Originally published by DodgerBlue.com
The Los Angeles Dodgers reached 100 wins with a 5-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants on the final day of the 2023 regular season in what was an otherwise meaningless game.
Although it had no effect on their playoff seeding, the win did make some MLB history as the Dodgers now stand alone as the only team to win 100 or more games in three consecutive seasons, and four consecutive full seasons.
The streak began with a then-franchise-record 106 wins in 2019 and was repeated in 2021 before they broke that record with 111 wins in 2022.
The only season in that stretch the Dodgers did not reach 100 wins was in 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic limited the season to 60 games, which saw them finish 43 wins. However, their .716 winning percentage that year translates to a 116-win pace over 162 games.
There have only been 116 teams to win 100 or more games during a single season in MLB history dating back to 1892, and only 112 in since the American League and National League joined together in 1903, creating an average of fewer than one per season.
The Dodgers accomplished it four times while in Brooklyn, including one time as the Superbas, and seven times in Los Angeles. Five of their 100 win seasons have come since 2017, making an unprecedented run of regular season success.
But 2023 may have been their toughest path to 100 wins as they had an underwhelming offseason followed by early struggles and a flurry of injuries throughout the season.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was confident in his club, but didn’t necessarily expect them to win 100 games again.
“I think our expectation was to win the division, but given the division and the talent, the parity as far as the balanced schedule, it was hard to foresee this,” Roberts recently said of potentially reaching 100 wins.
“Especially given all the stuff we had to go through. Proud of our guys. They never wavered and right now I think we’re playing some of our best baseball, so I’m really excited by that.”
The Dodgers went through a transition in the offseason, letting go of multiple established veterans, including superstar Trea Turner, franchise icon Justin Turner, former MVP Cody Bellinger, and surprise breakout All-Star Tyler Anderson.
They replaced that group with a mix of their prospects and less-talented veterans to fill specific roles.
The end results, however, were still the same, which has Roberts believing this season is near the top of his list in terms of how meaningful it was.
“You see this roster, see the youth, guys that just came on board this year and blended in, had really good years and contributed, looking at where the pitching and defense was at the first half of the year and where it’s at now, there’s a lot of improvements,” Roberts said.
Ultimately, the Dodgers need to win the final game of the season for this year to get remembered, but either way, the Dodgers have been historically good over the last half-decade.
Dodgers waiting for NLDS opponent
The Dodgers are now set to prepare for the NL Division Series, but they have five days off until their matchup begins.
The NL Division Series will begin Saturday, October 7, at Dodger Stadium, but the opponent is still to be determined depending on the results of the Milwaukee Brewers and Arizona Diamondbacks Wild Card series.
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