The upcoming Mets-Dodgers National League Championship Series is often portrayed as a David vs. Goliath matchup, but that may not be entirely accurate. Despite the Dodgers’ big spending last winter, it’s actually the Mets who have the higher payroll. Additionally, since mid-May, both teams have had nearly identical winning percentages.
This series is more accurately described as Ohtani vs. Lindor and a battle over Mike Piazza’s legacy. It promises to be a much more compelling baseball series than anticipated just a few months ago.
When comparing positions, Will Smith and Francisco Alvarez both had excellent first halves of the season but struggled in the second half and haven’t done much in the postseason. Freddie Freeman has been a consistent star throughout his career, but he’s currently dealing with an ankle injury that has affected his performance. Pete Alonso has been hot lately and could provide an advantage for the Mets.
In terms of infielders, there are questions about how long Jose Iglesias can maintain his strong performance compared to Gavin Lux’s improvement in the second half of the season.
The center field position features useful role players on both teams with unclear playing time distribution. The Dodgers have Mookie Betts, who has shown his postseason prowess with some big home runs.
Shohei Ohtani gives a clear advantage to the Dodgers over J.D Martinez for designated hitter.
Both teams have solid rotations, but with three days off before this series starts, it gives an advantage to the Mets who can reset their rotation while also having four average-to-solid starters available for all seven games if needed. The Dodgers only had three starters to begin with and now face potential bullpen games due to Yoshinobu Yamamoto being unavailable until at least Game 3 or 4.
The Dodger bullpen has been strong throughout October while Edwin Díaz leads a solid Mets bullpen that struggles with walks.
this series is not as lopsided as it may seem based on narratives and predictions. The Mets won more regular-season games than the Dodgers since mid-May and have set their rotation while their opponents scramble once again.