The MLB postseason field is down to four with the National League Championship Series and American League Championship Series beginning on Saturday. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers will face off in what should be a close series.
NLCS Preview
How they got here
Despite a slow start, the Dodgers were in a tight race with the Colorado Rockies all season long, so tight that the two teams were tied atop the NL West after 162 games. The Dodgers beat the Rockies in a 163rd game for their sixth straight division title and punched their ticket to the NLDS with a 92-71 record. The Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 3-1 in the best of five NLDS behind stellar pitching from Clayton Kershaw and Hyun-Jin Ryu to advance to the NLCS.
The Brewers were also in a back and forth race all season long, with the Chicago Cubs for the NL Central title. It took 163 games to decide this race as well, with the Brewers beating the Cubs in the tiebreaker and winning their first NL Central title since 2011 with a 96-67 record that was the best in the National League. They swept the Rockies 3-0 in the NLDS to secure a date with the Dodgers in the NLCS. They come into this series with a lot of momentum, they have not lost a game since September 22.
Pitching
The Dodgers have a stellar pitching staff led by future hall-of-famer and 3-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw who tossed 8 innings of shutout ball in his NLDS start versus the Braves. Veteran left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu was outstanding when healthy this season, 7-3 with a 1.97 ERA in 15 starts and he also had 8 shutout innings versus the Braves in the NLDS. Rounding out the rotation is 23 year-old phenom Walker Buehler, who had a 2.63 ERA in his rookie season this year. In the bullpen, Pedro Baez and Scott Alexander set up 3-time all star closer Kenley Jansen.
The Brewers rotation is solid if unspectacular, led by journeyman righty Jhoulys Chacin who won 15 games with a 3.50 ERA. The Brewers bullpen is their strength, as demonstrated by their decision to start a relief pitcher in game one of the NLDS and use their bullpen the entire games (It worked, the Brewers won 3-2). The Brewers bullpen combined for 43 saves between Corey Knebel and all-stars Josh Hader and Jermey Jeffress, none of those three recorded more than 16 saves, none less than 12. The Brewers are a prime example of the blurred lines for pitching roles in today’s game.
The Brewers have a better bullpen, but the Dodgers bullpen is good in its own right and the Dodgers rotation is far superior to the Brewers. Edge: Dodgers
Offense
The Dodger have a high powered offense that had a whopping seven players hit more than 20 home runs this season. Catcher Yasmani Grandal led major league catchers with 24 home runs. First baseman Cody Bellinger followed up his incredible 2017 rookie season with a solid sophomore campaign; an .814 OPS while playing 162 games. The Dodgers got a brand new middle infield at the trade deadline, acquiring the powerful second baseman Brian Dozier from the Twins and one of the best players in baseball, shortstop Manny Machado from the Orioles. Third baseman Justin Turner led the team with 4.2 WAR in just 103 games. Outfielder Matt Kemp had an .818 OPS while outfielders Joc Pederson, Enrique Hernandez and Yasiel Puig combined for 69 home runs while splitting time with Kemp at the three outfield spots.
The Brewers had a powerful offense in their own right with three players hitting over 30 home runs. Milwaukee is led by MVP-candidate left fielder Christian Yelich who was worth 7.6 WAR, led the league in hitting with a .326 batting average and hit 36 home runs and drove in 110 runs. Center fielder Lorenzo Cain was worth 6.9 WAR, hitting .308. Right fielder Ryan Braun had a up and down season, though he hit 21 home runs. Travis Shaw was the Brewers best infielder, hitting 32 home runs while playing second base and third base. Deadline acquisition Mike Moustakas hit 28 home runs including 8 with the Brewers. Jonathan Schoop, Orlando Arcia, and Jonathan Villar have been a solid middle infield trio for the Brew Crew. Eric Thames hit 16 home runs as a part time player, and his power could play big off the bench in this series.
The Dodgers have a more balanced offense while the Brewers are more reliant on a few sluggers for their offense. The Brewers best hitters are better than the Dodgers, but their offense is not as deep as the Dodgers. Slight Edge: Dodgers
Prediction
There is a good chance this series goes down to the wire. The Dodgers are probably the better team and they have more playoff experience, playing in the World Series in 2017. The Brewers are no slouches though, and they are the hottest team in baseball right now. During the playoffs it is often not as much about how is the better team as it is who is hot. Prediction: Brewers win the series 4-3
Statistics and standings from baseball-reference.com
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