Where do the 2020 Dodgers rank among the best teams of all time?

After years of close calls and failure to meet expectations, the Los Angeles Dodgers finally broke through to win their first World Series since 1988.

But as we know, 2020 has been a unique year, and baseball was forced to make drastic adjustments to its regular season and playoff structure, calling into question the legitimacy of L.A.’s title. So where do the Dodgers stand in relation to other teams that have managed to win it all? Let’s investigate.

L.A.'s regular season win percentage was elite

The Dodgers finished an MLB-best 43-17 during the 60-game regular season, good for a .717 win percentage. Only three teams can boast a better win percentage than that in the modern World Series era; the 1906 Chicago Cubs (.763), the 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates (.724), and the 1954 Cleveland Indians (.721). Only the Pirates were able to seal the deal in the Fall Classic, as Honus Wagner and company turned back Ty Cobb’s Detroit Tigers in seven games. The Pirates played just 152 games that season, yet the legitimacy of their title has never been the subject of debate.

L.A.'s depth would likely have prevailed over a 162-game season

We will never know if the Dodgers would have fizzled out if 2020 featured baseball’s typical 162-game grind, but the team cannot be blamed for that. They did what they had to do and beat the teams that were put in front of them more often than any of the other 29 major-league clubs this year. It’s hard to argue that L.A. wasn’t built to withstand the rigors of a long season with their incredibly deep roster, which eventually came in handy during a trying postseason run.

Dodgers prevailed over four postseason rounds

The 2020 playoffs were just as unique as the 60-game season that took place beforehand. Sixteen teams were allowed enter, four more than ever before. The Dodgers were forced to play four rounds, including a three-game series with the Brewers in which bad luck – say, for example, Clayton Kershaw being a game-day scratch due to back spasms –  could have easily knocked them out of the postseason. L.A. also endured an unprecedented NLCS with the Braves that featured seven games in seven days.

The Dodgers won without the benefit of home-field advantage

Additionally, from the second round of the postseason on, the Dodgers were required to sacrifice the customary home-field advantage received by the No. 1 seed and play their games at neutral sites. In an ordinary year, L.A. would have had 50,000 fans a night packing Dodger Stadium to root on their team for four of those seven NLCS tilts.

So a tip of the cap is definitely in order. From the everyday stars like Mookie Betts to the role players like Kike Hernandez, the Dodgers were a juggernaut from start to finish in 2020 and should be remembered as an outstanding team.