The Los Angeles Dodgers entered the 2026 season hoping to make history with a third consecutive World Series championship. Instead, their season ended in disappointment after the Milwaukee Brewers swept them in the National League Championship Series. Despite having one of baseball’s most talented rosters, Los Angeles has important questions to answer before the 2027 season.
Three players in particular will be worth watching as the Dodgers look to bounce back: Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Tucker, and Freddie Freeman. Each faces a different challenge, and strong performances in key moments by these players could help put Los Angeles back in the World Series in no time.
Dodgers Star Players Looking to Bounce Back in 2027
1. Shohei Ohtani
When a player is as talented as Ohtani is, expectations are high. Ohtani had another great season with the Dodgers, but he definitely had some problems. First is injuries. Getting injured too much was definitely a problem this season for Ohtani. Second, he did not perform as he has in the last couple of years.
Ohtani finished the regular season with a .275 batting average, 30 home runs, 81 RBIs, and a .889 OPS. His batting average ranked tied for 38th in MLB, his home run total tied for 17th, and his RBI total tied for 46th.
General manager Brandon Gomes and manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani was feeling good.
“I feel confident that you’re going to see the best version of Shohei of the last two months,” Roberts said. “I know that’s sort of a low bar given his injury, but I do think that he’s as healthy as he’s been in quite some time, and every day from the training staff, it keeps getting better. So, number one, he’ll be a threat being in the lineup, but I do think that the performance piece will be what we’re hoping for.”
That didn’t quite work out for Roberts and Los Angeles, so for the Dodgers, the job is simple: get Ohtani healthy and prepared for next season.
2. Kyle Tucker
Tucker arrived in the offseason as a big free-agent signing for the Dodgers. However, he did not do as well as he was expected to do. Tucker finished the season with a .233 batting average, 17 home runs, 70 RBIs, and a .715 OPS. His batting average ranked 113th in MLB, his home run total tied for 110th, and his RBI total tied for 84th.
As we all know, when you are traded to the Dodgers or signed as a free agent, expectations are very high. Tucker simply did not live up to expectations.
The question is can Tucker do better in the upcoming 2027 season? I just don’t know. The thing though, is that Tucker does not need to become a completely different player, he just needs to become the player that the Dodgers thought he was when they signed him.
3. Freddie Freeman
Freeman has been a great player for the Dodgers this season, but the postseason was the problem. In the regular season he hit .288 with 16 home runs and 70 RBIs.
However, in the 2026 postseason, Freeman hit .172 with two home runs, three RBIs, and a .621 OPS across 29 at-bats. He recorded just five hits, which is much different from what he has been doing the last couple of years with the Dodgers.
Heading into the 2027 season, Freeman’s challenge will be to start strong and carry that momentum all the way into the postseason.
It was definitely a hard season for the Dodgers, after getting swept by the Brewers. It was heartbreaking to come so close to going back to the World Series only to be completely outmatched in the NLCS. Look for Los Angeles and their stars to come back motivated in 2027.
Main Image: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
