The last two years, the Dodgers’ pitching staff carried them to World Series titles –– with the bullpen doing the heavy lifting in 2024, and the rotation pitching at a superhuman level in 2025.
asserted
rotation → carry → 2025
This season, the group couldn’t replicate that success, enduring adversity during an injury-plagued regular season and then failure against a relentless Brewers offense in the team’s National League Championship Series elimination.
asserted
group → replicate → elimination
Still, the Dodgers boasted a talented staff, finishing with the fourth-lowest team ERA in the majors this year.
asserted
Dodgers → boast → majors
In Part 2 of the California Post’s end-of-season report card for the Dodgers’ 2026 season, here’s a look at how each key arm performed, and where they stand entering 2027:
asserted
they → ’ → 2027
It’s worth remembering: Yamamoto entered 2026 coming off a career-high 30 regular-season starts in 2025, another 37 innings in his heroic postseason run, and an appearance this spring in the World Baseball Classic.
asserted
Yamamoto → ’ → Classic
You’d have been forgiven for thinking his right arm was about to fall off.
asserted
arm → forgive → ?
Instead, the reigning World Series MVP was even more productive in 2026, throwing more innings (185), collecting more wins (14-9 record) and lowering his WHIP (0.87) while posting a nearly-identical 2.53 ERA (fifth-lowest in the majors).
asserted
MVP → reign → majors
The only disappointment: He didn’t replicate last year’s historic October, suffering the Dodgers’ shortest playoff start during a pivotal NLCS Game 2 loss.
asserted
He → replicate → loss
Still, he’s on the (very) short list for best pitchers in the game right now.
asserted
he → ’ → game
Tarik Skubal: B+
Another member of that short list, Skubal just about lived up to the billing following his blockbuster trade deadline deal, going 5-2 with a 2.61 ERA in his 10 regular-season starts for the Dodgers.
asserted
Skubal → live → Dodgers
He also had the best postseason of anyone in their rotation, giving up three runs over 11 innings in two starts.
asserted
He → have → starts
Still, he took the defeat in his NLCS outing.
asserted
he → take → outing
And in the end, the team’s aggressive acquisition of the two-time Cy Young Award winner didn’t work out as intended, failing to help the team complete a World Series three-peat.
asserted
team → work → peat
The question now: Will the Dodgers be as aggressive in trying to re-sign him as a free agent?
asserted
Dodgers → try → agent
Blake Snell: D
This was not the season Blake Snell was envisioning.
asserted
Snell → envision → ?
He was limited to just nine starts by shoulder and elbow injuries.
asserted
He → limit → injuries
And though he did post a minuscule 1.90 ERA in the regular season, he suffered two disastrous playoff starts, failing to complete four innings against the Braves in one and giving up back-to-back seventh-inning home runs against the Brewers in the other.
asserted
he → post → other
He showed he still has some of the best stuff in the sport when right.
asserted
he → show → sport
But after another abbreviated regular season, the Dodgers needed more from him in October.
asserted
Dodgers → need → October
He made just 13 regular-season starts because of back problems, going 5-2 with a 3.53 ERA.
asserted
He → make → ERA
His performance also regressed in the playoffs, when he blew a four-run lead with the team facing elimination in Game 4 of the NLCS.
asserted
team → regress → NLCS
The last couple years, the Dodgers have gotten away with limited workloads from both pitchers.
asserted
Dodgers → get → pitchers
But next year, they will be expecting more from each of them, in the regular season and the playoffs.
asserted
they → expect → season
B+
Wrobleski was having an A+ season through mid-July, going from bullpen swingman to breakout rotation star with an 11-2 record and 2.62 ERA through his first 17 outings.
asserted
Wrobleski → have → outings
However, the All-Star selection finished on a sour note, getting shifted to the bullpen after a serious bout with home run struggles down the stretch.
asserted
selection → finish → stretch
He showed he can be a quality big-league starter.
asserted
he → show → ?
Now he needs to prove he can do it over the course of a full year.
asserted
he → need → year
B
What started as a rollercoaster campaign for the second-year Japanese phenom finished with signs of tangible progress.
asserted
started → start → progress
In his first 15 starts, Sasaki had a 5.40 ERA and 1.47 WHIP.
asserted
Sasaki → have → ERA
In his next seven starts after that, he had a 2.63 ERA and 1.21 WHIP, finding success with a reworked arsenal and improved command.
asserted
he → have → arsenal
A blister sidetracked that late-season surge, and prompted a shift back to the bullpen for the playoffs.
asserted
blister → sidetrack → playoffs
But entering 2027, the Dodgers will be hoping he can take another step.
asserted
he → enter → step
Finally, they have real reason to believe he can.
asserted
he → have → reason
C-
This was largely a lost season for Sheehan, whose first full campaign back from Tommy John surgery did not go according to plan.
uncertain
campaign → lose → plan
He battled inconsistent velocity and mechanics.
asserted
He → battle → velocity
He was sent back to triple-A for much of the final two months.
asserted
He → send → months
He did seem to find something late in the year, giving up only one run over 17 innings in three September outings.
asserted
He → seem → outings
But he has a big offseason ahead if he wants to re-cement himself as a long-term fixture in the Dodgers’ rotation.
asserted
he → have → rotation
Edwin Díaz: C-
For most of the year, nothing went right for the $69 million offseason signing.
asserted
nothing → go → signing
He battled elbow and neck injuries.
asserted
He → battle → injuries
…and 28 more, not listed.
The Aporia
