The Yankees Dynasty and the Dodgers' pursuit of an echo

"Championship teams don't just repeat, let alone three-peat. Dynasties aren't created simply by winning the championship every because that's an unrealistic expectation. Even the best dynasties across all sports suffer setbacks, some of which are minor. Dynasties echo in the annals of sports history because of consistent winning (not "even-year miracles") in the face of margins that are razor thin, randomness that is too cruel, attrition covered in pain and loss and being the envy of every other organization."

"That's what the Los Angeles Dodgers are chasing. A three-peat. This has not been done in Major League Baseball since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees. The Dodgers have, off and on, been compared to the New York Yankees in this era, but now they are chasing that true label. In that spirit, we're going to compare these two teams and see what they have in common and what sets them apart."

"If the phrase "bought championship" seems nauseating in 2026, back at the turn of the century (somebody get me a cane and some Werther's originals for that statement), it was much more the narrative even then. Much like the current Dodgers, though, there was a core group of players. They called them the "Core Four." Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera were well-known and respected. Three of these players are in the MLB Hall of Fame."

Dynasties are defined by consistent winning amid razor-thin margins, randomness, attrition, and organizational envy rather than flawless seasons. The Los Angeles Dodgers are pursuing a three-peat, a feat unseen in Major League Baseball since the 1998–2000 New York Yankees. The Yankees' late-1990s dynasty featured a stable core—Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera—three of whom are in the Hall of Fame. The Dodgers have maintained prolonged dominance in the National League West for 13 years, cycling through multiple cores as players like Andre Ethier, Justin Turner, Chris Taylor, and Corey Seager have come and gone.

Read at Dodgers Digest