Dodgers Nation Podcast Network

On this Friday edition of Dodgers Dougout Live, Doug McKain is joined by Jerry Hairston Jr. to break down the possibility of the Brewers getting Tarik Skubal, how serious Mookie Betts' struggles really are, Shohei Ohtani's place in the Cy Young race and more!

Register and learn more at https://www.bajablasthomeruns.com Subject to complete offer terms & restrictions. Offer activates at 9 AM ET for 24 hours the day after at least one 420 ft home run is hit. Limited to 1 offer per day and 5 redemptions per person all season. Ends 9/26/26 or when 500,000 redemptions have been reached, whichever occurs first.

Register and learn more at https://www.bajablasthomeruns.com Subject to complete offer terms & restrictions. Offer activates at 9 AM ET for 24 hours the day after at least one 420 ft home run is hit. Limited to 1 offer per day and 5 redemptions per person all season. Ends 9/26/26 or when 500,000 redemptions have been reached, whichever occurs first. 

  

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0:00 Intro 1:44 Ohtani's Latest Dominant Start 

3:04 Ohtani's Historic Offensive Tear 

4:32 Pitching Breakdown 

6:49 Dodgers' Standings 

10:07 Shohei Ohtani Postgame Scrum 

16:04 The Cy Young Conversation 

23:17 Historical WAR Pace 

24:03 Kyle Tucker Finds His Swing 

26:15 Tarik Skubal/Trade Talk 

28:45 Shopify Ad 

30:10 Mountain Dew Ad 

31:28 DMAC answers YOUR Questions 

36:58 The Walk Off 

 

Shohei Ohtani went 3-for-4 with two walks at the plate and threw six shutout innings on the mound, dropping his ERA to an astonishing 0.74, continuing his run as arguably the greatest baseball player ever.

 

Since May 12th, Ohtani has led all of MLB in OPS, slugging, and weighted runs created. He carries a .301 batting average, a .420 OBP, and a .941 OPS — all elite marks by any era's standards. 

 

Shohei Ohtani's sweeper was his best pitch on the day. He navigated minimal trouble — a two-out double in the 5th and a walk in the 6th — but induced a game-ending double play to finish six clean innings on just 86 pitches. 

 

The Dodgers have won 16 of their last 20 games and sit 7 games ahead of the Padres and 7.5 ahead of the Diamondbacks, firmly establishing themselves as baseball's best team. 

 

In post-game remarks, Shohei Ohtani credited mechanical adjustments (not rest or two-day breaks) as the primary reason for his recent upturn. He noted his posture work directly affects his vision, which impacts both hitting and pitching. 

 

Despite a 0.74 ERA, Ohtani doesn't currently qualify for pitching leaderboards (needs one more inning in 62 Dodgers games played). 

 

Cy Young voters confirmed his offensive contributions won't factor in; pitching-only merits matter. Christopher Sanchez and Jacob deGrom currently lead the race in innings pitched and WAR. Ohtani is on pace for 13.6 WAR in 2026 — the highest single-season mark since Babe Ruth's 14.1 in 1923, a season played during baseball's segregation era. 

 

DMAC argues Ohtani's season is already the greatest in baseball history. Tucker went 3-for-5 with a home run and said it was the best his swing had felt all season. He described trying to drive a low line drive to left-center, which resulted in a quality homer — a potentially encouraging sign for the struggling Dodger outfielder. 

 

Jeff Passan reportedly identified the Dodgers as the best fit for Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. McKain argues LA doesn't need to blow up the farm — a package including River Ryan and James Tibbs could get a deal done. 

 

Lastly, DMAC highlights Emmett Sheehan's ALS awareness efforts (honoring Pete Frates of the Ice Bucket Challenge) and previews Miles Garrett throwing out the first pitch at Dodger Stadium on Friday.

Register and learn more at https://www.bajablasthomeruns.com Subject to complete offer terms & restrictions. Offer activates at 9 AM ET for 24 hours the day after at least one 420 ft home run is hit. Limited to 1 offer per day and 5 redemptions per person all season. Ends 9/26/26 or when 500,000 redemptions have been reached, whichever occurs first.

 

Join our Dodgers Nation Fancave Series: https://dodgersnation.com/fancave/ 

 

0:00 Intro 

1:07 Welcome to Dodgers Dougout Live 

3:12 Dave Roberts Calls Out Dodgers Haters 

5:02 Does Money Matter? Pushback on Roberts 

7:03 Payroll & Postseason: The Real Story 

9:41 Dodgers' Smart Reinvestment Strategy 

10:59 The Case for Trading for Tarik Skubal 

12:26 Why the Three-Peat Window Is Now or Never 

15:13 Pitching Risks & Roster Aging Concerns 

16:33 Can the Dodgers Win Without Ohtani Pitching? 

17:33 All In on Skubal: Why the Dodgers Must Act 

19:50 CBA Uncertainty & Closing Thoughts

 

*Dave Roberts Fires Back at Critics.* Manager Dave Roberts pushed back on what he called "lazy takes" about the Dodgers, arguing their success is driven by player development, scouting, international talent acquisition, and draft strategy — not just big spending. DMAC partially agreed but countered that payroll absolutely matters: since 1995, every World Series champion has been a top-10 spender, with the lone exception being the 2003 Marlins. 

 

*Money Alone Isn't Enough.* Look no further than the Mets and Padres as cautionary tales of big spending without smart organizational strategy, contrasting them with the Dodgers' disciplined, long-term approach to roster building. *The Dodgers Reinvest Revenue.* Unlike teams that pocket profits, the Guggenheim ownership group continually reinvests earnings into the roster, which McKain credits as a key differentiator in sustaining their dynasty. 

 

*Three-Peat Is the Goal — And It's Now or Never.* Only 13 professional franchises in history have won three straight titles, and it's only happened four times in MLB (by the A's and Yankees). The Dodgers may never have this opportunity again, so they should make any moves necessary to acquire a talent like Skubal. 

 

*The Roster Is Aging and Peaking.* McKain argued the Dodgers have the oldest roster in the league, with core players like Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, and Oscar Hernandez at or past their peaks. The window to win is narrow. 

 

*Pitching Depth Is Fragile.* How confident are we that that all four of last year's key starters (Ohtani, Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow) will remain healthy through another full postseason run? Snell had surgery, and Glasnow has a checkered injury history. Ohtani has never sustained elite two-way performance through a full season and into the playoffs. This is uncharted territory for the two-way superstar, and unfortunately the team can't afford to lose his bat — even if his pitching falters. 

 

*The Case for Trading for Tarik Skubal.* McKain made a strong argument for pursuing Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, saying the Dodgers should be "all in" even if it costs prospects like River Ryan and James Tibbs. He also argued that keeping Skubal away from rivals like the Brewers or Yankees is itself a strategic win. MLB insider Bob Nightengale has echoed this, noting the Dodgers are frontrunners for Skubal either at the trade deadline or as a free agent, and that Skubal — who is from Kingman, Arizona — would likely love to play in LA. 

 

 *CBA Uncertainty Adds Urgency.* With a new Collective Bargaining Agreement looming and potential roster-building restrictions on the horizon, DMAC urged the Dodgers to maximize this championship window now before the landscape of MLB spending potentially changes.

On this Tuesday edition of Dodgers Dougout Live, Doug McKain breaks down big injury updates for LA, the latest on Tarik Skubal trade rumors, what's really going on with Kyle Tucker and more!

Register and learn more at https://www.bajablasthomeruns.com Subject to complete offer terms & restrictions. Offer activates at 9 AM ET for 24 hours the day after at least one 420 ft home run is hit. Limited to 1 offer per day and 5 redemptions per person all season. Ends 9/26/26 or when 500,000 redemptions have been reached, whichever occurs first.

On this Friday edition of the Dodgers Nation postgame show, Doug McKain reacts to the team optioning Hyeseong Kim, LA's 4-2 win over the Phillies and more!

Register and learn more at https://www.bajablasthomeruns.com Subject to complete offer terms & restrictions. Offer activates at 9 AM ET for 24 hours the day after at least one 420 ft home run is hit. Limited to 1 offer per day and 5 redemptions per person all season. Ends 9/26/26 or when 500,000 redemptions have been reached, whichever occurs first.