The Los Angeles Dodgers entered the 2026 season with expectations that few teams in baseball could match. A loaded lineup, an elite pitching staff and another aggressive offseason made them an obvious World Series contender. Yet as August moves forward, the reigning champions have developed several issues that are impossible to ignore.
The question for Dodgers fans is simple: What is the biggest concern right now?
Is it Kyle Tucker’s bizarre struggles at Dodger Stadium? Is Edwin Díaz’s inability to consistently close games? Or is the bigger problem the offense as a whole, which has been below average for weeks?
Right now, there is a strong argument for all three.
Kyle Tucker’s Home Production Is Extremely Concerning
Tucker was supposed to be one of the biggest offensive additions to the Dodgers. Instead, his first season in Los Angeles has been unusually inconsistent.
The problem becomes even more dramatic when looking at his home-road splits.
Tucker has been dramatically better away from Dodger Stadium, while his production at home has collapsed. MLB recently highlighted the strange split, noting that Tucker entered this stretch with an .804 OPS on the road but only a .607 OPS at home.
More recently, his home struggles have become even more pronounced. He has gone extended stretches without an extra-base hit, RBI or home run at Dodger Stadium, leading manager Dave Roberts to give him time away from the lineup to reset mentally and mechanically.
That is particularly alarming because Tucker is not a player the Dodgers need to merely survive. He was brought in to be a difference-maker.
There are reasons for optimism. MLB’s analysis suggested that Tucker’s swing decisions and bat speed showed signs of improvement, and his production on the road remains evidence that the underlying player has not simply disappeared.
But if the Dodgers are going to make another deep October run, they need Tucker to become dangerous at home again.
Edwin Díaz’s Ninth-Inning Problems May Be Even Bigger
If there is one problem that can immediately cost the Dodgers games, it is Díaz’s recent struggles.
The former Mets closer returned from the injured list after undergoing elbow surgery, and his results since returning have been extremely shaky. He has allowed seven runs over 4⅔ innings in his recent outings, with walks and inconsistent fastball command becoming major issues.
The consequences have already been significant.
Díaz blew a save against Milwaukee in a painful ninth inning in which the Brewers strung together four consecutive singles before taking the lead. He later survived another difficult ninth inning against the Brewers, loading the bases before eventually recording the save.
That is not the version of Díaz Los Angeles expected when it gave him a three-year, $69 million contract.
The Dodgers are reportedly sticking with him because they believe he can regain his elite form before October. And that could ultimately prove to be the correct decision.
But there is very little margin for error.
A struggling regular-season hitter can get another at-bat. A struggling closer can turn a victory into a loss in a matter of minutes.
The Bigger Problem Might Be the Entire Offense
Perhaps the most troubling development is that Tucker and Díaz are not isolated issues.
The Dodgers’ offense has been struggling for several weeks.
After the Brewers series, Roberts openly acknowledged that the team had produced below-average offense for an extended stretch. The Dodgers scored only two runs across the final two games of that series, while their overall offensive production has fallen significantly since early July.
That is difficult to explain when the lineup includes Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Max Muncy and other established hitters.
The Dodgers do not need to score seven or eight runs every night. Their pitching staff is good enough to win low-scoring games.
But postseason baseball magnifies offensive weaknesses.
Against elite playoff pitching, there may be only a handful of opportunities to score. If the Dodgers continue wasting quality starts because the lineup cannot consistently deliver, their enormous regular-season talent will not matter much in October.
So What Should Concern Fans Most?
If forced to choose one issue, the offense is probably the biggest overall concern.
Díaz’s struggles are more immediately dangerous, but bullpen problems can potentially be managed with different high-leverage options. Tucker’s struggles are concerning, but his road production suggests a turnaround remains possible.
The broader offensive decline, however, affects the entire team.
The Dodgers still have time. They also have an enormous division lead and plenty of postseason-caliber talent. Their recent struggles do not suddenly make them a bad baseball team.
But October will not care about preseason expectations or payroll.
If Tucker finds his swing, Díaz rediscovers his fastball command and the lineup returns to its earlier production level, the Dodgers could once again look like the overwhelming World Series favorite many expected.
If those problems continue, however, Los Angeles could enter October with more questions than answers.
So, Dodgers fans: What concerns you the most right now — Kyle Tucker’s home production, Edwin Díaz’s struggles to close, the team’s below-average offense, or something else entirely?