Dodgers Predicted to Lose NL West to Padres, Enter Playoffs as 5th Seed

Aug 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) is congratulated by outfielder Alex Call (12) on the win against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

At times, it has been maddening watching the Los Angeles Dodgers play baseball this season. Beyond the injuries, the defending champions have been wildly inconsistent and it has cost them what was once a nine-game lead in the NL West.

More news: Dodgers’ Kiké Hernandez Reveals One Position He Doesn’t Want to Play

The San Diego Padres have given the Dodgers a run for their money and had taken sole possession of the division earlier this month. However, in their last meeting, LA was able to take one game which gave the Dodgers a piece of first place.

Currently, the Dodgers are two games ahead of the Padres in the NL West, but the tight division race this late in the season has many people speculating this may be the year LA is dethroned. With the exception of 2021, the Dodgers have run away with the division for the last decade.

The inconsistent performance from Dodgers offense coupled with the ongoing defensive issues in the outfield certainly doesn't bode well for LA's chances in October. But before the postseason even begins, the Dodgers will have to secure a division title.

Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller predicts the Dodgers to lose the division and enter the postseason as a fifth seed.

"Even with Mookie Betts looking much more like his old self over the past 20 days and the Dodgers pitching staff as healthy as it has been all season, this is the first time it has legitimately felt like (from afar, with no rooting interest in either direction) the Padres not only could win this division, but perhaps should," Miller writes.

"And though they are presently 2.5 games behind the Phillies, that schedule ought to push them over the top in the race for a first-round bye.

"If San Diego and Philadelphia wind up in a tie, though, that tiebreaker is TBD. They split the regular-season games 3-3, so it would at least go to the second tiebreaker, which is record against own division. San Diego is 24-18 with 10 NL West games still to come, while Philadelphia is 20-15 with 17 NL East games remaining. (If a third tiebreaker is necessary—record against other two divisions in the league—San Diego is all but guaranteed to win that one.)"

More news: MLB Insider Predicts Max Muncy's Future With Dodgers as Free Agency Looms

For more Dodgers news, head over to Dodgers on SI.