Major League Baseball is back, and the 2019 Los Angeles Dodgers will look to become the first team to win the World Series after losing back-to-back since the 1923 New York Yankees (Dodgers.com). Game 1 of 162 begins with a 1:10 p.m. first pitch at Dodger Stadium against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Dodgers and Dodgers faithful alike have had to shake off a lot of heartbreak the last two seasons. A back-breaking Game 7 loss to the Houston Astros in 2017, and a resounding 4-1 series defeat to the Boston Red Sox in 2018.

Can L.A. defy the odds and become the first team to appear in three straight World Series since the Yankees went to four straight from 1998-2001? What will it take to finally get over the hump? Here’s what you need to know about the 2019 Dodgers heading into today’s matchup:

Departures

Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, Alex Wood, and Yasmani Grandal.

The Dodgers said good bye to a few big names during the off season, none bigger than the larger than life Yasiel Puig. Puig was a fan favorite who reinvigorated his career with a his best season since 2014 last year, but the Dodgers felt it was time to move on as he enters a contract year. He goes with Wood and Kemp to Cincinnati in a move that improves the Reds for at least the 2019 season.

Yasmani Grandal underwhelmed in the postseason and Los Angeles allowed him to walk in free agency to the Milwaukee Brewers

New Additions

A.J. Pollack

The Dodgers signed Pollack away from the Diamondbacks to a five year, $60 million contract to be the everyday center fielder and take some pressure off the lineup when facing left-handing pitching. Hitting left handers was a major emphasis and area for improvement for this club. Pollack is a career .275 hitter against lefties.

Joe Kelly

What better way to stick it to the team who beat you than to snag one of their contributors? The Southern California native pitched over 65 innings for the Red Sox last year, including several high-leverage situations in the postseason. Infusing the bullpen with more talent is always the right decision.

Dino Ebel

The long-time Angels third base coach (2006-2018) comes to the Dodgers after Mike Scioscia’s staff was let go following the 2018 season. Ebel is well respected throughout baseball and brings a fresh look to Dave Roberts coaching staff.

X-Factor

Corey Seager

The Dodgers missed Seager (Tommy John Surgery) greatly in 2018. They traded for Manny Machado to plug in at shortstop in an attempt to cover for their All-Star shortstop, and it didn’t work as well as everyone hoped. He was just a half-season rental. Not to mention he prefers to play third base.

Seager is a five tool player that has come up through the Dodgers ranks and bleeds Dodger Blue. Adding a 24-year-old career .302-hitting Seager back to a caliber lineup such as the Dodgers can’t be understated.

Big things are coming for Corey Seager in his return to baseball in 2019.

Two To Watch

Alex Verdugo

Verdugo’s journey to the opening day roster is complete after seeing time late in the season the past two years. He has eye-popping power from the left side and is only 22 years old. He should be part of the platoon plans in the outfield, and if there are any injuries he is the guy to watch. Expect some pinch hit blasts this season.

Julio Urias

The 22-year-old is poised for a breakout year, and could solidify one of the top rotations in baseball. It may be just be the glasses, but the quirky left-hander has a spark that could ignite the pitching staff for years to come.

Injuries

The Dodgers must rely on their pitching depth early on, with two of their top three starters in Clayton Kershaw and Rich Hill starting the season on the 10-day injured list.

Kershaw’s shoulder has been an issue throughout spring training and he needs a couple more weeks to rehab it, which the Dodgers will proceed with extreme caution on. Hill is dealing with a knee sprain that has him as “day to day” as it continues to heal.

Shoulder soreness is a serious issue for two more pitchers, as reliever Tony Cingrani will also start the year on the injured list with soreness in his throwing shoulder. Los Angeles has also been cautious with 2018 revelation Walker Buehler and his shoulder injury, but appears on track to start Sunday and avoid time on the injured list.

National League Outlook

National League West

The Dodgers boast the most talented team in the NL West and are the division favorites for another year, going for their seventh consecutive division title.

San Francisco (with former Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi now president of baseball operations) has not done much to improve the roster of a team that finished 73-89 last season. The Giants have talented starting pitchers in the irreplaceable Madison Bumgarner and sneaky good Jeff Samardzija, but Evan Longoria’s best days are behind him as his plate presence continue to decline.

Arizona was a team that fell off dramatically in the second half of the season, and lost their MVP candidate first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, strong starting pitching in Patrick Corbin, and, of course, Pollack. The D-Backs will take a major step backward in this season.

San Diego is an intriguing club with a star signed for a decade (Manny Machado) and the consensus top farm system in baseball. The belief is that the Padres are a couple years away, but if 20-year-old shortstop Fernando Tatis, Jr is the real deal they could have a deadly left side of the infield.

Colorado will be the main challenger to the Dodgers in the West, for obvious reasons. The Rockies have a powerful lineup: Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon and Trevor Story put up big numbers year after year. But the same usual pitching issues plague the Rockies, and they cannot match the quality pitchers the Dodgers roll out in waves.

Beware

Two teams in the National League that will be dangerous: Milwaukee and Chicago. The National League Central has some very good teams this season and will probably the toughest in the National League.

Today

Hyun-Jin Ryu gets the Opening Day start against the Zack Greinke and the D-Backs. First pitch is at 1:10, and be sure to listen live to your Dodgers station for the Santa Clarita Valley, KHTS FM 98.1.