The Los Angeles Dodgers have won back-to-back World Series, and three of the last six. The Dodgers have also controlled the NL West. Including this year, they have won five straight division titles. As the Dodgers have controlled the National League, the Padres are looking to take that mantle from their rival. The Padres have surged up the Wild Card standings and are currently tied with the Chicago Cubs for the top wild card spot in the league.

This week, there is a massive playoff preview. The Dodgers and Padres are set for a three-game series as the season comes to its conclusion. The Dodgers have clinched the NL West, and their magic number to clinch the number two seed in the National League is just three games. Meanwhile, the Padres' magic number to clinch a playoff spot is just two games.

The two NL West foes could also meet in the playoffs, and Eduardo Perez believes that the Padres could be the team to beat in the playoffs, speaking on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM.

“Just think about the subpar season when, for the first two months of the year, that Manny Machado, that Fernando Tatis Jr., that Jake Cronenworth, and that Merrill had. And you look at Jackson Merrill and those guys, and still the team was not far off,” Perez said. “Then they go out, and they get Casey Mize and Robbie Ray at the trade deadline. And you're not thinking that they were going to be buyers, yet A.J. Preller said, ‘Hold on a second, boys. Yes, we are. We are coming in.' So psychologically, when they got out and got those two pieces to add to the puzzle, I think this is when the team said, ‘Our front office believes in us, and we haven't even started to play our best baseball.'”

Perez went on to say, “This is a Team that can beat any team in the National League.”

Perez is right. The Padres are set up to contend in the National League.

Pitching wins in October

San Diego Padres relief pitcher Mason Miller (22) celebrates walking off the field during the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park.
David Frerker-Imagn Images

For the Padres, it begins with some solid starting pitching. The Padres have Michael King, Nick Pivetta, Casey Mize, Robbie Ray, and Walker Buehler in the starting rotation. King has been solid this year, with a 3.03 ERA, which is 14th in the majors. He has also given up six runs in 17.1 innings of work against the Dodgers this year, good for a 3.12 ERA. Meanwhile, Pivetta just rejoined the rotation after being out much of the year. He has a 1.93 ERA in his three starts since returning.

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Casey Mize and Robbie Ray have yet to face the Dodgers as members of the Padres and have struggled in September. Still, both pitchers have been solid in the past and come in with solid experience. Still, the Padres will likely not use a five-man rotation in the playoffs, which means Mize, Ray, or Pivetta could go to the bullpen. Then, there is Walker Buehler. Buehler has not been great this year, going 9-6 with a 4.56 ERA. In his only start against the Dodgers this year, he went 5.1 innings and gave up just one run in a win. Still, he knows this team, spending 2017 through 2024 with the Dodgers and winning two World Series with the team.

The Padres starting pitching does not have to be perfect either. They need to get through six innings with the solid bullpen. Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, and Yuki Matsui give the Padres a great bullpen with swing-and-miss potential. This could neutralize the potent lineup of the Dodgers in the late innings of the game. If the Padres can get six innings from a starter, or even three innings and use a second starter for three innings, they could be set for success against the Dodgers.

The Padres are not afraid 

Since 2020, the Dodgers have won three World Series and are 43-26 in the playoffs. The Atlanta Braves account for seven of those losses, while the San Diego Padres account for five of them. The Padres took out the Dodgers in the 2022 National League Division Series 3-1. The Padres also forced a Game 5 against the Dodgers in the 2024 National League Division Series, with the Dodgers winning the series 3-2. San Diego has faced the Dodgers in the playoffs and brought them to the brink before, something they can do this year.

The Padres also know how to face the Dodgers. This year, LA has won seven of the ten games and been solid on the road, winning four of the six games in San Diego. All six of those games came in the first half of the MLB season, including some in May when the Padres had not broken out yet. In 2025, the Dodgers took nine of 13 games, but the series was tied in San Diego at three games apiece. Then, in 2024, the Padres won the series 8-5, leading both in LA and San Diego.

That familiarity will go a long way in defeating the mighty Dodgers. With many teams not accustomed to having to face this team, the Padres have a massive advantage over others in being the biggest threat to the Dodgers in the playoffs.