Why Dodgers are on brink of World Series dynasty

The Los Angeles Dodgers went all out in their quest to turn their team into world champions.

In Major League Baseball's off-season, they spent more than $1bn (£773m) on new players.

It paid off last week as their star-studded roster clinched the eighth World Series in franchise history.

BBC Sport looks at how the Dodgers did it and why this could be the start of an MLB dynasty.

The Dodgers have had one of the highest MLB payrolls since 2013, when an ownership group including Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly bought the team.

In all 12 years since, the Dodgers have reached the post-season, winning their division 11 times and reaching four World Series. But their success is not just down to money.

"The Dodgers have had a cutting-edge formula for roster building," said baseball writer David Lengel.

"It's a combination of enormous wealth and leveraging an analytics-based approach."

Former World Series winner Chase Utley, who retired in 2018 after four seasons with the Dodgers, feels they "do a remarkable job throughout the organisation, not just with the players they bring in."

He added: "The front office is one of the best in baseball - for the way they think about their players, how they manoeuvre through the season, the coaching personnel they bring in. They're very forward-thinking."

Utley credits Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers' 47-year-old president of baseball operations, with leading that approach.

He joined in 2014 from the Tampa Bay Rays, based in one of MLB's smallest markets with one of its lowest payrolls, yet Friedman transformed them into post-season contenders.

"He put their team together for a lot less than other teams were spending," said Utley. "Now he's at a much bigger organisation, with a bigger chequebook, and has taken the same philosophy.

"He has a unique way of consolidating talent and finding talent, but not necessarily paying for it. The Dodgers have spent some money, but they're not grabbing every free agent, they're picking and choosing wisely."

Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto were the Dodgers' big signings in free agency and both had a big impact this season.

The Dodgers also leaned on homegrown players and some released by other teams. They had to deal with a spate of injuries to pitchers too.

"It takes more than just one or two players to win a World Series," adds Utley.

"With the injuries, you’re constantly rotating guys in and out, bringing guys up from the minor leagues. The Dodgers had prepared those players not only to come up to the major league level but into a championship-calibre atmosphere, and the young guys didn't shy away from that."

Friedman and the Dodgers will aim to improve again over the winter but already have key players on long-term contracts, such as Ohtani, who will be like a new signing again next season.

This year's probable National League MVP is unique in that he is an elite player at both pitching and hitting, and he will be able to pitch for the first time as a Dodger after elbow surgery prevented him from stepping on to the mound this year.

"They're built for success," said Utley. "A lot of these players are going to be around for four, five, six years.

"The core nucleus is there, but the Dodgers also bring in ancillary pieces, and change it up just a bit to create a youthful, energetic team.

"They're exciting. Their entire line-up has the ability to hit a home run and they play great defence. They're just really good at all aspects of the game and they have some great personalities on the team, a really strong group of guys that care about each other."

The Dodgers' World Series win of 2020 came in a season shortened because of the Covid-19 pandemic so this year's title was their first full-season championship since 1988. They may face a much shorter wait for their next one.

"They're more than capable of ripping off multiple World Series titles in the next few years," added Lengel.