3 reasons why Dodgers could fail in pursuit of World Series three-peat

The Los Angeles Dodgers are entering the MLB postseason with a first-round bye, but they are not the No. 1 seed. That goes to the Milwaukee Brewers . But this Dodgers team should still be considered the World Series favorites with their stacked roster.

In pursuit of a third-straight World Series title, this Dodgers team is going to have a real chance to win it all this Fall. But that doesn't mean things cannot go wrong.

ESPN's Jorge Castillo revealed three reasons why the Dodgers could get eliminated early this postseason, and all three are real issues that have been impacting the Dodgers this season.

3 reasons why Dodgers could fail in three-peat quest

"If they go home early, it will be because age, injuries and their back-to-back World Series runs caught up with them," Castillo writes.

Injuries, age, and fatigue are the three reasons why the Dodgers could fail in their pursuit of a third-straight World Series championship.

Regarding age, the Dodgers have the oldest roster in the Major Leagues, coming in at 31.1 years old, according to Castillo. Freddie Freeman , Mookie Betts , Shohei Ohtani , and plenty of others are over 30 years old.

While age might not be the sole reason for their failure this October, it could play a real role, especially when combined with another big reason why 2026 could be a failure: fatigue.

The Dodgers have played more games than any other team in MLB over the last three seasons, as they've gone on deep runs every year so far. It would not be a surprise if the Dodgers simply ran out of steam.

That is sort of what happened to the Kansas City Chiefs in their three-peat pursuit. They were demolished in the Super Bowl, their third-straight title appearance, by the Philadelphia Eagles. The next season was a huge regression year as well.

While not solely due to fatigue, it certainly played a role. That could end up being a reason why the Dodgers struggle in October this year, as the Chiefs did in 2025.

But the other major issue, and easily the most pressing, is the injuries. Ohtani is hurt enough to keep him off the mound, while players like Andy Pages , Will Smith , Brock Stewart , Blake Treinen , Roki Sasaki , and Justin Wrobleski are all coming off injuries.

While the Dodgers might've gotten these injured players back, there will be some real questions about how they play in October.

Between injuries, the Dodgers' roster's age, and the fatigue of multiple title runs, the Dodgers could end up failing in their World Series pursuit. This team has a real chance of winning it all, but these underrated issues could sink their season.