Long-awaited and well-deserved sums up the Dodgers’ first title in 32 years. Of course, there have been teams like the Cubs and Red Sox who went winless for far longer, and the Dodgers have certainly not been plagued with bad teams, but with 8 straight playoff births and their 3rd World Series appearance in 4 seasons, a title was on the horizon.

Los Angeles certainly lived up to the high standards set for them with relative ease. They had 43 wins, the most in the MLB, and the only challenge LA faced this postseason was the NLCS against the Braves that ended in a game 7. Nevertheless, the Dodgers odds showed no signs of faltering even when their World Series opponent was the second-best team in the league, the Tampa Bay Rays. 

The dominance of the Dodgers somehow made a ball club as good as the Rays a clear underdog. While Tampa’s strength is in their pitching, their very respectable rotation could not shut out the LA offense that batted .251. The Dodgers pitching also rose to the occasion due to Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw proving their status as aces. Buehler easily won game 3, striking out 10 and only giving up 1 run on 3 hits. As for Kershaw, he solidified his candidacy for the hall of fame by refuting the “Clayton Kershaw can’t pitch in the postseason” argument that has haunted him for years. Kershaw took back his narrative by winning games 1 and 5 of the series and posting a sub 3 ERA this postseason.

Aside from Kershaw, the star for LA was Cory Seager. Seager drove in 5 runs, scored 7, and hit 2 home runs to earn the World Series MVP. He had been a huge factor in the Dodgers’ playoff run also claiming the NLCS MVP. Though with depth throughout the lineup, all of the players were critical in this championship. Justin Turner, who has been a topic of controversy because he celebrated on the field after his positive Coronavirus test, and Max Muncy had been consistent in producing at the plate all series. The Dodgers also saw Joc Pederson, Mookie Betts, and the reigning NL MVP, Cody Bellinger, come through when needed. 

The Rays put up a hard-fought battle, but this was the Dodgers year. Even when the Rays walked off game 4 due to LA errors, the Dodgers were unfazed and remained faithful in their versatility. The series was then tied 2-2, but the Dodgers used their mistakes to fuel their next two wins and claim the title.

This championship is definitely well deserved, but it also carries extra meaning due to the discovery this past offseason that the Astros cheated to win the 2017 World Series against the Dodgers. Though with talent so immense and so rare, LA has multiple trophies in their future. The dynasty being created will be comparable to the Murders’ Row team of the Yankees and will be known in the history books.