Dodgers Opinion: Seven Things Dodger Fans Can Be Thankful for

LOS ANGELES — Thanksgiving is a time for family, and a time for reflection. And yes, we’re all thankful for the many blessings in our own personal lives, but there’s also that stuff that we all share. We are bound together by a shared love of a special team that has been on a special run in the last decade and a half. And in the spirit of the holiday, we at DodgersBeat have come up with a list of the top seven things that we as fans of the Dodgers can be thankful for this year.

7. The top farm system in the big leagues

Contrary to the “Dodgers just buy players” narrative that is out there among disgruntled fanbases, the Dodgers are also very good at developing them. If you look around the league, there are plenty of players that came up through the Dodgers system that went on to star at the major league level: Michael Busch in Chicago, Ryan Pepiot in Tampa Bay, Zach McKinstry with the Tigers. Not to mention our own talent currently on the Dodgers roster: Will Smith, Dalton Rushing, Andy Pages, etc. Indeed, one of the reasons the team has been able to obtain such high-level talent in trade deals is it had plenty of blue-chip prospects to trade away. It doesn’t always work out (Yordan Alvarez is a big-time oops), but more often than not, it’s been a plus for the Dodgers.

6. Dodger Stadium continues to be a jewel

Seriously, is there a better place to take in a game? I’ve sat all over this hallowed ground, from the field level to the top deck and back again, and I’ve had a great view of the game from everywhere. My personal favorite is the Reserve Level, third base side. It’s a little slice of “Blue Heaven on Earth.” Janet Marie Smith and her design team continue to astonish with their regular upgrades, and the view from the stands of the mountains beyond the stadiums walls ranks up there with the most beautiful backdrops in baseball. And, maybe the less we say about concession prices and the parking situation the better.

5. Dave Roberts’ growth as a manager

Don’t get me wrong. There are times that I’ve been very critical of some of Dave Roberts’ in-game decision making. And I’m sure those days are not gone completely. But in these last two years, Roberts has shown a steady hand in the dugout. His rapport with his players is unmatched in the majors, and probably that is half the battle on a star-studded lineup like the Dodgers roll out every night. But the way he managed his bullpen in 2024, and his gut-check moves in 2025 show that he is much more than simply a middle manager type, slavishly tied to front office scripts. There will never be old school managers like Dick Williams, Earl Weaver, or Billy Martin again. But Roberts has shown he’s fully capable of leading this team to greatness, year in and year out.

4. The influx of Japanese fans in Dodger blue

Anybody who’s gone to Dodger Stadium in the last two years has noticed the shift in demographics in the stands. Almost everywhere you turn you can spot Asian faces in Dodger gear. Most of them are sporting jerseys of their hometown heroes: Ohtani, Yamamoto, Sasaki. The LA Tourist and Convention Bureau estimates that 80-90% of Japanese tourists to Los Angeles will seek out Dodger Stadium during their visit, either to drop some cash at the stadium store, or to take in a game itself. I sat next to a guy at the World Series who told me he had traveled to LA from Tokyo SEVEN TIMES this year to take in Dodger games. The reason for this is not hard to imagine: it’s the Ohtani effect. Finally free of his Anaheim purgatory, Ohtani has taken his place as a truly global superstar. Are these Japanese fans jumping on the bandwagon? Sure, but who cares? Welcome aboard, I say!

3. The best front office in baseball

Andrew Friedman has taken an already good Dodgers ballclub and turned it into a juggernaut. Building on the foundation that Ned Colletti had built, Friedman, Zaidi, Gomes et al have turned the Dodgers into a “destination” for free agents and become the envy of the rest of the baseball world. Granted, this has been aided immensely by the Guggenheim Group and Mark Walter’s willingness to invest in top-flight talent from wherever they find it. However, as Steve Cohen has found out in New York, you can’t just throw money at a baseball team and get a winner. Friedman has a certain type of player that he likes in his organization: smart, coachable guys with a second-to-none work ethic and a high baseball IQ. And Friedman shows no signs of taking his foot off the pedal. Hopefully, his new side gig with the Lakers doesn’t distract him.

2. We got to witness the entire career of Clayton Kershaw

They aren’t too many surefire Hall of Famers who spent their entire career with one organization. Clayton’s contemporaries Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer will have both bounced around plenty before they finish their Cooperstown-ready resumés. But not Kersh. From his first decade of utter dominance to his injury-riddled, but still solid back half of his career, Clayton has poured his entire being into making the Dodgers a winner. And it was only fitting that he got a key out in a key game as his final moment on the Dodger Stadium mound. And I, like everyone else in the stadium, let out a huge sigh of relief when Freddie Freeman squeezed the final out of the game, and of the series for that matter. Number 22 is going out a champion for life. As it should be.

1. Back-to-back champs, baby

There are so many moments from the last two years that I will cherish forever. So many players who stepped up in big moments and delvered exactly what the Dodgers needed. Going back to the bullpen heroics from Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia, and others last season to the dominant starting pitching from the Dodgers’ amazing rotation in 2025. On the position player side, we had Ohtani’s 50/50 season last year, his superhuman day at the park in the NLCS this year, and his all-around jaw dropping ability all the other days of the year. Freddie Freeman navigated his family challenges in 2024 to emerge a World Series hero, hitting walkoff homers in back-to-back Fall Classics. Mookie Betts selflessly moving to shortstop and then playing the position at Gold Glove level all year in 2025. Will Smith being a rock behind the plate and a consistently clutch hitter with the bat. Teoscar Hernandez doing Teo things, even if it frustrates fans from time to time. Tommy Edman ruling last fall, and playing through pain most of this year. October Kiké continuing to emerge every autumn. Andy Pages, who didn’t hit a lick in the postseason, somehow making the most impactful catch of the year. Max Muncy not only hitting homers (let’s not forget the blast of Yesavage in Game 7), but perfectly executing the wheel play to secure the win in Philadelphia. Roki Sasaki being MIA the entire year only to become the closer the Dodgers never expected in October.

I could go on, but you get the picture… So, enjoy that turkey today, Dodger fans. There is a lot to be thankful for. A LOT.

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