Dodgers 2026 report card: Tarik Skubal trade not enough to save banged-up pitching staff
The last two years, the Dodgers’ pitching staff carried them to World Series titles –– with the bullpen doing the heavy lifting in 2024, and the rotation pitching at a superhuman level in 2025.This season, the group couldn’t replicate that success, enduring adversity during an injury-plagued regular season and then failure against a relentless Brewers offense in the team’s National League Championship Series elimination.Still, the Dodgers boasted a talented staff, finishing with the fourth-lowest team ERA in the majors this year.In Part 2 of the California Post’s end-of-season report card for the Dodgers’ 2026 season, here’s a look at how each key arm performed, and where they stand entering 2027:Yoshinobu Yamamoto: A-It’s worth remembering: Yamamoto entered 2026 coming off a career-high 30 regular-season starts in 2025, another 37 innings in his heroic postseason run, and an appearance this spring in the World Baseball Classic.You’d have been forgiven for thinking his right arm was about to fall off.Instead, the reigning World Series MVP was even more productive in 2026, throwing more innings (185), collecting more wins (14-9 record) and lowering his WHIP (0.87) while posting a nearly-identical 2.53 ERA (fifth-lowest in the majors).
The only disappointment: He didn’t replicate last year’s historic October, suffering the Dodgers’ shortest playoff start during a pivotal NLCS Game 2 loss.Still, he’s on the (very) short list for best pitchers in the game right now.Tarik Skubal: B+Another member of that short list, Skubal just about lived up to the billing following his blockbuster trade deadline deal, going 5-2 with a 2.61 ERA in his 10 regular-season starts for the Dodgers.
He also had the best postseason of anyone in their rotation, giving up three runs over 11 innings in two starts. Still, he took the defeat in his NLCS outing.And in the end, the team’s aggressive acquisition of the two-time Cy Young Award winner didn’t work out a...