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Ice Cube and ‘Three-Peat’ Chants: Dodgers Hold World Series Parade and Party

They’re not like us? Dodgers fans can certainly say that about their back-to-back World Series champions.

Shohei Ohtani and the rest of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated their second straight crown with a downtown parade Monday after becoming the first team in 25 years to win back-to-back titles.

“I’m already thinking about the third time we’re going to do this,” Ohtani told Spectrum SportsNet television through a translator.

He was accompanied by wife, Mamiko Tanaka, who took a photo of him. Last year, Ohtani carried his dog, Decoy, in his arms on the bus.

“It’s really nice to be able to win the game, and to be surrounded by all these amazing fans,” Ohtani said. “I’m really taking it in and enjoying it.”

(Photo by David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images) <!–>

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Manager Dave Roberts hoisted the Commissioner’s Trophy while aboard one of several buses that traversed a route packed with cheering, flag-waving blue-clad fans. “B 2 B” read one of many hand-lettered signs held up in the crowd.

More fans were waiting at Dodger Stadium, where the team was headed after the parade.

“I feel like it’s almost double from last year,” Freddie Freeman said. “These fans are crazy. It’s so awesome to be a part of this.”

‘This is Lit!’ 

(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) <!–>

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World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto wore a black T-shirt with World Series champions on the front. Wearing sunglasses and a backward baseball cap, Yamamoto waved to fans.

“I love the moments to share this kind of thing with my teammates,” he said through a translator.

Blue-and-white confetti blew from a truck rolling between the buses, which were filled with family members of the players, including newly retired Clayton Kershaw and his four children.

“It’s the perfect way to be done,” said Kershaw, who ended an 18-year career played entirely with Los Angeles. “I know the Dodgers have always meant a lot to this city for generations. For us to get to do this in front of them, it means the world to me and all the rest of the guys.”

Pitcher Blake Snell made the 6-7 gesture with his hands, signifying the Dodgers’ wins over the Toronto Blue Jays in Games 6 and 7.

“This is lit,” Snell said. “I love it.”

A bare-chested Kiké Hernández filmed the throngs with a hand-held camera.

“Winners win,” he said. “I hope these Dodger fans have a lot of fun because they deserve this. They showed up all year long, they supported us and here we are back-to-back champs.”

‘Not Like Us’ and Ice Cube Rolls In

After the players’ buses arrived to Dodger Stadium, the champions walked the blue carpet into the middle of the field and the stands already packed. 

The players were greeted as Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ blared over the speakers. And then, after taking their spot in the middle of the diamond, fans were treated to an epic entrance by another L.A. staple.  

Ice Cube, driving his signature blue low rider onto the warning track and along the foul line, delivered the Commissioner’s Trophy onto the stage with the 2024 trophy next to it. 

Three-peat? ‘Let’s Go!’

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts wasn’t shy about what the goal is for the Dodgers next season. 

Already the first team to win consecutive titles since the Yankees won three in a row from 1998-2000, the Dodgers will try to equal that feat.

“I talked to a friend yesterday, and he gave me the okay. Pat Riley, what’s better than two? Three!” Roberts exclaimed, calling out the legendary Lakers coach who won four NBA titles in the 1980s. 

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Dodgers-Blue Jays Game 7: Most Watched World Series Game Since 2017

The superstar lineups? The big home runs? The wildest ninth-inning in recent World Series memory? It all made for some serious must-see TV.

The Los Angeles Dodgers‘ Game 7 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday proved to be an instant classic. The game averaged 25.984 million viewers on FOX and FOX Sports properties, FOX Sports announced Monday. That makes it the most-watched World Series game since Game 7 of the 2017 Fall Classic, when the Houston Astros defeated the Dodgers. That game averaged 28.287 million viewers.

Viewership for Saturday’s game peaked at 31.543 million viewers during the 11:30-11:45 p.m. ET window. That was roughly around the time that the game went into extra innings following Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas‘ home run to tie the game, 4-4, in the ninth inning. Dodgers catcher Will Smith hit the go-ahead home run in the 11th before World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivered a series-ending double play in the bottom half of the frame. 

Dodgers vs. Blue Jays Game 7 Highlights 🔥 World Series on FOX

Dodgers vs. Blue Jays Game 7 Highlights 🔥 World Series on FOX

[Relive our Game 7 coverage: 7 Takeaways | Yamamoto’s Greatness] 

The dramatic finish helped viewership improve by 10% over the most recent World Series Game 7, when the Washington Nationals took down the Astros in 2019. That game averaged 23.187 million viewers. 

🚨 DODGERS BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPS 🤯 Papi, A-Rod & Jeter react to EPIC 2025 World Series vs. Blue Jays

🚨 DODGERS BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPS 🤯 Papi, A-Rod & Jeter react to EPIC 2025 World Series vs. Blue Jays

Saturday’s Game 7 was also FOX’s most-watched Saturday primetime telecast since Jan. 18. That was when the Washington Commanders upset the Detroit Lions in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. 

Final numbers for viewership of the 2025 World Series are expected on Tuesday. 

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Bonds, Clemens and 6 Others on 2025 Contemporary Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot

Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy were held over on the Hall of Fame’s contemporary baseball era committee ballot and will be joined next month by Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela.

The 16-person committee meets on Dec. 7 at the winter meetings in Orlando, Florida, and a 75% vote is necessary for election. Anyone elected will be inducted on July 26, along with anyone chosen in the Baseball Writers’ Association of America vote, announced on Jan. 20.

Albert Belle, Rafael Palmeiro and Curt Schilling were dropped after appearing on the previous contemporary era ballot in December 2022, when Fred McGriff was unanimously elected with 16 votes. Mattingly received eight, Schilling seven, Murphy six and Belle, Bonds, Clemens and Palmeiro less than four, the Hall said then.

The Hall in 2022 restructured its veterans committees for the third time in 12 years, setting up panels to consider the contemporary era from 1980 on, as well as the classic era. The contemporary baseball era holds separate ballots for players and another for managers, executives and umpires.

Each committee meets every three years. Contemporary managers, executives and umpires will be considered in December 2026, classic era candidates in December 2027 and contemporary era players again in December 2028.

The December 2027 ballot is the first chance for Pete Rose to appear on a Hall ballot after baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred decided in May that Rose’s permanent suspension ended with his death in September 2024. The Hall prohibits anyone on the permanent ineligible list from appearing on a ballot.

Under a change announced by the Hall last March, any candidate on the ballot who receives fewer than five votes will not be eligible for that committee’s ballot during the next three-year cycle. A candidate who is dropped, later reappears on a ballot and again receives fewer than five votes would be barred from future ballot appearances.

Bonds and Clemens fell short in 2022 in their 10th and final appearances on the BBWAA ballot, when Bonds received 260 of 394 votes (66%) and Clemens 257 (65.2%). Sheffield received 63.9% in his final BBWAA vote in 2024, getting 246 votes and falling 43 shy.

Bonds denied knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs and Clemens maintains he never used PEDs. Sheffield said he was unaware that substances he used during training ahead of the 2002 season contained steroids.

A seven-time NL MVP and 14-time All-Star outfielder, Bonds set the career home run record with 762 and the season record with 73 in 2001.

A seven-time Cy Young Award winner, Clemens went 354-184 with a 3.12 ERA and 4,672 strikeouts, third behind Nolan Ryan (5,714) and Randy Johnson (4,875).

Sheffield, a nine-time All-Star and the 1992 NL batting champion, hit .292 with 509 homers, 1,676 RBIs and 253 stolen bases. He started his big league career at shortstop, moved to third base and then the outfield.

Murphy, a seven-time All-Star outfielder who hit .265 with 398 homers, 1,266 RBIs and 161 steals, was on the BBWAA ballot 15 times and received a high of 116 votes (23.2%) in 2000.

Mattingly received a high of 145 votes (28.2%) in the first of 15 appearances on the BBWAA ballot in 2001. A six-time All-Star first baseman, he hit .307 with 222 homers and 1,099 RBIs in 14 years.

Delgado got 3.8% of the 2015 BBWAA vote and the outfielder was dropped from future ballots. He hit .280 with 473 homers and 1,512 RBIs.

Kent got a high of 46.5% in the last of 10 BBWAA ballot appearances in 2023. A five-time All-Star second baseman, he batted .290 with 377 homers and 1,518 RBIs.

Valenzuela, who died in October 2024, received 6.2% support from the BBWAA in 2003 and 3.8% in 2004, then was dropped. A six-time All-Star and the 1981 NL Cy Young Award winner, he was 173-153 with a 3.54 ERA and 2,074 strikeouts in 17 seasons.

The ballot was determined by the BBWAA’s 11-person historical overview committee: Adrian Burgos (University of Illinois), Bob Elliott (Canadian Baseball Network), Steve Hirdt (Stats Perform), La Velle Neal (Minnesota Star Tribune), David O’Brien (The Athletic), Jose de Jesus Ortiz (Our Esquina Media), Jack O’Connell (BBWAA); Jim Reeves (formerly Fort Worth Star-Telegram); Glenn Schwarz (formerly San Francisco Chronicle); Susan Slusser (San Francisco Chronicle); and Mark Whicker (formerly Southern California News Group).

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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9 World Series Titles: A Look Through Dodgers Championship History

It took seven games, but the Dodgers finally defeated the Blue Jays to become 2025’s World Series champions. That marked the ninth championship in the Dodgers’ long history, which ties them for the third-most in MLB, alongside the Athletics and Red Sox.

The Dodgers have actually been to the World Series the second-most of any organization, behind only the Yankees, and have a 9-14 record in those Fall Classics. Despite the sub-.500 showing, they are inarguably one of the most successful franchises in MLB history – here are each of the nine championship seasons, from most recent to their very first.

2025: Dodgers vs. Blue Jays, 4-3

The hero of the 2025 World Series was Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who pitched in three games: he started Game 2, a 5-1 victory, as well as Game 6, which Los Angeles won to force a Game 7. Yamamoto then pitched in relief in Game 7, too, on zero days rest, after throwing 96 pitches the day before. He’d toss another 34 here across 2.2 scoreless innings, which gave the Dodgers time to tie the game – thanks to a ninth-inning homer by Miguel Rojas – and then win it in extras to capture their ninth championship.

Dodgers’ Will Smith Launches GO-AHEAD HOME RUN in 11th Inning vs. Blue Jays

Dodgers' Will Smith Launches GO-AHEAD HOME RUN in 11th Inning vs. Blue Jays

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Los Angeles Dodgers’ Will Smith launched a go-ahead homer in the 11th inning against the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 of the World Series.

2024: Dodgers vs. Yankees, 4-1

The 12th matchup between the Dodgers and Yankees in the World Series was the first between the two since 1981, and didn’t go the way it so often did – the Yankees came into the series 8-3 against the Dodgers in the Fall Classic, but they’d fall to 8-4 with Los Angeles’ dominant victory here.

Freddie Freeman won Game 1 of the World Series with the first-ever walk-off grand slam, and outside of a win-or-go-home Game 4, in which New York scored 11 runs, the Yankees just couldn’t put it together throughout the rest of the series.

2020: Dodgers vs. Rays, 4-2

The Dodgers had been the dominant team in the sport for half-a-decade already, but had not yet won a World Series. They lost to the Astros in 2017 and the Red Sox in 2018. They won 106 games in 2019, but lost in the NLDS to the eventual-champion Nationals. In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, though, the Dodgers raced out to a 60-43 record – a .717 winning percentage – before taking down the Brewers, Padres and Braves en route to the World Series, where they faced the Rays. The Rays were yet to win a World Series, and still are after Los Angeles’ win.

1988: Dodgers vs. Athletics, 4-1

It might seem like the Dodgers are always a threat for a championship, but that’s just in the present: before 2020’s World Series title, their last one came in 1988. This World Series featured Orel Hershisher at the peak of his powers: he set career-highs in wins above replacement (7.2), innings (267) and was a unanimous NL Cy Young winner, on the strength of a 2.26 ERA that was powered by a record 59-inning scoreless streak. Hershiser also went 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles and an RBI at the plate in the World Series in his home start to go with his two complete-game victories.

Oh, and Kirk Gibson hit one of the most famous home runs ever, too.

1981: Dodgers vs. Yankees, 4-2

Three Dodgers served as co-World Series MVPs in 1981, with Pedro Guerrero (.333/.417/.762 with 2 HR and 7 RBIs), Ron Cey (.350/.458/.500, 1 HR and 6 RBIs) and Steve Yeager (.286/.267/.786 with 2 homers) all sharing the honors. Guerrero and Yeager went back-to-back in the seventh inning of the decisive Game 5, in which the Dodgers were trailing 1-0, to give Los Angeles the W and another championship.

Rookie phenom Fernando Valenzuela wasn’t at his best in his lone World Series start this season, but he still managed to throw nine innings with four runs allowed in what ended up being a 5-4 Dodgers victory – a solid exclamation point on a season in which Fernandomania dominated and he took home NL Rookie of the Year and Cy Young honors, and came in fifth for NL MVP.

1965: Dodgers vs. Twins, 4-3

Sandy Koufax was the World Series MVP; how could it have been anyone else? The legendary lefty started three games, two of which the Dodgers won, including a 2-0 Game 7. Koufax might have lost a game, but he allowed just two runs, one earned, in 24 innings of work: 29 strikeouts against 5 walks and 13 hits, and a 0.38 ERA. 

1963: Dodgers vs. Yankees, 4-0

The Dodgers’ first World Series matchup with the Yankees after their move to Los Angeles resulted in a victory for the former Brooklyn squad – they had just one championship against New York in their many previous attempts, but 1963 signaled the first of three such victories in a row. Despite it being a four-game series, Sandy Koufax still pitched – and won – twice, winning MVP honors for allowing just 3 runs across 18 innings.

1959: Dodgers vs. White Sox, 4-2

This was the Dodgers first World Series appearance and championship after their move to Los Angeles from Brooklyn, in just their second season after that relocation. Sandy Koufax threw nine innings over two games – one start, one relief appearance – and allowed a single run, but he was far from alone in that level of performance, with Don Drysdale (just a run allowed in a seven-inning victory) and Larry Sherry, who would win World Series MVP honors, joining him there. Sherry also gave up just a single run, but did so across two starts: Dodgers’ victories in Game 4 and Game 7.

1955: Dodgers vs. Yankees, 4-3

“Wait ‘til next year!” was the rallying cry of the Brooklyn Dodgers, at least until 1955. Despite winning pennants in 1916, 1920, 1941, 1947, 1949, 1952 and 1953, the Dodgers had not yet won a World Series at this time. To make matters worse, the Yankees had defeated the Dodgers in ’41, ‘47, ’49, ‘52 and ’53. Brooklyn took on New York yet again in 1955, but things finally went the Dodgers’ way this time: the Yankees went out to a 2-0 series lead, but the Dodgers fought back to win Games 3, 4 and 5 to pull ahead, and then finally Game 7. 

This was Jackie Robinson’s lone World Series championship in his 10 years and many attempts with the Dodgers – he would retire after the 1956 season, which ended with the Dodgers losing to the Yankees in the World Series again. That defeat was probably a little easier to stomach after the magic of ’55.

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MLB Gold Glove Award Winners: Cubs Lead the League With Three Recipients

The Chicago Cubs had a major league-high three Gold Glove winners this year, with Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner all taking home baseball’s most famous fielding honor.

It was the first Gold Glove for Crow-Armstrong, part of a breakout season for the All-Star center fielder. Happ won for the fourth consecutive year in left field, and it was the second Gold Glove for Hoerner at second base.

Kansas City, Boston and San Francisco each had two winners. Eight players earned the award for the first time, St. Louis-based Rawlings announced on Sunday.

Here is the full list of winners: 

American League

C: Dillon Dingler
1B: Ty France
2B: Marcus Semien
SS: Bobby Witt Jr.
3B: Maikel Garcia
LF: Steven Kwan
CF: Ceddanne Rafaela
RF: Wilyer Abreu
P: Max Fried
Utility: Mauricio Dubón

National League

C: Patrick Bailey
1B: Matt Olson
2B: Nico Hoerner
SS: Masyn Winn
3B: Ke’Bryan Hayes
LF: Ian Happ
CF: Pete Crow-Armstrong
RF: Fernando Tatis Jr.
P: Logan Webb
Utility: Javier Sanoj

Bobby Witt Jr. and Maikel Garcia of the Royals became the first shortstop-third baseman teammates to win in the same season since J.J. Hardy and Manny Machado for the Orioles in 2013. It was Witt’s second straight Gold Glove at shortstop.

Patrick Bailey and Logan Webb of the Giants are the first battery from the same team to win a Gold Glove in the same season since Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright for the Cardinals in 2013. It was Bailey’s second straight win at catcher.

The Red Sox winners were right fielder Wilyer Abreu and center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela. The 26-year-old Abreu also won last year, and the 25-year-old Rafaela earned the award for the first time.

New York Yankees pitcher Max Fried and Cleveland left fielder Steven Kwan joined Happ as four-time winners. Atlanta first baseman Matt Olson earned his third Gold Glove.

Detroit catcher Dillon Dingler, Texas second baseman Marcus Semien, Houston utilityman Mauricio Dubón and first baseman Ty France rounded out the AL winners. France was traded from Minnesota to Toronto on July 31.

San Diego right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr., St. Louis shortstop Masyn Winn, third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes and Miami utilityman Javier Sanoja also won in the NL. It’s the second Gold Glove for Tatis and Hayes, who was traded from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati on July 30.

Semien earned a $100,000 bonus for winning the honor. Kwan and Witt each got $50,000, and Hayes earned a $25,000 bonus.

Voting was conducted among managers and up to six coaches from each team, who can’t select players on their own club. Since 2013, voting has been factored with a Society for American Baseball Research defensive index, which comprises about 25% of the total.

The utility category is based on a SABR formula and additional defensive statistics.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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2026 MLB Free Agent Rankings: Top 10 Stars Hitting Open Market This Offseason

With the conclusion of the World Series comes the start of MLB free agency, and this year’s class is ripe with needle-moving talent for teams hoping to challenge for next year’s pennant.

Here are the top 10 upcoming MLB free agents:

1. Philadelphia Phillies DH/OF Kyle Schwarber

Kyle Schwarber has led the National League in home runs in two of the last four seasons. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) <!–>

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2025 Stats (Regular Season): 56 home runs, 132 RBIs, 4.7 WAR and .240/.365/.563 slash line (604 at-bats)

When there’s a power outage, you call Schwarber to get the lights back on. The left-handed hitting slugger has overwhelming power, exemplified by his hitting 56 home runs this season and ranking in the top three percent of MLB in average exit velocity in each of the last two seasons. 

One could argue that the 32-year-old Schwarber still has three more prime years left in the tank, and, at the top of his game, the level, compact-swinging star hitter should command a starting salary that begins with the No. 4, if not the No. 5.

Kyle Tucker is a four-time All-Star. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) <!–>

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2025 Stats (Regular Season): 22 home runs, 73 RBIs, 25 stolen bases, 4.5 WAR and .266/.377/.464 slash line (500 at-bats)

Tucker is one of the best outfielders that the sport has to offer. Now, calf and shin injuries, respectively, have limited the outfielder’s availability over the past two years. That said, this is a Gold Glove right fielder who hits for slug, seldom strikes out and is still just 28. 

A long-term investment in Tucker, who has been an All-Star in each of the past four seasons, is an investment in one of the game’s best all-around players and a left-handed hitting star who has played in numerous big-time postseason games, particularly in his seven seasons with the Houston Astros.

3. Toronto Blue Jays SS Bo Bichette

Bo Bichette led the American League in hits in both 2021 and 2022. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) <!–>

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2025 Stats (Regular Season): 18 home runs, 94 RBIs, 3.4 WAR and .311/.357/.483 slash line (582 at-bats)

Want a star shortstop who’s about to enter the prime of his career? Bo Bichette is for you. Bichette, who will be on Toronto’s World Series roster after missing seven weeks due to a knee injury, is an explosive right-handed hitter, an extra-base hitting machine and a steady force at shortstop. Bichette, a two-time All-Star, is a career .294 hitter who wreaks havoc at the top of the order. 

A long-term investment in Bichette is a prudent play for any team needing a fixture at the middle-infield position.

Alex Bregman boasts a career 43.1 WAR. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) <!–>

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2025 Stats (Regular Season): 18 home runs, 62 RBIs, 3.5 WAR and .273/.360/.462 slash line (433 at-bats)

Plug-and-play-and-go. That’s what Bregman will give any team that he signs with. While Bregman is coming off a season where he was limited by a quad injury, the third baseman remains one of the premier infielders in the sport. He’s slick at the hot corner, hits for both contact and power and is a proven force in the postseason. 

Opting out of a $40 million average annual salary, Bregman should be able to fetch a salary north of $30 million per season on a long-term deal.

Framber Valdez boasts a career 3.36 ERA. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) <!–>

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2025 Stats (Regular Season): 3.66 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 187 strikeouts, 3.8 WAR and 114 ERA+ in 192.0 innings pitched (31 starts)

While he’s had some postseason issues in recent years, Valdez is a proven, top-of-the-rotation force. Houston’s most consistent starting pitcher over the last five years, the southpaw pitches deep into games, posts strikeouts at a plausible rate and evades damage. Valdez, who heavily leans on his sinker and curveball, gives any pitching staff that he potentially joins credibility, a potent starter and a proven commodity. He’s an ace.

Pete Alonso is first in Mets history with 264 career home runs. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) <!–>

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2025 Stats (Regular Season): 38 home runs, 126 RBIs, 3.4 WAR and .272/.347/.524 slash line (624 at-bats)

Alonso and the Mets look poised for another offseason of hardball contract negotiations. And if that narrative indeed continues into the winter, it gives any team in need of an elite power catalyst the chance to swoop in and sign the five-time All-Star. Alonso, who has averaged 39 home runs and 115.8 RBIs per season since 2021 and finished in the 96th percentile in MLB in average exit velocity, hard-hit percentage and barrel percentage this season, is among the most intimidating hitters in the sport.

Boasting a career .516 slugging percentage, he’d move the needle for any team looking for power production.

Ranger Suarez owns a combined 3.33 ERA over the last two seasons. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) <!–>

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2025 Stats (Regular Season): 3.20 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 151 strikeouts, 4.7 WAR and 137 ERA+ in 157.1 innings pitched (26 starts)

Suarez has emerged as one of the best starting pitchers in the sport over the last two years. Commanding a consistent, five-pitch arsenal (sinker, changeup, cutter, curveball and four-seamer), Suarez has been able to pitch deep into games (he pitched through the seventh inning in nine of 26 starts this season), induce weak contact and, at his best, has arguably been Philadelphia’s No. 1 starting pitcher. The left-hander’s problem has been back issues, which stunted his 2024 campaign and delayed the start of his 2025 campaign.

Only making 53 starts over the past two years is primarily what prevents the 30-year-old Suarez from being higher on this list.

Cody Bellinger has posted an OPS north of .800 in two of the last three seasons. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) <!–>

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2025 Stats (Regular Season): 29 home runs, 98 RBIs, 5.0 WAR and .272/.334/.480 slash line (588 at-bats)

Bellinger does it all. The two-time All-Star started at all three outfield positions for the Yankees this season, while being able to play first base, possessing reputable power and drastically reducing his strikeouts in recent years. Bellinger’s 5.0 WAR this season was his highest mark since posting 8.7 WAR in his 2019 MVP season. One knock on Bellinger, though, is that he hasn’t built on a promising or All-Star-caliber season at the plate.

The back-and-forth career offensive tendencies of Bellinger could result in him signing a three-year deal instead of a five or six-year deal, which was the length of his previous contract.

Eugenio Suarez has averaged 32.6 home runs per season since 2021. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) <!–>

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2025 Stats (Regular Season): 49 home runs, 118 RBIs, 3.6 WAR and .228/.298/.526 slash line (588 at-bats)

Suarez swings a hammer, and combining the regular season and postseason, the third baseman blasted 52 home runs in 2025. Now, he does strike out at a high rate. At the same time, his power outweighs the whiffs, as Suarez is one of the most intimidating power threats in the sport and finished in the 89th percentile of MLB in barrel percentage this season (14.3%). 

A veteran presence at third base, the 34-year-old Suarez figures to cash in on a hefty, three-to-four-year deal.

Josh Naylor totaled a career-high in home runs (31) and RBIs (108) in 2024. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) <!–>

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2025 Stats (Regular Season): 20 home runs, 92 RBIs, 30 stolen bases, 3.1 WAR and .295/.353/.462 slash line (543 at-bats)

Naylor has come into his own as one of the best first basemen in the game. He has a level, compact swing from the left side that generates power and is a respectable defensive presence at the corner infield position. After landing in Seattle this past summer through a trade from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Naylor was a force to be reckoned with in the postseason, blasting three home runs and posting a .340/.392/.574 slash line. 

Entering the prime of his career, Naylor presents a savvy, long-term investment at first base.

Honorable Mentions:

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Every Major Sport’s Most Recent Three-Peat: Can the Dodgers Join the Club?

Repeats in Major League Baseball are a rarity. In fact, prior to the Los Angeles Dodgers lifting their second consecutive Commissioner’s Trophy on Saturday, no team had won back-to-back World Series titles since the New York Yankees at the turn of the century.

Now that the Dodgers have crossed that item off of their agenda, they’ve shifted their attention to an even bigger goal; the most coveted feat in all of sports; the three-peat.

If repeats are hard, then three-peats can also be described as grueling — just ask the Kansas City Chiefs, who had hoped to join the exclusive club last year but fell well short in the Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Will the Dodgers succumb to the same fate next year, or will they etch their name in the history books alongside the other all-time great teams in sports? Let’s take a look at the last teams to accomplish the three-peat in every major sport:

MLB: New York Yankees (1998-2000)

 Photo by Al Tielemans /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) <!–>

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In what was the last true Yankees dynasty, the team won four titles in five years — with the wins in the three-peat coming in convincing fashion. Sweeping the San Diego Padres in 1998 and the Atlanta Braves in 1999 and then beating the New York Mets in the 2000 Subway Series, the likes of Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte cemented their respective places in Yankees history.

NFL: Green Bay Packers (1965-67)

No NFL team has three-peated in the Super Bowl era (1966-present), but the Packers did three-peat, as they won the final NFL championship in 1965 and then the first two Super Bowls in 1966 and 1967. Near the end of Vince Lombardi’s reign as head coach, Bart Starr, Jim Taylor and Willie Davis helped lead Green Bay to three consecutive titles, including a pair of blowouts in Super Bowl I and Super Bowl II. The Packers also three-peated from 1929-31.

Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi raises a football in victory, surrounded by reporters covering the first Super Bowl in 1967. <!–>

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NASCAR: Jimmie Johnson (2006-10)

Johnson drove laps around everyone in the latter half of the 2000s, winning 35 races from 2006-10 and six Cup Series championships in eight years. He ended his career with seven championships, tied with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the most in NASCAR history.

College Football: Minnesota Golden Gophers (1934-36)

The Golden Gophers lost one game over their three-peat span (25-1) under head coach Bernie Bierman. Minnesota won two more titles under Bierman in 1940 and 1941. The head coach was ordered to report to the Marines during WWII, with him returning as Minnesota’s head coach in 1945.

Men’s College Basketball: UCLA Bruins (1967-73)

Thought some of the aforementioned runs were impressive? Those don’t hold a candle to John Wooden’s UCLA teams of the late 1960s and early 1970s. A period that saw the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton and Curtis Rowe, among many others, put on the Bruins uniform saw UCLA win titles in nine of 10 seasons.

Team group shot of the UCLA University players after they won the NCAA Title beating Dayton. Lew Alcindor shown in center rear and coach John Wooden is on right rear. <!–>

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Women’s College Basketball: UConn Huskies (2013-16)

The game of basketball has treated the UConn faithful well over the past decade. Losing a whopping five games over four years (151-5), the Huskies were the unstoppable force of women’s college basketball, boat-racing teams up and down the floor. Breanna Stewart, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Morgan Tuck were part of what was arguably the golden age of UConn hoops.

Premier League: Manchester City (2021-24)

Before finishing third in the Premier League last season, Manchester City had won four consecutive titles in England’s top division. Not just a three-peat, but a four-peat! In total, they’ve won six of the last 10 Premier League titles, all under legendary manager Pep Guardiola.

Champions League: Real Madrid (2016-18)

Led by Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid’s second generation of Galácticos won Europe’s highest trophy three consecutive times, with the final one coming in Ronaldo’s final season with the club. Real Madrid are the only team in the modern Champions League era to three-peat.

Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid poses with the UEFA Champions League trophy following the UEFA Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Liverpool at NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium on May 26, 2018 in Kiev, Ukraine.  (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) <!–>

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College Softball: Oklahoma (2021-24)

Another four-peater on this list, the Sooners lost just 15 games in their four-year stretch of dominance under coach Patty Gasso. Oklahoma beat Texas and Florida State twice apiece to win its titles. They came just short of winning a five-peat last season, losing in the semifinals.

NBA: Los Angeles Lakers (2000-02)

Phil Jackson retired following the 1998 season with the Chicago Bulls — until, of course, he became the head coach of the Lakers in 1999. Led by the star power of Shaquille O’Neal and an emerging superstar by the name of Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles won three straight titles, while Jackson actually claimed his sixth consecutive title as a coach, as he won in each of his final three seasons at the helm in Chicago with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.

Kobe Bryant (L) of the Los Angeles Lakers holds the Larry O’Brian trophy as teammate Shaquille O’Neal (L) hold the MVP trophy after winning the NBA Championship against Indiana Pacers 19 June, 2000. (Photo credit should read AFP/AFP via Getty Images) <!–>

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WNBA: Houston Comets (1997-2000)

The first four seasons of the WNBA were controlled by the Houston Comets, who won each of the first four league titles. As the Comets dominated the sport, Cynthia Cooper won two WNBA MVPs. Cooper and Tina Thompson each went on to have Hall of Fame careers, but the Comets disbanded as a franchise following the 2008 season.

NHL: New York Islanders (1980-83)

The pride of Long Island won its first Stanley Cup in what was the Islanders’ eighth season in the sport. A run that featured Hall of Famers Bryan Trottier, Mike Bossy, Clark Gillies and goalkeeper Billy Smith saw the Islanders sweep the Stanley Cup in 1982 and 1983 and avoid a Game 7 in each of the four seasons. This run came directly after the Montreal Canadians also four-peated.

College Baseball: USC Trojans (1970-74)

The Trojans baseball program was a behemoth under manager Rod Dedeaux, winning five consecutive World Series thanks to the contributions of George Milke and Russ McQueen, among many others. To date, the five-peat remains an NCAA Baseball record, with two being the most consecutive titles by any other team.

UFL: Birmingham Stallions (2022-2024)

The Stallions have been on a tear since the second iteration of the USFL was announced in 2022. Birmingham won two league championships as a part of the USFL, as well as the inaugural UFL Championship Game in 2024 after the league merged with the XFL. Under the leadership of former NCAA football head coach Skip Holtz, the Stallions have compiled a 32-4 record in three years, never sustaining more than two losses in a single season.

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Clayton Kershaw Didn’t Realize the Dodgers Won the World Series After Double Play

Clayton Kershaw ended his illustrious 18-year career unaware that he’d just won the World Series again.

At least at first.

The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in 11 innings in Game 7 on Saturday night to become the first team in a quarter century to win consecutive championships.

But that was news to Kershaw initially.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner was warming up in the bullpen and had lost track of the outs when Alejandro Kirk grounded into a game-ending double play with runners at the corners.

“When he hit the double play, I thought the run scored and it was tied. I had no idea. I thought I had the next batter,” Kershaw said, laughing.

It was left to Dodgers bullpen catcher Josh Bard to let Kershaw know the game was over and they had won.

“Bardo was there and he looked at me, he said, `We just won the World Series’ and I was like, `Are you sure?’”

Clayton Kershaw gets EMOTIONAL looking back at his Dodgers career, grateful for 3rd WS title 🥹

Clayton Kershaw gets EMOTIONAL looking back at his Dodgers career, grateful for 3rd WS title 🥹

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Clayton Kershaw shared his thoughts as he looked back at his career, feels grateful for winning his 3rd World Series title with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 37-year-old left-hander announced in September his plans to retire after this season.

He said at his locker Saturday night that he couldn’t have asked for anything more. Kershaw spent his entire career with the Dodgers and won three World Series rings. He became one of the greatest pitchers of his generation and one of Los Angeles’ most beloved athletes of the 21st century.

“It’s not a sad feeling. It really isn’t,” Kershaw said. “I mean, how cool is this? I will forever for the rest of my life be able to say we won Game 7 of the World Series in the last game I ever played. You can’t script that. You can’t write it up. Even if I was not throwing 88 (mph), I still would be done. It’s just the perfect way to end it.”

The three-time Cy Young Award winner made a clutch appearance out of the bullpen in the 12th inning of Game 3, a 6-5 victory that stretched 18 tense innings.

“You can’t script that, either. I’m thankful to get out there and get that last out,” he said. “That’s so cool.”

In his prime from 2010-15, Kershaw led the National League in ERA five times, in strikeouts three times and wins twice.

He has already earned a place alongside Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Don Newcombe and Fernando Valenzuela among the greatest pitchers to wear Dodger Blue.

Kershaw had one of the best pitching seasons ever in 2014, when he finished 21-3 with a 1.77 ERA and 233 strikeouts to win both the Cy Young and Most Valuable Player awards in the NL.

Dodgers vs. Blue Jays Game 7 Highlights 🔥 World Series on FOX

Dodgers vs. Blue Jays Game 7 Highlights 🔥 World Series on FOX

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Check out the best moments from this World Series Game 7 matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays.

Kershaw built his reputation with a pitching style that relies on deception, movement and velocity changes. He has said he modeled his mechanics after his favorite childhood pitcher, Roger Clemens.

The 11-time All-Star is tied with Zack Wheat and Bill Russell for the most years playing with the Dodgers. Kershaw also won World Series championships in 2020 and 2024.

He has a career record of 222-96 and 15 shutouts, most among active major leaguers. He threw his only no-hitter in June 2014 against Colorado.

His 2.54 ERA is the lowest of any pitcher in the live-ball era since 1920, and his winning percentage tops all pitchers with at least 200 victories since 1900.

Kershaw said he’s been offered a job by Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman.

“He mentioned something where I can hang out,” Kershaw said. “I don’t know what that looks like, but this is a special organization and they don’t need me to win World Series — that’s obvious. But if there’s anything that I can do in the future to be a part of it, I hope that’s the case.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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‘What a Way To End It’: Clayton Kershaw Reflects on His Career After His Final Game

Before Freddie Freeman joined his teammates in the Dodgers‘ clubhouse to celebrate winning his second consecutive World Series, he stopped to talk to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal about all the emotions he was feeling after an electric Game 7.

The prevailing feeling? Joy — not for himself, but for his teammate.

“I’m just so happy Clayton Kershaw is a three-time champ,” Freeman, a three-time champion himself, said.

‘I’m happy Clayton Kershaw is a 3-time Champ’ 🥹 – Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman on winning World Series

‘I’m happy Clayton Kershaw is a 3-time Champ’ 🥹 – Dodgers' Freddie Freeman on winning World Series

Ever since Kershaw announced his intention to retire at the end of the season in September, the Dodgers have had hopes of sending the 37-year-old ace off on a high note as a champion. Not only did they deliver on that goal, but they did it in dramatic fashion.

“How can I script it any better?” Kershaw told the MLB on FOX desk. “That’s the last time I’ll ever play a baseball game. Game 7; extra innings; I get to be out there, run on the field and celebrate with my teammates. I’m just so thankful, man. My cup is overflowing.”

Kershaw didn’t make an appearance in Saturday’s series-deciding Game 7, but there was a moment he thought might have to step out onto the mound one last time.

“I had my back turned to it, I had no idea we had one out,” Kershaw said. “I was warming up and then, sure enough, double-play-turned-game-over. But I think I might have had the next batter right there.”

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) <!–>

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Thanks to some extra-innings heroics from Yoshinobu Yamamoto, it didn’t come to that. Instead, Kershaw got to watch from the dugout as his teammates closed out the series.

“For it to end tonight like this, I don’t really have words for it,” Kerhsaw said. “I’m just so honored. It’s unbelievable.”

Kershaw was able to get his World Series sendoff, however. In the 12th inning of Game 3, Kershaw came out of the bullpen with the bases loaded and the score even at five runs a piece. Kershaw got the save, and the Dodgers went on to win in the 15th inning, 6-5.

“To win a third World Series with this group of guys, to get the last out of an inning in the 12th inning was just stuff that you couldn’t even script.”

Of course, Kershaw won’t look back on some of his other postseason outings with the same fondness, but as he looked back at his career one final time from behind the MLB on FOX desk, one word came to mind: grateful.

“I’m grateful for all of it,” Kershaw said while being serenaded with “Hall of Fame” chants from the visiting fans at Rogers Centre. “Good times, bad times, injuries, bad starts, bad postseasons … this is beyond my wildest expectations for a baseball career.

“What a way to end it.”

Clayton Kershaw gets EMOTIONAL looking back at his Dodgers career, grateful for 3rd WS title 🥹

Clayton Kershaw gets EMOTIONAL looking back at his Dodgers career, grateful for 3rd WS title 🥹

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