5 biggest National League threats to Dodgers' chances of reaching World Series

3. Arizona Diamondbacks

Like the previous two teams, the Arizona Diamondbacks were also a shocking team last season. Unlike the other two teams, though, they were surprising in a good way.

Unlike the Dodgers, making the World Series is enough for their season to have registered as a massive success. They deserve their flowers after their postseason run, which was admittedly very fun to watch. Now they look to build off that success in 2024.

The Diamondbacks haven’t gone through any major changes for the worse since last season. No star player left in free agency or got traded, and they shored up their depth in the wake of losing Evan Longoria and Tommy Pham, acquiring Eugenio Suarez, who is a well-rounded third baseman, as well as Randal Grichuk. They also retained Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and, perhaps most importantly, they acquired starting pitcher Eduardo Rodríguez.

Rodríguez is a nice pickup for the Diamondbacks. He rounds out their rotation as he joins Zac Gallen, Merill Kelly, and Brandon Pfaadt. More importantly, this adds another element to the division rivalry. Rodríguez decided not to waive his no trade clause to join the Dodgers back at the trade deadline when the Detroit Tigers were looking to deal the 30-year-old. This rubbed Dodgers fans the wrong way, and now that he is in Arizona, fans can’t wait to go up against him. 

If the Diamondbacks were able to be NL Champions last year, they definitely have what it takes to bring down the Dodgers for what would be a second year in a row.