The Wild Card playoffs in Major League Baseball have been a thing of beauty this year. Three of the four series went to the third and deciding game. All the games were nailbiters decided by a single play or a disputed call. That is all except for the Los Angeles Dodgers mugging the Cincinnati Reds in Tinsel Town.
The Dodgers used their stellar starting pitching and their stacked lineup to humble the Reds, who have not won a postseason series since 1995. To be fair, however, the Reds only made the Wild Card because the New York Mets completed an epic collapse. Their 83 wins this year were the lowest total for any playoff team in the last five years. So, no shocker, the Dodgers dominated.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Phillies watched from afar by earning a first-round bye and awaited the winner of the Wild Card series. The Phils used the week off to recover from nagging injuries and rest their starters. One injury that occurred in August can’t be fixed this year, however. Zach Wheeler was diagnosed with venous thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) and is out until next year. That was a blow to a Phillies pitching staff that was spotty throughout the year.
So who has the advantage going into this crucial five-game series?
NLDS Lineup
Both teams are packed with power and potential. Key players for the Phillies are Kyle Schwarber, who would be a shoo-in for the MVP if it weren’t for the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani. Schwarber ended the season with 56 home runs, one ahead of Ohtani’s Dodger record of 55 bombs. But his slash line of .240/.385/.563 is not nearly as good as Ohtani’s .282/.392/.622. And of course that’s before Ohtani throws a pitch.
Other Dodgers hitters are equally impressive. Last year’s World Series hero, Freddy Freeman, came back from an early-season injury to have a decent year with 24 homers and slashing .295/.367/.502. Mookie Betts is developing nicely at baseball’s most difficult position, shortstop, but that seemed to distract him from his hitting for most of the year. But Mookie came alive in September and was a key reason for the Reds sweep in the Wild Card.
For the Phillies, their highest-paid player, Bryce Harper, was down a little from his 2024 season stats, with 24 home runs, but was nagged by injuries throughout the year, playing in only 132 games. Catcher J.T. Realmuto was also a bit off his ’24 season stats, hitting only 12 HRs vs. 17 in 2024. Midseason addition Harrison Bader has become a fan favorite and locked down centerfield, with Brandon Marsh, Max Kepler, and Nick Castellanos competing for the corner outfield slots.
ADVANTAGE: None, but maybe a small edge to the Dodgers.
Starting Pitching
The Dodgers unquestionably had the best potential starting rotation at the beginning of the year, signing Blake Snell and Yoshi Yamamoto in the offseason to go along with Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw. But the injury bug bit the injury-prone Snell and Glasnow throughout the season, limiting their effectiveness. They are now back and healthy and have been stellar down the stretch.
For the Phillies, the loss of Wheeler was partially eased by the emergence of Cristopher Sanchez as a stopper. His 13-5 record, combined with a 2.50 ERA, led the staff. Ranger Suarez, Aaron Nola, and Jesus Luzardo round out the rest of a shaky rotation, but Sanchez might be brought back in Game 4 if there’s a need.
ADVANTAGE: Dodgers because of recent performances.
Best Bullpen
This is where the advantage lies for the Phillies, but only because the Dodgers pen has gone from bad to awful. The off-season acquisition of Tanner Scott to become the closer when sideways fast. The return of Blake Treinen is just starting to settle. And key injuries to multiple arms in the bullpen have kept everyone on edge. However, the return from injury of another Japanese pitcher, Roki Sasaki, could solidify the closer role.
The Phillies picked up Jhoan Duran during a fire sale by the Minnesota Twins at the trade deadline, and he’s been lights out as the closer. Matt Strahm, David Robertson, Orion Kerkering, and Tanner Banks have been notable performers out of the pen as well. But the August 31 addition of Walker Buehler is intriguing. The Dodgers pitcher who closed out last year’s World Series against the Yankees landed with the Phillies after a disastrous year in Boston, but has an ERA under one in 13 innings pitched since joining Philadelphia.
ADVANTAGE: Decidedly the Phillies
Series Outlook
While both teams have vast postseason experience, the Dodgers are the team that reached the pinnacle in the 2024 World Series. And while there certainly are expectations for the Dodgers to repeat this year, the pressure on the Phillies to advance past the Division series and to ultimately win it all is building across the Delaware Valley. A loss in the Division Series would be considered a failure. But the Dodgers always seem to step up when push comes to shove.
ADVANTAGE: Dodgers in five hard-fought games.
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