Heading into the 2024 MLB postseason, the Los Angeles Dodgers knew they’d have to do something different to avoid repeating their past playoff mistakes. The disappointing ends to the Dodgers seasons in both 2022 and 2023 — losing each season in the first round to a division rival, particularly getting swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2023, left a bitter taste with nearly each member of the organization. The team was far too talented to lose in the first round of the playoffs, but did so twice in a row.
To prevent that same ending from happening for a third straight year, the Dodgers made multiple sacrifices during the playoffs to prepare themselves the best they could.