The Dodgers haven’t won a World Series title since 1988 when they upset the Athletics in five games, but former catcher Mike Scioscia, who played on that team, believes the 2020 Dodgers will end the drought as early as Tuesday night, in Game 6 of the World Series.

Acquiring Mookie Betts from the Red Sox in February, Scioscia said, made the Dodgers believe they could finally win that elusive ring.

“The Dodgers have been knocking on the door for a number of years,” Scioscia said via telephone. “They are extremely talented and deeper this year than they have been in a couple of years. First and foremost, their offense is very balanced and deep. They have power all the way through the lineup and a little more speed, too.”

According to Scioscia, Betts sets a tone with his aggressive baserunning, consistent offense and Gold Glove-caliber defense. Now on the biggest stage -- the Fall Classic -- Betts is showing the world that he has a case as the best player in baseball.

“He does so many different things. He will beat you with his glove, legs and bat. He is a very smart ballplayer,” Scioscia said. “From what I hear, he is a tremendous leader. You add him to the rest of the guys, you have terrific ballplayers. You can see why they are playing a notch above [where] they have played the last couple of years.”

The current Dodgers squad doesn't remind Scioscia of the 1988 team, which was a totally different kind of club. That team relied heavily on pitching, defense and timely hitting. In fact, nobody thought the '88 Dodgers would be competitive going into that season.

It didn't help they went 73-89 the previous two seasons, but the team changed direction after 1987. Los Angeles needed to improve its defense, acquire bullpen help and find better character guys.

The Dodgers improved the defense by acquiring shortstop Alfredo Griffin from the A's. To strengthen the bullpen, they traded for relievers Jay Howell and Jesse Orosco. And who can forget "The Stuntmen" -- the players like Mickey Hatcher, Rick Dempsey, Dave Anderson and Franklin Stubbs who produced off the bench?

The biggest acquisition turned out to be the signing of free-agent outfielder Kirk Gibson, and what a year he had. His desire to win was off the charts and he became the driving force of that team, ending the season as the National League MVP Award winner. And don’t forget the Bulldog, Orel Hershiser, who had a season for the ages. That was the same Hershiser who set the Major League record of 59 consecutive innings without allowing a run.

The 1988 Dodgers ended up winning the NL West title by seven games over the Reds before beating the Mets in the NL Championship Series and then upsetting the A’s in the Fall Classic.

“We were not the most talented team in the league, but I think we were more talented than people gave us credit for,” Scioscia said. “We had two guys that set an unbelievable tone -- one on the mound in Orel Hershiser and one in every aspect -- and that was Kirk Gibson. They set such a tone and all the role players around them understood what they had to do. [Manager] Tommy Lasorda created such a great atmosphere where we just felt we were going to go out there every time we took the field and win every ballgame.”

The Dodgers are now a game away from winning their first title in 32 years. One can imagine how happy Scioscia would be to see L.A. go all the way.

“I played in that organization for a long time,” Scioscia said. “I know what it would mean to the fans. ... They went through the toughest round of playoffs that any team has ever faced. They went through four grueling rounds of playoffs. I think that’s a testament to the leadership on that club from the coaching staff to the players. If they could finish this off, it will be a championship well deserved. I will certainly be happy for them.”