Even if there is an upcoming lockout, fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers can rest easy knowing that the 2026 season has proven that the Dodgers aren’t ruining baseball after all.
On Monday, the Tampa Bay Rays locked up a spot in the Fall Classic, ensuring that there will be a first-time World Series champion this season.
What does the 2026 World Series matchup mean for a salary cap?
The Rays and their World Series competitor, the Milwaukee Brewers, are both among the lower spenders in baseball.
Spotrac has the Rays’ $95.6 million payroll as the third lowest in the sport, and the Brewers’ $146.2 million payroll comes in 19th out of 30 teams.
In fact, of the final four teams, the Dodgers were by far the outlier with their $339.3 million payroll, the second most in the sport.
The Rays’ ALCS opponent, the Cleveland Guardians, had the lowest payroll in baseball at $74.4 million.
Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain explained that the Brewers and Rays being in the World Series supports the idea that no salary cap is needed in baseball.
“The Brewers and the Rays are in the World Series, two small-market teams, two organizations that are operating with significantly smaller payrolls, two teams proving that spending money is not a requirement for reaching the World Series,” he said.
DMAC added on social media that this matchup is “terrible for [MLB Commissioner] Rob Manfred and the owners.”
“They’ve spent months trying to convince fans that the sport is broken,” he said. “That small-market teams can’t compete. That the Dodgers are ruining baseball. Can’t sway public opinion now. There will be no cap and we’ll get a season. Even if there’s an ugly, and long lockout.”
Why do owners want a salary cap?
This season, MLB owners have been making the case that big-spending teams like the Dodgers can land all the big free agents, preventing other teams from being able to compete.
Despite landing big players like Edwin Diaz, Kyle Tucker and Tarik Skubal, the Dodgers were swept by the Brewers in the NLCS.
And Spotrac’s top-spending team, the New York Mets, failed to make the postseason at all with a 74-88 record, despite a $346.7 million payroll.
With big-spending teams not enjoying the success many expected, it will be difficult for owners to continue to assert a salary cap is needed.
Do you think MLB will get a salary cap this offseason?