Chris Russo Picks Against Dodgers Winning a Third Straight Title. History Says He Has a Point.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have the best record in baseball. They lead the NL West by 11.5 games. They have Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and a payroll that lets them absorb mistakes most teams can’t. And yet, ESPN’s Chris Russo is betting against them winning a third straight World Series.

Russo laid it out on First Take. He expects the Dodgers to get the No. 1 seed. He just doesn’t think they’ll finish the job. His reasoning isn’t complicated. It’s hard to win three in a row. The Yankees were the last team to do it, from 1998 to 2000. The A’s did it once, back in the early 1970s. That’s it. Two franchises, in the modern era of the sport. Russo’s argument is that the margin for error shrinks every October. A bloop single falls in. A center fielder misjudges a fly ball. The baseball gods get bored and decide to shake things up.

“I would take the field,” Russo said.

The Dodgers Have Built a Roster Built to Beat the Odds

It’s not like the Dodgers haven’t had hiccups in their recent playoff runs. Last year they nearly blew a series against the Toronto Blue Jays before pulling it out. In 2024 they got pushed hard by the San Diego Padres. They haven’t been perfect, but they’ve been good enough. And the front office has stacked the roster so deep that a bad bounce or a cold week from one star doesn’t sink the whole thing.

But history is history. Three-peats in baseball are rare for a reason. The game is random in October. Pitching staffs get worn down. Hot streaks matter more than regular-season records. The Dodgers have the talent to overcome all of that, but Russo isn’t wrong that the path is narrow. The Yankees three-peat came during a period when the sport had fewer playoff rounds. The A’s did it with a dynasty built on pitching and speed. The Dodgers would be trying to do it in a 12-team playoff field where anything can happen.

It’s Not About Doubting the Talent

Nobody is saying the Dodgers aren’t good. They are clearly the best team in the National League right now. The question is whether being the best team in April through September carries over to October. Recent history says no. The Braves won 104 games in 2023 and got bounced in the NLDS. The Dodgers themselves won 111 games in 2022 and lost in the NLDS. Regular-season dominance doesn’t guarantee playoff success.

So Russo is picking the field. It’s not the flashy take. It’s not the hot take. It’s the safe bet, because the odds are always against a team winning three in a row, even if that team is the Dodgers. And that’s the thing about baseball. The numbers don’t care how much money you spent.