The Mets still have a mountain to climb to get past the Dodgers

There was quite a bit of talk during the World Series about the stable of players who couldn’t pitch for the Dodgers.

It’s a group that included Tyler Glasnow, Gavin Stone and Clayton Kershaw. And let’s not forget the other half Shohei Ohtani — the pitcher rehabbing from elbow surgery who was a Cy Young-caliber arm before this season.

That the Dodgers still won the World Series (and somewhat easily) should send some shock waves through the sport, especially for teams that have legitimate plans to win it all.

This is partly about the Mets, who have made a leap this season and will likely be viewed as a championship contender (at least by much of their fan base) heading into 2025. But, to use a comparison with football, you have to wonder if these Dodgers are where the Chiefs, led by Patrick Mahomes, were a few years ago and poised to become something of a dynasty. If basketball is more your speed, think Warriors with Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson.

Maybe we’re only talking that way because, for a change, the team with the most wins in the regular season—and a star-studded one at that—actually won the World Series. This hasn’t happened in an entire season since 2018 (Red Sox) and has only happened four times before in the 21st century.

In other words, these Dodgers weren’t exactly the serious team that got hot in the second half of the season and carried it to a World Series title. The Dodgers were a powerhouse when the season began and World Series champions when it ended.

The Mets, as well as those who played the final four months of the regular season and into October, must figure out how to close that gap. It won’t be as easy as bringing back much of the same team, plugging in a few free agents and hoping for the best.

The Dodgers are masters of organizational depth — the parade of relievers that carried them through the postseason is Exhibit A — but they also have the wherewithal to land the biggest stars.

That brings us to Juan Sotothe best offensive player available on the free-agent market. I would argue that as much as the Mets need Soto for their own improvement, they risk taking a step back if they don’t get him and he signs with the Dodgers.

Just the idea of ​​Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Soto in the same lineup is amazing. And that’s not even counting the professional cast behind the Dodgers’ top stars, which includes players like Will Smith and Max Muncy.

Soto added to Francisco Lindor and Mark Vientos (and possibly Pete Alonso?) would potentially be as good or better a core as the Mets have had in their history. The Alonso question, of course, will revolve around how far the Mets are willing to go with a contract, with the team already locking in Lindor and Brandon Nimmo long-term, and Soto almost certainly getting north of 10 years with the next his contract. .

The Dodgers, even before bulking up this offseason, can put Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Glasnow, Ohtani and Stone in their rotation. Walker Buehler and Jack Flaherty are among the free agents, and it will be interesting to see if either is re-signed or if the Dodgers go on the big-game hunt for Corbin Burnes or Max Fried.

Let’s just say the Dodgers have far fewer pitching questions than the Mets, who will need to be aggressive this winter in filling out a rotation around Kodai Senga and David Peterson. Perhaps they will re-sign one or more of Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and Jose Quintana. But even then, reinforcements will be needed and questions about whether the farm system can produce enough arms — for the rotation and the bullpen — to get the Mets through a season.

The nature of baseball is such that the postseason often becomes a dud, but no dice were rolled this season: the best team won.

And there’s no doubt (even at this early stage of the offseason) the Dodgers will be the best team heading into next season.

It leaves you wondering if the Mets can avoid becoming baseball’s Buffalo Bills — a team that emerges as perennially formidable but lives in the shadow of a dynasty.