Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) West Division. One of the most successful and storied franchises in MLB, the Dodgers have won eight World Series championships and a record 25 National League pennants. As of 2024, Forbes ranked the Dodgers second in MLB franchise valuation at $5.45 billion. Founded in 1883 in Brooklyn, New York, the team joined the NL in 1890 as the Brooklyn Bridegrooms and used other names before becoming the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1932. The Dodgers broke the baseball color line in 1947 with the debut of Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play in the Major Leagues since 1884. From the 1940s through the mid-1950s, the Dodgers had a fierce crosstown rivalry with the New York Yankees. The clubs have faced each other in the World Series seven times, with the Dodgers losing the first five matchups before winning the franchise's first title in 1955. After 68 seasons in Brooklyn, Dodgers owner and president Walter O'Malley moved the franchise to Los Angeles before the 1958 season. The team played their first four seasons at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum before moving to their current home of Dodger Stadium in 1962. The Dodgers found immediate success in Los Angeles, winning the 1959 World Series. Success continued into the 1960s; their ace pitchers Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale helped win titles in 1963 and 1965. In 1956, Don Newcombe became the first player to win the Cy Young Award and be named NL MVP in the same season. In 1981, rookie pitcher Fernando Valenzuela became a sensation and led the team to a championship; he remains the only player to win the Cy Young and Rookie of the Year awards in the same season. The Dodgers were once again victorious in 1988, upsetting their heavily favored opponent in each series and becoming the only franchise to win multiple titles in the 1980s. Next came a 32-year championship drought, despite 12 postseason appearances in a 17-year span and eight consecutive division titles from 2013 to 2020. It was broken when the Dodgers won the 2020 World Series. The Dodgers signed global sensation Shohei Ohtani in 2024, who set league and franchise records with the team en route to their eighth World Series title that season. Eleven players have been named NL MVP with the Dodgers. Eight Dodger pitchers have won a total of 12 Cy Young Awards—by far the most of any MLB franchise. The Dodgers boast 18 Rookie of the Year Award winners, twice as many as the next club. This includes four consecutive Rookies of the Year from 1979 to 1982 and five consecutive from 1992 to 1996. From 1884 through 2024, the Dodgers' record is 11,432–10,068–139 (.532). Since moving to Los Angeles in 1958, the Dodgers' record is 5,808–4,778–6 (.549) through the end of 2024. The Dodgers are among the most popular MLB teams, enjoying large fan support both at home and on the road; they are widely seen as one of National League's most dominant teams. Their fierce rivalry with the San Francisco Giants dates to the two clubs' time in New York City; a more recent rivalry with the American League's Houston Astros intensified after the latter stole signs in the 2017 World Series.

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