by Megan Garcia
Three is in the air.
A third World Series championship in as many years will serve as the Dodgers’ north star in 2026. But until they reach that point, their focus will be the road that lies ahead of them — 162 regular-season games.
“You spend the offseason trying to detach, catch your breath a little bit (but) now seeing the players here (at DodgerFest) and their energy, seeing the energy of the fans, the calendar has turned — it’s time to get going again,” said Dodger manager Dave Roberts.
It’s been 89 days since the Dodgers celebrated their back-to-back titles with fans at Dodger Stadium on Nov. 3. Now, with the dawn of a new season and the addition of elite talent in All-Star reliever Edwin Díaz and All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker, the Dodgers put their next goal in motion at DodgerFest on Saturday.
“It injects energy into us,” Freddie Freeman said. “To go out and keep getting the best players year in and year out, even when you’re winning the World Series, it’s refreshing. It really shows you that our front office wants to win every single year. To be a part of that, it’s really special.”
It was also the first time that players could reminisce together in 2026 about the electrifying 2025 World Series that led to the Dodgers’ ninth title.
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“I’ve seen the highlights. I love talking to the guys about different moments in (Game 7),” catcher Will Smith said. “I love explaining it to people who aren’t baseball people and who are, as to what we were thinking, what we were doing, how one thing impacted something else, it’s just fun.
“That whole series was entertaining for the fans, but it was so fun play in. It was just incredible.”
Smith’s offseason program has gone according to plan after he missed September and part of the postseason due to a fractured right hand. The Fall Classic hero will ramp up his Spring Training program, however, to play for Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Shohei Ohtani will also be suiting up for the WBC. Unlike the two previous years, the 2025 National League MVP had a “normal offseason”, where he’s focused on being a two-way player rather than rehabbing.
“The only wrinkle is the World Baseball Classic,” Ohtani said. “I’m ramping up a little bit earlier than normal.”
Ohtani added that he will be fully prepared to be a designated hitter for Team Japan in the WBC. Roberts said that Ohtani will not pitch in the Classic.
“He will be ramping up his arm to get ready for the season,” Roberts confirmed. “I don’t (remember) how many innings he threw last year, but with a full offseason, going north of what he threw last year.”
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Starting pitcher Blake Snell, however, will have a slower ramp-up in Spring Training to avoid aggravating his left shoulder. He missed four months in 2025 due to left shoulder inflammation after making two starts.
But Snell’s plan is to be ready by Opening Day.
“I feel good. I’m just going to go slower,” Snell said. “Last year, I had so much to prove. I got way too excited. I was really pushing to get to spring and get through spring. This year, I’m going to be a little slower in how I ramp up, be a little smarter on that.”
For Tommy Edman, the offseason has been methodical for rehabbing his right ankle. He’s hit every checkpoint in the recovery process without experiencing any setbacks since undergoing surgery in November.
Edman resumed baseball activities last week.
“It feels good to have the boot off and be walking around,” Edman said. “I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to get my ankle to a point where it’s 100% and put all those issues behind me.”
The Dodgers’ first full squad workout will be on Feb. 17 at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona.
The journey to ‘three-peat’ kicks off at DodgerFest was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.