MLB insider Ken Rosenthal was asked whether the Los Angeles Dodgers are beatable in their National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves. His answer leaned one way without closing the door.

“Are they beatable in this series? I don't think so, necessarily,” the FOX Sports insider said on Foul Territory. “I do like the Dodgers in this series, but we'll see what happens going forward. Nothing is guaranteed in the playoffs.”

"Are they beatable in this series? I don't think so, necessarily."@Ken_Rosenthal likes the Dodgers in the NLDS, but it's not like they're guaranteed to move on… pic.twitter.com/41pJsHYixV

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) October 2, 2026

His case starts with the pitching. “Assuming Snell is healthy, their rotation is in great shape, their bullpen is in great shape, Diaz now throwing well again,” Rosenthal said. Los Angeles enters with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow available, a group assembled for exactly this stage.

The lineup gave him more pause. Rosenthal noted that several hitters have underperformed at points, though he sees reasons for optimism. Freddie Freeman believes he sorted out his swing over the break, Mookie Betts has surged over the last two months, Max Muncy has been consistent, and Kyle Tucker has been better still.

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Rosenthal also used the moment to revisit his own standard for this team. He recently wrote in a column on competitive balance that the Dodgers had performed below expectations, prompting someone in the organization to push back. On reflection, he conceded the point held only because everyone expected 120 wins.

“To say a team didn't perform the way it should when it wins 100 games, it just shows you what we do expect from them,” Rosenthal said. “And it's a high bar.”

He outlined a path for Atlanta, too. The Braves could run Chris Sale out twice, and Tyler Mahle has pitched well enough to steal Game 3. Sale already showed his value in the Wild Card round, coming out of the bullpen on one day of rest to record the final four outs of a 6-2 clincher over Philadelphia.

“We've seen enough inconsistency from the Dodgers at times this season to at least wonder,” Rosenthal said.

Game 1 is Saturday at 4 p.m. ET at Dodger Stadium.