by Mark Langill
The difference between a hot start and a streak of victories to begin a season is the ceiling that ranges within one’s imagination.
The supposed end of the Brooklyn Dodgers’ dynasty occurred when first-year manager Walter Alston’s squad finished second in the 1954 National League West standings with a 92–62 record, five games behind the eventual World Series champion New York Giants.
But the aging “Boys of Summer,” losers in all four of their Fall Classic appearances between 1947 and 1953, had a surprise at the start of the following season. They began 1955 with 10 consecutive victories and 22 wins in their first 24 games.
The unexpected 10–0 start set the tone for one of the most memorable seasons in franchise history.
The 1955 Dodgers won their 10th straight game on April 21 at Ebbets Field, a 14–4 decision over the Philadelphia Phillies. A crowd of 3,874 braved inclement weather to watch the Dodgers set a National League record for most wins to start a season. Team president Walter O’Malley announced fans who mailed their ticket stub to the Dodger office would receive a special gift, which was a commemorative coaster with a Brooklyn cap artwork and “10–0” reference under the glass.
Six months later, the Dodgers won their first and only championship in Brooklyn history, outlasting the New York Yankees in a seven-game Fall Classic.
The 2025 Dodgers on Tuesday became the second defending World Series champion to begin the season with a 7–0 record.
The other reigning champion to begin the next season with a 7–0 record — the 1933 New York Yankees.
The 1940 Dodgers won their first nine games.
The Dodgers are the 29th team in Major League Baseball history to win their first seven games of the season. The 2023 Tampa Bay Rays, 1987 Milwaukee Brewers and 1982 Atlanta Braves share the MLB record with a 13–0 mark.
During the Dodgers’ streak, Freddie Freeman missed four games and Mookie Betts was sidelined for three. Will Smith leads the NL in batting average (.471) and on-base percentage (.625) while Betts and Tommy Edman have three home runs apiece.
Also during the streak:
Dodger bullpen: 34 1/3 IP, 2.10 ERA, 48 strikeouts/9 walks, .185 opponents’ batting average
Dodger starting pitching: 29 2/3 IP, 2.43 ERA, 35 strikeouts, .187 opponents’ batting average
Dodger offense: 15 home runs, 39 runs (5.6 runs per game)
“It’s certainly not easy,” Dodger manager Dave Roberts said of the team’s 7–0 start. “Expectations, going across continents, obviously the hoopla with Opening Week, playing two really good ballclubs, two Cy Young Award winners — so all that stuff is tough to win a handful of ballgames, let alone all of them. I think we just do a really good job of resetting and getting ready for the next day.”
The 2025 Dodgers add to greatest winning streaks to start a season was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.