Harold Reynolds: Dodgers Remain the Padres' Biggest Postseason Hurdle
Former MLB star Harold Reynolds believes the Los Angeles Dodgers are the primary threat in the National League, even as the San Diego Padres advance in the playoffs.
Despite the San Diego Padres securing a series victory against the Chicago Cubs, former MLB star and analyst Harold Reynolds contends that the Los Angeles Dodgers represent the most significant challenge for any National League team vying for the World Series.
Reynolds shared his assessment on "The Dan Patrick Show," stating that the Padres, while improving, must overcome the Dodgers to prove their championship mettle. He noted the Dodgers' regular-season success, having won over 100 games, and emphasized their current health and depth, including pitching.
"They're really dangerous. The problem is, they gotta face the Dodgers," Reynolds said of San Diego. "I don't think people realize how good the Dodgers are. They won a hundred games and it's ‘Oh, bad year.' They lived through and now they’re healthy, and they’ve got pitching and depth."
He described the Dodgers as "loaded" and predicted they would win the World Series, drawing a parallel between the Dodgers-Padres rivalry and the dynamic between Michael Jordan and Karl Malone. "Karl Malone was great. But he didn’t win because Jordan won MVPs. That’s kind of what we’re seeing right now," Reynolds explained.
A Developing Rivalry
The rivalry between the Dodgers and Padres has intensified since 2020, particularly in postseason play. Padres owner Jose E. Feliciano recently alluded to this rivalry by referencing the Dodgers' ownership.
Historically, the Dodgers have held the upper hand in playoff matchups, holding a 7-5 record against the Padres over the past six years. The Padres' sole playoff series victory against the Dodgers occurred in 2022, but their postseason run ended in the NLCS against the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Dodgers have a history of eliminating the Padres, as they did in the 2020 NLDS en route to winning the World Series. In 2024, the Dodgers once again defeated the Padres in a decisive Game 5 of the NLDS. While the Dodgers have since secured back-to-back World Series titles, the Padres have faced challenges in consistently reaching that level.
Should the Padres and Dodgers meet again in the current postseason, it would likely be in the NLCS. The Padres' path to their first World Series title remains a challenging one, with the Dodgers presenting a formidable obstacle.