Cody Snavely
For the first time since the 2021 season, the Los Angeles Dodgers will play in the National League Championship Series after exiting in the first round in back-to-back years.
This year’s challenger is the New York Mets, who have been on their own Cinderella story this October, dethroning their National League East rival, the Philadelphia Phillies, in just four games.
The Dodgers have conquered their postseason demons by finally taking care of business against the San Diego Padres, a team that had dominated them most of the regular season, winning eight of their thirteen meetings and the season series.
However, despite all the injuries, inconsistencies, and drama the Dodgers endured, they finished with the top record in the National League with ninety-eight wins and won the National League West for the eleventh time in twelve years.
For most of the season, the Dodgers were always “guaranteed” a spot in October, but that wasn’t always the case for the New York Mets.
At the beginning of the season, the New York Mets who traded off key players such as Justin Verlander (Houston Astros) and Max Scherzer (Texas Rangers) at last year’s deadline; there was little expectation for the 2024 season.
Under new leadership in former Milwaukee Brewers President of Baseball Operations David Stearns, the goal was simple: retool, re-develop, and aim for contention during the 2025 season.
To begin the 2024 regular season, the New York Mets got off to an awful start and were just a game over .500 (15-14), but by the end of May, they were a season-high ten games under .500, 15.5 games back of the Philadelphia Phillies, and 4.5 games back from the third and final National League wild card.
Many media pundits, such as Jomboy Media’s Chris Rose, declared the Mets season over and began thinking of what the potential deadline moves would be for the Mets as they would be big-time sellers with pending free agents such as first baseman Pete Alonso and an aging roster full of veterans.
However, the Mets thought differently. Since June 1st, the New York Mets have been the best team in baseball, winning sixty-five games, propelling them into the third wild card spot and making the postseason for the first time since the 2022 season.
Led by likely 2024 National League Most Valuable Player Award finalist Francisco Lindor, the Mets revitalized their season in the second half, playing meaningful baseball until the end of the regular season.
New York finished with an 89-73 record, good for third in the National League East. Due to a tiebreaker between the Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks, they would be popping bottles before heading to Milwaukee to begin the best-of-three National League wild card.
The Mets would shock the baseball world, winning in three games over the Brewers as Alonso would blast a changeup from dominant right-handed closer Devin Williams in the 9th inning to give the Mets the lead.
After a thrilling series win, they would travel to Philadelphia to face the ninety-five-win Phillies, their first meeting in postseason history. As the Phillies tried to stave off elimination with a 1-0 lead in game four of the NLDS, Lindor, the team’s MVP, would blast a go-ahead grand slam to shut the door on the Phillies season.
Prior to their return to Citi Filed in game three of the NLDS, the Mets had played eleven straight road games stretching from September 24th until October 6th and went a respectable 5-6 with two important series wins in October.
The Mets won in various ways in 2024, but one area that they excelled at, similar to the San Diego Padres, was their ability to put the ball in play, which is shown by ranking the 8th lowest K% (22.4). However, unlike the Padres, these Mets can slug, as they ranked 4th in the NL in home runs (207).
This October, their strength has been the starting rotation, which has a combined 2.43 ERA led by veteran right-handed starter José Quintana, who has a 0.00 ERA across two starts this October.
The offense has also been a plus, especially late in games, as the Mets have had multiple come-from-behind victories. But if there is one Achilles heel to the Miracle Mets, it is the bullpen, which has a combined ERA of 4.01.
Despite this, they’ve reached their first National League Championship Series since the 2015 season, and it is their first NLCS matchup with the Dodgers since the 1988 season, and we all know how that ended.
As for the Los Angeles Dodgers, we know how they got here. After an offseason that saw them shell out over one billion dollars, battle the grind of a 162-game season, and beat their heated rival Padres in the NLDS, the job is not finished, and they know what awaits them at Chavez Ravine on Sunday night.
Pitching match-ups
Game One: Jack Flaherty (0-0, 6.75 ERA) vs Kodai Senga (0-1, 4.50 ERA)
Game Two: TBD (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs Sean Manaea (1-0, 2.25 ERA) (LHP)
Game Three: TBD (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs TBD (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
*Game Four: TBD (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs TBD (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
*Game Five: TBD (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs TBD (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
*Game Six: TBD (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs TBD (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
*Game Seven: TBD (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs TBD (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
*if necessary
Game Times
Game One: 5:15 PM PT, FS1/FOX
Game Two: 1:08 PM PT, FS1/FOX
Game Three: 5:08 PM PT, FS1/FOX
*Game Four: TBD, FS1/FOX
*Game Five: TBD, FS1/FOX
*Game Six: TBD, FS1/FOX
*Game Seven: TBD, FS1/FOX
*if necessary
Who’s in & who’s out?
Entering this series, all eyes will continue to be on Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, who is still nursing a severe ankle sprain that has impacted his defense and mobility on the basepaths.
One of Freeman’s more significant challenges is playing back-to-back games. He was removed early from the second game of the NLDS and did not play game four due to general soreness and swelling in his ankle.
With the NLCS having three straight games when the Dodgers travel to the Big Apple at Citi Field, it will be interesting to see how Freeman is used or if he’ll have to miss one or two games. However, with today’s off day, expect Freeman to be in the lineup on Sunday for game one of the NLCS.
Another injury on the Dodgers infield is the status of veteran shortstop Miguel Rojas, who was removed from game three with a lingering groin injury that has bothered him since the end of the regular season.
If you recall, Rojas had an MRI after being removed in the second-to-last series of the regular season. The MRI revealed a tear in his adductor, an injury that would require offseason surgery.
If Rojas is not one hundred percent, we could see Tommy Edman continue to take reps at shortstop, with Kiké Hernández likely staying in center field for the remainder of October. If Rojas is taken off the postseason roster, it remains who the Dodgers would replace him with, but Perhaps Kevin Kiermaier would be the logical option.
Left-handed relief pitcher Alex Vesia was also removed from the Dodgers game five wins after feeling cramps in his back. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the team hopes it was just a cramp for Vesia, who is scheduled for testing on Saturday, which will determine his availability for the NL Championship Series against the Mets.
Right-handed pitcher Brusdar Graterol was out for the first round of the postseason. The righty is dealing with lingering shoulder inflammation that has plagued him all year. Dave Roberts did not close the book on Graterol’s return if the Dodgers continue to advance deeper into October, but the chances of seeing the Bazooka again this year seem slim.
Another option for the bullpen that was out for the first round of the postseason for the Dodgers is right-handed pitcher Brent Honeywell Jr., who was placed on the 15-day injured list before the end of the season with a cracked right middle fingernail. He could rejoin the Dodgers if they want to add an innings eater, but Ben Casparius seems to fit that mold better.
One name who will not return this postseason is left-handed veteran starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who has been battling a lingering toe injury since August. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced prior to the start of the NLDS that Kershaw’s season was over.
Another player to keep an eye on is Shohei Ohtani, as he has continued his throwing program, and despite multiple officials representing the team stating Ohtani would not pitch this October, I’ll wait until Ohtani says so himself.
The New York Mets will be getting a massive reinforcement for the National League Championship Series as they are expected to activate second baseman Jeff McNeil from the 10-day injured list.
McNeil, 32, has been on the injured list since early September after fracturing his wrist due to a hit-by-pitch, but after weeks of rehab, he is finally ready to rejoin his team as they embark on their quest for a World Series Championship.
Since his injury, the Mets have primarily played veteran utilityman Jose Iglesias, but McNeil will likely return as the team’s primary second baseman this series.
McNeil underwent an X-ray before the end of September that revealed enough healing in his wrist to allow him to resume baseball activities. Since then, McNeil has taken on-field batting practice with no ill effects and appeared in an Arizona Fall League game, with plans to play in another on Saturday. He and manager Carlos Mendoza both expect him to be ready for NLCS Game One on Sunday.
Have you subscribed to the Bleed Los Podcast YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows & promotions, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
