The Los Angeles Dodgers closed out the 2026 season at 100-62 and were swept in four games by the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS. It’s the sixth time since 2017 that they’ve won 100 or more games in the regular season and still haven’t made it to the World Series. At this point, the pattern has its own name: the 100-win curse.
The Record That Doesn’t Lie
- 2017 — 104 wins. Lost the World Series to Houston.
- 2019 — 106 wins. Lost the NLDS to Washington.
- 2021 — 106 wins. Lost the NLCS to Atlanta.
- 2022 — 111 wins (franchise record). Lost the NLDS to San Diego.
- 2023 — 100 wins. Swept by Arizona in the NLDS.
- 2026 — 100 wins. Swept by Milwaukee in the NLCS.
Six seasons, six early exits. The list is complete — and devastating.
One clarification worth making: the Dodgers did win the World Series in 2020, 2024, and 2025 — but in all three of those seasons they fell short of 100 wins (60 games in the pandemic-shortened 2020, 98 in 2024, and 93 in 2025). The pattern holds with surgical precision: cross the 100-win threshold, and October sends you home.
How the 2026 NLCS Offense Collapsed
This year’s elimination left little room for debate. The Brewers came in as MLB’s best team in 2026 at 103-59, and they took direct revenge for being swept by Los Angeles in the 2025 NLCS. They did it with authority.
The Dodgers hit a collective .185/.270/.250 in the series, managed just one home run, and struck out 33 times in four games. With runners in scoring position, they went 4-for-27.
Manager Dave Roberts drew immediate criticism for keeping Josue De Paula — described within the organization as the team’s most dynamic bat — out of the lineup in Games 3 and 4. Shohei Ohtani did hit a three-run home run in Game 4 to put Los Angeles up 4-0, but the lead didn’t hold.
The sweep also buried a historic opportunity: the Dodgers were chasing a third consecutive World Series title, which would have made them the first team to accomplish that since the 2000 Yankees.
Curse or Just October Baseball?
It’s a fair debate. MLB’s postseason is a small-sample environment where variance rules — the best regular-season team isn’t automatically the best in a five- or seven-game series. Other 100-win clubs have also gone out early; the 2023 Braves and Orioles are recent examples.
What sets the Dodgers apart is the frequency. Six seasons at 100 wins, six eliminations before or during the league championship series. That’s not bad luck — that’s a pattern.
President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman addressed reporters directly after the sweep, pushing back on those declaring the dynasty over. His tone was open, not defensive. The roster returns with serious talent, the payroll remains among the league’s highest, and the farm system has real depth.
The question heading into 2027 is whether Los Angeles can break the one cycle that has consistently beaten them: October with 100 wins on their back.
