Dodgers Analysis: How Will the Dodgers Line Up their Starting Rotation for the NLCS?

LOS ANGELES, CA—The Los Angeles Dodgers are heading back to the National League Championship Series, thanks to a walk-off error in Game Four on Thursday.

Now the team will have the weekend off as they await the team they’ll be facing in the next round, but whether that’s the Chicago Cubs or Milwaukee Brewers, the biggest question for Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is who gets the ball in Game One, and how does the rotation look the rest of the series?

Since the Dodgers clinched on Thursday, the team will have several days off to reset its starting rotation, but the plan is clear if you ask me.

Unlike the start of this year’s NLDS, where there was a day off after Game One, the NLCS is going back to the standard 2–3–2 format, meaning there won’t be a day off after Game One as there was last week.

The Dodgers took advantage of that and started Shohei Ohtani in Game One. Throughout the regular season, the team pushed as hard as they could to have Ohtani start before a travel day or an off day.

This trend was understandable because data showed that Ohtani’s offensive performance significantly declined on days following his pitching appearances. In eight cases where he started a game and played the following day, Ohtani, a three-time MVP, recorded notably low stats (.147/.194/.382) and a .577 OPS.

With Ohtani already cold at the plate after going 1-for-18 in the NLDS, the Dodgers will likely look to Blake Snell to start Game One of the series, as he did during the NL Wild Card.

Ohtani, fully rested with his last start coming last Saturday, would be my pick and the most logical one to take the ball in Game Two on Tuesday with a travel day on Wednesday.

After that, the Dodgers would have a span of three straight games either at home or on the road, depending on who wins tonight’s NLDS Game Five in Milwaukee.

Regardless, I think it makes the most sense to go with Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game Three, Tyler Glasnow in Game Four, and possibly Emmet Sheehan or Clayton Kershaw in Game Five, depending on how the series is shaping up.

Possible NLCS Starting Rotation

• Game One: Monday, Oct. 13: Blake Snell
• Game Two: Tuesday, Oct. 14: Shohei Ohtani
• Game Three: Thursday, Oct. 16: Yoshinobu Yamamoto
• Game Four: Friday, Oct. 17: Tyler Glasnow
• *Game Five: Saturday, Oct. 18: Emmet Sheehan/Clayton Kershaw
• *Game Six: Monday, Oct. 20: Blake Snell
• *Game Seven: Tuesday, Oct. 21: Shohei Ohtani

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