Los Angeles Dodgers Win Second Consecutive World Series with MLB's Highest Payroll

The Los Angeles Dodgers secured their second consecutive World Series title in 2025 with a dramatic Game 7 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays, marking their third championship in six years and establishing a modern MLB dynasty. Their success is largely attributed to an unprecedented $350 million payroll, the highest in baseball, which allowed them to assemble a star-studded roster including Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Despite criticisms that the Dodgers' excessive spending undermines competitive balance and ruins baseball, many argue they are revitalizing the sport by investing heavily to deliver winning, exciting teams and increasing viewership. The Dodgers' combination of financial power, strategic talent development, and sound management differentiates them from other teams, who often underinvest and thus struggle to compete. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays, although also high spenders, made costly mistakes in critical moments that ultimately contributed to their defeat. This ongoing disparity in payrolls across MLB fuels calls for a salary cap to promote fairness, but the Dodgers’ on-field excellence underscores that money alone does not guarantee championships.