is a sentiment echoed throughout MLB, where scouts and executives alike see the Dodgers’ relief corps as the Achilles’ heel of an otherwise powerhouse roster.

Adding to the tension, Dave Roberts has shut the door on making any radical team moves despite current issues. After Shohei Ohtani’s rocky outing against the Rockies—the star’s shortest of the season and one of his worst overall—Roberts dismissed the thought of calling a team meeting. “It’s certainly not a team meeting situation because there are not a lot of people that are in this conversation,” Roberts said. Instead, the manager insists on trusting the team’s experience and resilience: “We have the guys; they’ve done it before. It’s just a reminder to get back to being who we are… scratching and clawing and finding ways”, he added. While Roberts’ calm approach reflects confidence, some wonder if the Dodgers need a stronger spark with October looming.

The concern now is whether the Dodgers can mask such a deficiency long enough to survive October’s unforgiving stage. Can the Dodgers’ starters stay healthy enough to minimize bullpen exposure? Can current injured list returns like Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates stabilize the group? Or will the lack of late-inning reliability undo a season that has otherwise looked destined for greatness? Those answers could define not just the Dodgers’ postseason fate, but also how the team is remembered.

While the bullpen remains the Dodgers’ largest liability, the team’s hopes of overcoming it could hinge on a familiar face who refuses to fade away.

Kershaw’s ageless brilliance becomes Dodgers’ lifeline

Clayton Kershaw’s late-career renaissance could not have come at a better time for the Dodgers. After a disappointing, injury-plagued 2024, the 37-year-old has rediscovered his form, dominating August with a 1.91 ERA and becoming the first pitcher since 1988 to win five games in a month while throwing less than 400 pitches. Clayton Kershaw’s effectiveness has enabled the Dodgers to safeguard his arm while still reaping elite outcomes.

More effectively, Clayton Kershaw’s resurgence brings stability to a rotation riddled with concern. With Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow still finding their rhythm and Ohtani struggling post-surgery, Kershaw has emerged as the steady hand. For the team with bullpen woes and championship aspirations, Clayton Kershaw’s capability to provide quality innings could be the difference between October glory and another heartbreak.

The Dodgers have the talent to win it all; however, their October fate rests on two contrasting realities: a lineup built to overpower anyone and a pitching staff walking a tightrope. If Clayton Kershaw can keep defying age and the rotation stays intact, the team can mask its bullpen flaws long enough to chase another title. However, without answers in the late innings, this season’s dominance could end in familiar disappointment.