Living in LA, the excitement after the Dodgers' World Series win last year was off the charts.

There were claims of a new baseball dynasty with back-to-back MLB championships, saying it would be the Dodgers' world for the next few years.

But talking about a dynasty seems a bit premature.

In the 2026 regular season, despite winning 100 games, they were swept by the Milwaukee Brewers.

And it was the same team they had crushed with a four-game sweep last year. They were avenged in just one year.

So, whose fault is it?

First, let's look at the pitching staff. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who was a key player in last year's World Series win, barely pitched 2 and 2/3 innings in the second game against Milwaukee before being pulled.

This was the shortest individual inning in Major League postseason history.

What was expected from a pitcher signed to a 12-year, $325 million contract was certainly not this. Just because he was a hero last year doesn't mean he gets a free pass for this year's struggles.

What about Shohei Ohtani? The $700 million superstar. This year, he couldn't perform due to injuries.

His postseason batting average was .192. He hit a three-run homer in the last game, but it was already too late.

Roki Sasaki also didn't contribute as much as expected to the starting rotation. However, it wasn't just the Japanese pitchers who struggled.

Blake Snell gave up three home runs, and Tyler Glasnow couldn't hold a four-run lead.

The average earned run average for Dodgers starting pitchers in the Championship Series was 6.50. At this point, it's not just a specific player's failure; the entire rotation collapsed.

However, I believe the hitters bear more responsibility.

Freddie Freeman had one hit in 14 at-bats over four games against Milwaukee.

Mookie Betts had three hits in 15 at-bats, Will Smith had two hits in 15 at-bats, and Max Muncy had two hits in 12 at-bats.

How much do these players cost combined? Haha

Especially, the Dodgers recorded only five hits in 43 at-bats with runners in scoring position this postseason. That's a batting average of .116.

This means they failed to get a hit nearly nine out of ten times with runners in scoring position.

If the pitchers give up two or three runs, the hitters need to score four or five, right? That's the reason for assembling a lineup worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Of course, the pitchers were terrible too. But baseball is a game where you need to score runs to win. No matter how good the pitcher is, if the hitters are silent, there's no way to win.

Additionally, manager Dave Roberts' game management was disappointing.

While the opponent was shaking things up with speed and aggressive base running, the Dodgers were still waiting for a veteran's big hit.

At this point, it's not just a few players' issues; we need to question the team's operational philosophy.

The average age of the Dodgers' position players was 30.9 years, the oldest in Major League Baseball.

Against a young and fast Milwaukee team, the high-priced veterans crumbled without a fight.

I believe the blame for this failure should be divided as follows: 50% on the hitters, 35% on the pitchers, and 15% on the manager and team operations. Of course, this is just my personal assessment.

The Dodgers are not a team that lost due to a lack of money. Rather, they are a team that believed they could solve all problems by acquiring expensive players.

Despite winning 100 games, they didn't make it to the World Series. They put up a dynasty banner after two championships, but their limitations were exposed in their third attempt.

Next year, they'll probably be touted as championship contenders again. They might bring in another player worth hundreds of millions.

But I hope they can stop using the term dynasty now.

Baseball doesn't determine the championship team based on who pays the highest salaries.