Reading Time: 2 minutes
Dodger fans know all too well the feeling of heartbreak, disappointment, and anger. From the 2013 season through the 2019 season, the Los Angeles Dodgers were the only team to consistently make the postseason every year in that yearly span.

Los Angeles has come out a National League pennant title twice in the 6-year span. But what’s more impressive is every single year during that span, they have won their division, the NL West. The Dodgers have had the best record in all of baseball in two of those seasons, including a 106-win season in 2019 (franchise record for wins in a single season), they have had arguably the best pitcher in baseball in that span, Clayton Kershaw.

The most surprising and notable statistic to come out of this historic run is that they have yet to come out of a season with hardware aka a World Series Trophy. LA hasn’t won a title since 1988, and hoping to discontinue that horrid streak.

So looking back, what is the explanation for their constant failure?

Is it the great left-handed ace Clayton Kershaw to blame?

There certainly is undeniable proof that Kershaw shines more in the grueling days on spring and summer than when the lights are on the brightest in October. He dices a 2.44 ERA in the regular season – yet –  a 4.33 ERA in the playoffs! It’s a proven fact that when the lights are brightest, Kershaw cracks under pressure.

Is it their management as head coach Dave Roberts has led them to 2 World Series trips but yet, faces backlash for his constant managerial decisions?

Whatever the case many be for LA, 2020 is set into perfect position for the Dodgers to finally win it all. The team added a former MVP, Mookie Betts, giving them now 2 big bats along with Cody Bellinger in the lethal lineup.

Now with help in the rotation, Kershaw doesn’t have the workload and pressure on him now to carry the staff into and during the playoffs. This pressure once placed on Kershaw, has slowly been boiling on young ace Walker Beuhler.

The elephant in the room of a 60-game season is on LA’s advantage simply because they are matched up in a relatively weak NL West. There is little question facing the Dodgers and winning the easy NL West. You could also pencil them in as the potential 1-seed in the National League playoffs, if all goes well and the team avoids in the injury bug.

The completion in the National League has slowly regressed in recent years. Comparing all the teams, the Dodgers stand head and shoulders above everyone else. Although, the team will be faced with challenges regarding the Atlanta Braves in coming years.

All the cards are set up perfectly for the Dodgers in 2020. If Dave Roberts leads his squad to a title this – shortened – season, all the previous postseason failures will be forgotten and instead they will be remembered as an up and coming dynasty. Say Los Angeles fails to come out with hardware at the end of the season, who knows they may never win another for a very long time and questions of a curse might be brought up.

Image: Getty Images