Dodgers Match Best Start Ever by Defending Champ Despite Injuries

The Los Angeles Dodgers are playing at a historic pace, despite injuries piling up.

Apr 17, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

One thing that certainly shouldn't shock any Major League Baseball fan around the league is the fact that the Los Angeles Dodgers have been able to find success throughout the 2026 campaign so far, despite a multitude of injuries that have popped up.

Los Angeles is the two-time reigning World Series champion. Rather than getting complacent, the Dodgers went out and signed four-time All-Star Kyle Tucker this past offseason, along with three-time All-Star Edwin Díaz, among others. This is a team that clearly is trying to win now and is using all of its resources and getting creative in order to put itself in a position to do so.

The Dodgers' flurry of high-profile moves over the last few years does paint the rest of the league in an intriguing light. While there's no denying that the Dodgers are in a good position financially, these clubs are owned by billionaires. It's hard to believe there aren't more out there who could be doing things like the Dodgers. Especially when it comes to the deferrals the Dodgers have included in deals. Los Angeles has shown that it's willing to hand out a boatload of cash and also get creative in the process to do so. Even though there are teams out there with less cash than Los Angeles, what's stopping them from handing out deals loaded with deferrals as well?

The Dodgers' Start Has Been Historic In 2026

Apr 18, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) after scoring during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Los Angeles' star-studded shopping spree comes in handy, especially as injuries pop up. Right now, the club has Blake Snell, Gavin Stone, Brusdar Graterol, Enrique Hernández, Tommy Edman and former Most Valuable Player Mookie Betts on the Injured List. This would destroy most teams. For the Dodgers, it doesn't matter.

In fact, the Dodgers tied the record for the best start to a season by a defending champion by going 15-4 in their first 19 games of the season, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

"The Los Angeles Dodgers are off to a 15-4 start, equaling the best by a defending World Series champion in history, and this is despite two-time Cy Young award winner Blake Snell not throwing a pitch, second baseman Tommy Edman not taking an at-bat and future Hall of Famer Mookie Betts on the injured list," Nightengale wrote.

Since then, the Dodgers have dropped two games and now sit at 15-6. But the two-time reigning World Series champions tied the record for best start to a season following a title, despite all of the injuries.

The Dodgers are clearly a team trying to win. Rather than complaining, there should be more teams around the league trying to be like Los Angeles.