The Los Angeles Dodgers won another World Series and a famous player quote has never been more true.
“You don’t just accidentally show up in the World Series.”
But wait, you say, isn’t that a Derek Jeter quote?
It sure is.
He was a New York Yankee.
That’s the point.
Tongue in cheek, Jeter knew something about how the Bronx Bombers won back-to-back-to-back multiple championships at the turn of the century. No team’s repeated since… until now. It’s safe to say the Dodgers are the new Yankees… but baseball may never be the same after this dynasty.
Dodgers Same But Different
Baseball fans know deep pockets have always paid and paved the way for New York Yankee success. Go back to buying Babe Ruth from the Red Sox, DiMaggio, Mantle, Jackson and down the line, amassing 27 World Series Championships. There’s a lot of money in Gotham, and therein is the beginning of our story. Where it’s gone in a New York minute like a fast train from Brooklyn to LA is what may change baseball in a big way… next season.
If You Spend It, They Will Come
The Dodgers literally have the best team money can buy. Their 2025 player payroll reached $350 million, topping even the spend-as-fast-as-possible New York Mets ($343M) and Yankees ($304M). In contrast, the Miami Marlins passed out a paltry $68M. They weren’t alone. Of MLB’s 30 teams, 16 did not have team payroll even half of what the Dodgers spent. Five teams didn’t reach $100M in team payroll. Much of his earned income is deferred, but Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani’s ten-year contract total’s $700 million. That’s $70 million a year, more than the Opening Day payroll of 5 MLB teams.
The Haves and Have Nots
This very Have and Have Not scenario will likely be a key tool MLB owners and Commissioner Rob Manfred use to divide and conquer in 2026. Baseball’s contract with the players union ends at close of next season, and of course, payroll will be the issue. Owners will argue for parity… players for more dollars. Guess which major American sport is the only one without a salary cap? NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS are all under various caps that limit how much teams can spend (and players earn). Not MLB. Granted, the NBA’s is not much of a cap. And the NFL manages to reward stars. But what MLB will be looking for is an open door… the start of some kind of hard spending cap that establishes a top end of player pay, presumably equalizing team payroll. To that end, look for the Commissioner to talk about the Have and Have Nots. It will sound like this:
“Wonderful… the Dodgers won another World Series! But look at their payroll. Don’t the fans in Miami deserve a winner every now and then? How about Tampa? And Pittsburgh? Baseball needs team parity. Baseball fans deserve a salary cap.”
It’s not a bad argument. Except that it will go nowhere with the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA). Hardcore union members will urge the collective players to reject entry into any agreement that caps what they can earn.
When It Comes to a Head
When contract time arrived in 2022, MLB locked out the players and delayed Opening Day. Players think owners will use the lock out strategy again… after the 2026 season. The players could beat them to the punch and strike during the 2026 season before owners can act. Neither scenario is a fan-pleaser.
Here We Go Again
The 1994 players strike ended the season and cancelled the World Series. Baseball suffered spirited fan anger and resentment to its own detriment. The NBA and MJ surged in this era as did the NFL. MLB struggled to win back its fans. Players began to routinely toss end-of-inning and foul balls to fans in the stands… not unheard of but a “tradition” only dating back to the 1995 season after the strike. It took the 1998 drama of Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa swatting homers at a record pace to fully re-engage fans. I know, I know… steroids… story for another day.
Dodgers On Top
So, the Dodgers really are the new Yankees with their parade this week, World Series trophy and back-to-back championships. All’s well out West but remember what Jeter said. Surely, he was referring to grit, glory and such, but let’s talk dollars and sense. The Dodgers didn’t “accidentally show up in the World Series”. They paid for it before they played for it… as would any team that wants to win in today’s game. We can only hope next season owners and the union don’t make fans pay too… and accidentally become the ultimate losers.
