How does John Mozeliak stack up against other long-term general managers?

Andrew Friedman, Los Angeles Dodgers -- October 14, 2014

The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees play in the two biggest markets in the country. Therefore, each has been able to spend with relative reckless abandon (see Shohei Ohtani's deal this past offseason paired with Yoshinobu Yamamoto's contract). This has allowed Andrew Friedman to operate with little care in regard to finances.

However, don't mistake this financial freedom as a reason for Friedman's success. Rather, it has only bolstered his already uncanny ability to develop and maintain a consistent pipeline of talented MLB players. Even before Friedman took over as the Dodgers' President of Baseball Operations in 2014, he was able to turn the once abysmal Tampa Bay Rays into a powerhouse of production.

In about half the time, Andrew Friedman has been able to surpass Mozeliak in division titles and pennants and tie Mo in World Series titles. Yes, money has played a factor in the Dodgers' success, but long-term viability isn't built via free agency and open spending. Rather, a consistently dominant roster is developed at the lowest levels of the minor league system up to the top; the Dodgers have done that in recent years.

It appears as though Andrew Friedman has surpassed John Mozeliak in terms of building a successful organization. The Dodgers' winning percentage is wildly high, they have only lost the division once under Friedman's watch (and that was a season where they still won 106 games), and a string of deep playoff runs has been admirable.

Given the financial commitments the Dodgers have made in recent years, it's seemed as though the goal has been and should be a World Series trophy. They have one, but that came in the COVID-shortened 2020 season; its luster may be lacking slightly. If Andrew Friedman isn't able to bring his current roster to the World Series this year, not even a stretch of 9 straight playoff appearances can offset 3 World Series failures.