Shohei Ohtani's gift to Dodgers teammates sends message that could be all-timer for LA

Despite a series loss to the Guardians, the Dodgers are off to a great start in 2026. They swept a division rival (the Arizona Diamondbacks) in the opening series behind some solid pitching efforts and a lineup that looks just as deep as promised. Even after dropping two to the Guardians, they are (unsurprisingly) leading the NL West.

None of that is all too surprising; the Dodgers are resounding favorites to claim their fifth consecutive NL West title, and they probably won't cede their early lead atop the division for the rest of the year. Still, it's a start worth being appreciative of, especially when you consider the team's ultimate goal in 2026.

The watches are a nice touch, but that negligible dent in Shohei Ohtani's bank account isn't the lede. The Dodgers know they're chasing history this year with a target the size of Los Angeles on their backs. Can they stand up to the pressure and secure the three-peat they were built for?

Shohei Ohtani's three-peat message receives loud affirmation in Dodgers' opening series

It's a small sample of games against a middling team, but it's hard to fault anything that happened during the Dodgers' first three games.

Ohtani didn't do a ton of damage at the plate, but that's mostly because the Diamondbacks were too scared to pitch to him; he was walked in four of his 13 plate appearances. That simply left the stage open for World Series heroes Will Smith (two home runs, 203 wRC+) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (five hits and two runs allowed in six innings) to pick up right where they left off in 2025.

Even as veterans like Kyle Tucker, Freddie Freeman, and Teoscar Hernández stumbled out of the gate, the Dodgers were able to score 16 runs in three games. The lineup is just stuffed with so many weapons who can change the course of a game with one swing. Navigating the Dodgers' offense in 2026 might as well be Sisyphus' modern boulder.

If there is a nit to pick with the group, it was Emmet Sheehan's disheartening outing, where the the 26-year-old allowed four runs, five hits, and two walks in just 3 1/3 innings. His velocity troubles from spring training persisted, and one has to wonder if an undiagnosed (or nonpublic) injury is holding him back. The team has the depth to weather an absence (Justin Wrobleski could easily slide into his spot in the rotation), but the Dodgers are better if Sheehan is pitching well.

Even with that caveat, the Dodgers are operating like the freight train we know them to be. Ohtani's message will get meme'd into oblivion if the team falls short of a historic three-peat, but who is equipped to stop L.A. this year? If that sounds arrogant, be sure to rewatch to the 2024 and 2025 World Series.