So, you're looking for the dodger game score today. I'll give it to you straight: there isn't one. It’s January 17, 2026. Unless the Dodgers decided to play a secret game of stickball in a parking lot at Chavez Ravine, the scoreboard is dark.
Baseball is in that weird hibernation phase where everyone is just staring at their phones waiting for "pitchers and catchers report" tweets. But honestly? The news coming out of the Dodgers' front office right now is actually bigger than a mid-July win against the Rockies. If you haven't seen the headlines yet, Andrew Friedman basically just broke the internet—and the MLB luxury tax system—by signing Kyle Tucker to a massive four-year deal.
Why the dodger game score today is essentially "Dodgers 1, Rest of MLB 0"
Even without a game on the calendar, the Dodgers are winning. They just landed Kyle Tucker on a four-year, $240 million contract. That’s $60 million a year. Think about that for a second. That is more than the entire payroll of some teams in this league.
It’s kind of ridiculous, right?
We’re talking about a lineup that already features Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman. Adding Tucker is like putting a cherry on top of a sundae that’s already made of gold. Most people are wondering how they even afford this. The answer? A projected 2026 payroll of roughly $429 million.
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The Winter Scorecard: Who moved where?
Since there’s no live dodger game score today, the "score" is measured in transactions. Here is the reality of the roster as of mid-January:
- Kyle Tucker: The biggest fish in the pond. He signed on January 15, 2026.
- Edwin Díaz: They secured the closer spot back in December with a three-year deal.
- The Retirement of Legends: Clayton Kershaw finally hung up the cleats in November. That one hurt. It’s the end of an era, truly.
- Starting Rotation: With Ohtani back on the mound full-time and Yamamoto looking like a Cy Young favorite, the rotation is terrifying.
What actually happened to the Dodgers last season?
If you're checking the score because you're catching up on the 2025 aftermath, the Dodgers did what they do. They won the World Series. Again. They are the first team in the 21st century to actually defend a title.
They beat the Toronto Blue Jays in a series that was way closer than the pundits predicted. In the final game, it ended 5-4 in extra innings. That was the last "real" score that mattered. Now, the 2026 ZiPS projections are out, and (surprise, surprise) they have the Dodgers as the best team in baseball for the fifth time in six years.
Honestly, it feels a bit like a foregone conclusion at this point, but as any Dodgers fan knows, "paper champions" don't always mean October parades. Remember 2024? The rotation was a hospital ward by the time the playoffs started.
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When will we see a real score again?
If you're itching for a box score, you’ve got about a month to wait.
- February 11, 2026: Pitchers and catchers participating in the World Baseball Classic report.
- February 17, 2026: First official workouts and Photo Day at Camelback Ranch.
- February 21, 2026: The first Spring Training game against the Angels. That's your first chance to see "LAD" next to a number this year.
The controversy: Is this bad for baseball?
A lot of folks are complaining that the Dodgers are "buying" championships. The Washington Post recently pointed out that the Dodgers' payroll is nearly $100 million higher than the Mets, who are the second-highest spenders.
There's a lot of talk about a salary floor. Some owners want to force the "cheapo" teams to spend their revenue-sharing money instead of just pocketing it. It's a complex mess. But if you're a Dodgers fan, you probably don't care about the economics—you just want to see Tucker, Ohtani, and Betts go back-to-back-to-back.
What most people get wrong about the 2026 schedule
Don't let the March start date fool you. This year is weird because of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Several MLB stadiums (like the ones in Seattle, Kansas City, and Texas) are near World Cup venues, which is going to make the mid-summer schedule a total nightmare for travel.
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Also, Opening Day 2026 is the earliest ever: March 26. The Dodgers will be facing the Diamondbacks at home. They’ll be raising another championship banner that night, and the game will be on NBC/Peacock in primetime.
Actionable steps for the savvy Dodgers fan
Since you can't watch a game today, here is how you stay ahead of the curve for the 2026 season:
- Check the Spring Training Ticket Portal: Tickets for the February games at Camelback Ranch are already on sale. They go fast, especially with the hype around the Tucker signing.
- Monitor the World Baseball Classic (WBC) Roster: Since several Dodgers are playing in the WBC, the early Spring Training scores might look a little weird because the stars won't be in camp.
- Watch the Waiver Wire: Andrew Friedman isn't done. He just designated Ryan Fitzgerald for assignment to make room for the recent signings, and there are rumors of a trade for a left-handed starter like MacKenzie Gore.
The dodger game score today is a big zero because the stadium is empty, but the "score" of the offseason is a landslide victory for Los Angeles. Check back on February 21 for the first real numbers of the year.