When the season began, people joked about the Los Angeles Dodgers’ roster as if everything was preordained. Would they win 120 regular-season games? 125? Would they go undefeated?

It appeared they might after the first week or so of the season, but the Dodgers ran into some obstacles. One of their superstars looked unlike himself, first physically and then his production at the plate. The injuries to starting pitchers mounted. The bullpen wasn’t trustworthy. But ultimately, this was a team that marked October as the time to peak, and a classic World Series challenged them to reach new heights on the first day of November.

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And here are key moments that paved the way to L.A.’s ultimate triumph.

March 5: Mookie Betts returns to the position that made him feel “embarrassed” a year earlier

Betts wasn’t just one of the best players in the game for several years; he was also one of the league’s top defensive right fielders. When, out of necessity, he agreed to play shortstop just two weeks before Opening Day in 2024, he became mentally exhausted as he tried to get up to speed at a position he had only played in 31 professional games. “For me to go and be embarrassed on a baseball field, it took a lot, man,” Betts said.

He spent hours before games trying to prepare to play one of the game’s most difficult defensive positions, and then he broke his hand in June 2024. When he returned, he was back in right field and the Dodgers went on to win the World Series. Fast forward to spring training 2025, and Betts was back at shortstop. With more time to prepare, would this time be different?

March 17: The Dodgers’ world tour starts