2020 Los Angeles Dodgers season

2020 Los Angeles Dodgers
World Series Champions
National League Champions
National League West Champions
LeagueNational League
DivisionWest
BallparkDodger Stadium
CityLos Angeles, California
Record43–17 (.717)
Divisional place1st
OwnersGuggenheim Baseball Management
PresidentStan Kasten
President of baseball operationsAndrew Friedman
ManagersDave Roberts
TelevisionSpectrum SportsNet LA
(Joe Davis or Tim Neverett, Orel Hershiser or Nomar Garciaparra, Alanna Rizzo)
(Spanish audio feed)
(Pepe Yñiguez, Fernando Valenzuela, Manny Mota)
RadioKLAC-AM
Los Angeles Dodgers Radio Network
(Charley Steiner, Tim Neverett, Rick Monday)
KTNQ
(Jaime Jarrín, Jorge Jarrin)
KMPC
(Korean language broadcast)
← 2019 Seasons 2021 →

The 2020 Los Angeles Dodgers season was the 131st season for the franchise in Major League Baseball, and their 63rd season in Los Angeles, California. They played their home games at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers went 43–17 during the COVID-19 shortened regular-season, and went on to win their first World Series championship since 1988 and seventh overall, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 4 games to 2.

On March 12, 2020, MLB announced that because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the start of the regular season would be delayed by at least two weeks in addition to the remainder of spring training being cancelled.[1] Four days later, it was announced that the start of the season would be pushed back indefinitely due to the recommendation made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to restrict events of more than 50 people for eight weeks.[2] On June 23, commissioner Rob Manfred unilaterally implemented a 60-game season. Players reported to training camps on July 1 in order to resume spring training and prepare for a July 23 Opening Day.[3]

The 2020 Dodgers started the season 30–10, matching the best 40-game start in franchise history. The last such Dodgers start came in 1977, along with the Brooklyn teams in 1888 and 1955. This was also the best 40-game start in the majors since the 116-win Mariners began 31–9 in 2001.[4] The Dodgers led MLB in runs scored (349), home runs (118) and slugging percentage (.483, tied with the Atlanta Braves).[5] The Dodgers finished the regular season 43–17, winning their eighth straight division title, and swept both the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLWCS and the San Diego Padres in the NLDS. They then defeated the Braves in the NLCS to advance to the World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, their third World Series appearance in the last four years and their 24th pennant in franchise history, surpassing the San Francisco Giants for the most in the National League. The Dodgers would then go on to defeat the Rays in six games, winning their first World Series since 1988, their sixth since moving to Los Angeles, and the seventh in franchise history.

The team's regular season .717 winning percentage is the highest of the post-1960 expansion era. Had the team finished a 162-game season at the same pace, they would have tied the 1906 Chicago Cubs and 2001 Seattle Mariners with a record 116 wins.[6][7][8]

  1. ^ Mark Feinsand (March 12, 2020). "Opening Day delayed at least 2 weeks; Spring Training games cancelled". MLB.com. Major League Baseball. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  2. ^ "Opening of regular season to be pushed back". MLB.com. Major League Baseball. March 16, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  3. ^ Feinsand, Mark (June 24, 2020). "Play Ball: MLB announces 2020 regular season". MLB.com. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  4. ^ Stephen, Eric (September 5, 2020). "Battle of the bullpens tilts toward Dodgers in late home run derby with Rockies". Truebluela.com. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  5. ^ "2020 MLB Team Statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  6. ^ Doolittle, Bradford (October 30, 2020). "Where do the Los Angeles Dodgers rank on the list of World Series winners". ESPN. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  7. ^ Jaffe, Jeff (October 30, 2020). "Making the Case for the 2020 Dodgers' Place in History". Fangraphs. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  8. ^ Paine, Neil (October 30, 2020). "The Dodgers' Championship Machine Took A Decade — And A Lot Of Money — To Build". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved October 30, 2020.