Five burning questions facing Los Angeles Dodgers heading into 2025 season

The Los Angeles Dodgers are looking to build a dynasty. After winning the World Series, they went on another massive spending spree, signing Blake Snell, Teoscar Hernandez, Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates, Michael Conforto, and Roki Sasaki. While Los Angeles might seem like a Goliath, they still have issues that need to be resolved. Here are five burning questions facing the Dodgers.

What can Dodgers expect out of Roki Sasaki?

Roki Sasaki, Los Angeles Dodgers — Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Dodgers landed one of the most prized pitchers this offseason in Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki. The 23-year-old dominated Nippon Professional Baseball, but questions surround his transition to the majors. Can he handle the rigors of MLB pitching? Will shoulder soreness affect him in 2025? Can he regain velocity on his fastball? The Dodgers plan to use a six-man rotation to monitor workloads throughout the season.

Can Dodgers pitchers stay healthy?

Tyler Glasnow, Los Angeles Dodgers — Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Despite winning the World Series, the Dodgers had only three healthy starters in the postseason. In 2024, they saw extended absences from Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May, Bobby Miller, Tony Gonsolin, Emmet Sheehan, Gavin Stone, Brusdar Graterol, Blake Treinen, and Michael Grove. The Dodgers have struggled to keep pitchers healthy in recent years. If they want to repeat, they need their staff and bullpen healthy heading into October.

Who will be the Dodgers workhorse?

Blake Snell — Credit: Katie Stratman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal noted, despite having an all-world rotation, the Dodgers lack a clear innings-eater. Glasnow and Yamamoto missed significant time last year, Sasaki battled shoulder soreness in Japan, and Shohei Ohtani hasn’t pitched since August 2023. Could Blake Snell fill this role? He’s only pitched over 130 innings twice in his career and dealt with injuries in 2024. The Dodgers need multiple starters to step up or risk exhausting their bullpen by season’s end.

What will Shohei Ohtani do for an encore?

Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers — Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Shohei Ohtani had a historic 2024, becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season. He unanimously won his third MVP award — his first in the National League — without throwing a pitch. While Ohtani returns to the mound this season, he underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder after the World Series. The impact on his hitting and pitching remains uncertain.

Can the Dodgers live up to the hype?

The Dodgers have assembled their own version of “The Avengers” with Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Hernandez, Snell, Yamamoto, Glasnow, and Sasaki. While they’re favored to repeat as World Series champions, they also carry the biggest target on their backs. Their superteam could easily crumble if they don’t live up to expectations.