The Los Angeles Dodgers are an aging ballclub — there’s no other way to put it.
Even with Clayton Kershaw riding off into the sunset, the team has to get younger across the board.
There’s no doubting the pedigree this group brings to the table. No other franchise currently has a core possessing this level of maturity, togetherness, and character. At the same time, injuries have begun to pile up with some of the team’s more established and wizened members. The team clearly lacks athleticism and speed relative to its peers in the sport.
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David Schoenfield of ESPN recently put together a piece in which he broke down every team in the Big Leagues from a statistical standpoint. The aim was to look at a specific number that could ‘make or break’ the team’s chances in 2026.
As it pertained to the Dodgers, Schoenfield’s thoughts revolved around age. The team’s group of position players is on average projected to be nearly 31 years old.
“Certainly, the bullpen was the big issue in 2025, which the Dodgers addressed by signing top available closer Edwin Diaz. There are still plenty of power arms in L.A.’s pen, too; expect a much better season from that group. So, let’s go with 30.7 as a key number — the average weighted age via Baseball Reference (based on playing time) of Dodgers position players in 2025, making it the oldest group in the majors. It was still an effective group, thanks in large part to Shohei Ohtani, as only the Yankees scored more runs than L.A.
“If there’s a reason the Dodgers are beatable in 2026, however, it will be regression from this group as age starts catching up to some of the key performers. The Dodgers have dropped from 906 runs in 2023 to 842 in 2024 to 825 in 2025 — remember, that’s despite adding Ohtani in 2024. Freddie Freeman is still great but will be entering his age-36 season; Max Muncy is 36; Mookie Betts will be 33, coming off his worst season; Teoscar Hernandez will be 33, coming off a .284 OBP. The Dodgers added to the bullpen, but let’s see if they look to boost the offense — or at least get a little younger.”
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This is where the magic of Andrew Friedman comes into play. He’s been masterful in building a group built to win years into the future. Friedman surely understands the need to get younger, and this current offseason will be quite fascinating in terms of how he plans to get that goal achieved.
There’s no secret the outfield could use an influx of athleticism. The same can be said within the infield given the ages established above.
The team will surely do everything they can to keep their veteran players fresh. That includes constant days off, around-the-clock treatment, and all of the little things which have made this franchise elite.
At the same time, whether it’s coming via trade or the farm system, the old guard will be turned over in favor of ushering in a new crop of players.
We’ll see whether that transition happens immediately or perhaps after the 2026 season.
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Photo Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
