The Los Angeles Dodgers are preparing to do something that the baseball world hasn’t seen in a quarter-century.

After winning a championship last season, the roster has been completely retooled with Cy Young award winners, international phenoms, seasoned veterans, and, of course, the existing talent from the 2024 title run.

Fans are excited about what will be made of this new-look roster trying to earn a second consecutive championship, but one of ESPN’s top baseball insiders Eric Karabell isn’t buying into the hype.

Karabell made bold predictions for all 15 National League teams, and gave a less-than-ideal statement for how he thinks 2025 will go for Los Angeles.

“The Dodgers win 96 games, but not the NLCS.”

After 98 regular season wins in 2024 and 100 in 2023, the estimation of 96 isn’t too much of a far-fetched idea. The second part of Karabell’s statement is one that is a bit more eye-opening.

The Dodgers have intricately engineered their roster this offseason to not just continue contending with last season’s squad, but to further dominate the baseball world.

There is no other option for the organization other than winning their final game of the season and once again lifting the Commissioner’s Trophy at the end of October.

To be fair to the prediction, there are tons of great teams in the National League, including three potential playoff contenders in the Dodgers’ division in the Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres, and San Francisco Giants.

Then, there are other powerhouses such as the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, and Atlanta Braves.

Karabell boldly predicts the Dodgers won’t win the NL in 2025. While they may be the favorite to win the NL pennant and World Series, it is technically smarter to take the field at this point in the year.