On the stiff synthetic turf of Roger Centre, fans roar, Dodger blue and white confetti flutters from above, Dodger’s players rejoice winning a consecutive World Series title. Superfans revel, how couldn’t a team so talented not win two years in a row?  But others feel sick as this scene unfolds, not just because of potentially controversial calls from the referees, but also the sheer monetary ability of the Dodgers to afford all the talent on their roster.

In winning their second consecutive World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers have again reopened the discussion of the issues with the no set salary cap in the MLB. This question stems from the Dodgers being known for spending lots of money on extending contracts, but also acquiring new players. Undoubtedly this gives them an advantage.

According to the Washington Post for the 2024 and 2025 seasons combined, the total payroll and “luxury tax” obligations of the Dodgers are estimated to be $890 million. The ability to spend that much money has again led to the Dodgers acquiring some of the best players in the league, letting them build depth across both hitting and pitching. The result? Back-to-back championships.

The MLB remains to be the only major North American sports league without a formal salary cap, due to this they can spend much more on players, marketing and various other ventures. When a team is able to outspend nearly every competitor the chances of winning increase immensely, the Dodgers being the perfect example of this. Not having a salary cap truthfully takes away from the competitive balance of sport. 

People who oppose a salary cap will point out that other teams spend immense amounts as well and fall short. For example, the Dodgers are only the second most valuable team in the league per Forbes, the team above them being the New York Yankees, only thing is that they too made a run in the playoffs leading into the World Series. A salary cap would also mean players get paid less which could lead to a lack of motivation. 

There is hope for change, as previously mentioned the Dodgers winning two consecutive World Series did bring the salary cap question back into light, especially given some of the strategies they use to get around the “luxury tax”. They use deferred payments to spread out payments across years, effectively a loophole. Current collective bargaining agreements are set to expire in December 2026 the players’ union are heading towards negotiations surrounding the salary cap issue.

The Dodgers’ second straight World Series win isn’t just a story of great talent, it raises the question of the salary cap, but more so the balance of the game. There is both good and bad that could come from a change in the salary cap, for the most part a change would be beneficial, repairing any damage to the competitiveness of the game.