The Mets and Dodgers will meet in the playoffs yet again, this time in the 2024 NLCS with a spot in the World Series on the line. It’s the first time in nine years these two teams will play each in October, as the last one saw the Mets overcome Los Angeles in the 2015 NLDS. Here’s our 2024 NLCS preview, with deep looks at how the Mets and Dodgers did in the last round.
Scheduled Starters & Start Times
- Game 1 (10/13/24): Kodai Senga (Mets) vs. Jack Flaherty (Dodgers) – 8:15 PM ET
- Game 2 (10/14/24): Sean Manaea (Mets) vs. TBD – 4:05 PM ET
- Game 3 (10/16/24): TBD vs. TBD – 8:08 PM ET
- Game 4 (10/17/24): TBD vs. TBD – TBD Time
- Game 5 (10/18/24): TBD vs. TBD – TBD Time
- Game 6 (10/20/24): TBD vs. TBD – TBD Time
- Game 7 (10/21/24): TBD vs. TBD – TBD Time
All games will air on the FOX family of networks. Games 1 & 2 will air on FOX, while Game 3 is scheduled for FS1. Games 4-7 will air either on FOX or FS1.
A Look at the Offenses
| Stat |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Runs Scored | 768 | 842 |
| Home Runs | 207 | 233 |
| OPS | .734 | .781 |
| Whiff% | 25.1% | 25.1% |
| Hard Hit% | 41.3% | 41.3% |
It was yet another loud playoff series for Francisco Lindor and friends. Pete Alonso and Mark Vientos — the latter of whom had a great NLDS, hitting .563 with two home runs — each went yard, as did Jesse Winker, over the course of the series against the Phillies. Lindor hit the biggest one of the series, a grand slam that gave the Mets the lead in their Game 4 victory.
As noted in our NLDS preview, the Mets can beat teams in several ways. Beside the long ball, the Mets also don’t too much at the plate, looking to go with pitches on the outer part of the plate. Alonso’s home run off Aaron Nola, and Startling Marte’s hitting, were proof of that.
There’s also another factor in this series for the Mets: Jeff McNeil. McNeil played in the Arizona Fall League on October 11 & 12, and should be on the Mets’ NLCS roster.
The Mets’ offense is averagering 5.4 runs per game in the 2024 MLB Postseason.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, scored 24 runs (4.8 R/G) in their series with the Padres. San Diego pitched well but the Dodgers’ big boys came to play. Mookie Betts hit two home runs in the NLDS, somewhat avenging his struggles from 2023. Teoscar Hernandez continued his playoff dominance. Two years after Hernandez hit two home runs in the AL Wild Card Round, the 31-year-old hit two in the DS against the Padres.
One of those gave the Dodgers a stranglehold in Game 5.
Yes, Shohei Ohtani didn’t have a good series. Ohtani struck out 10 times in the NLDS, tied for second among postseason players. And, Ohtani has the most among players who didn’t play in the Wild Card Round.
However, the Dodgers’ triumph against the Padres showcased exactly why Los Angeles (AL) spent big money to add Ohtani and Hernandez. The reality is that having those two in their lineup not only makes them deeper but also changes the equations for pitchers. You can’t pitch around everyone in the playoffs. Thus, it paves the way for someone to do damage.
A Look at the Pitching
| Stat | | |
|---|---|---|
| Starters’ ERA | 3.91 | 4.23 |
| Relievers’ ERA | 4.03 | 3.53 |
| Strikeouts’ | 1,455 | 1,390 |
| Opponents’ AVG | .230 | .235 |
| Chase% | 28.5% | 27.7% |
The Mets’ pitching staff did more than enough to stymie the Philles in the NLDS. Sean Manaea struck out six over seven spectacular innings, allowing just one run. Jose Quintana struck out six and gave up no earned runs through five, and Luis Severino‘s lone blemishes in the NLDS were a middle-middle fastball to Bryce Harper and a hanging slider to Nick Castellanos.
Both of those pitchers were home runs.
New York (NL)’s pitching staff is very different, compared to what one might expect of a dominant rotation. Rather than blowing away hitters with high velocity, the Mets will work hitters up and down with dancing two-seamers, changeups, sweepers, etc. Take a look at Manaea’s pitch chart (via Baseball Savant) from Game 3. Notice all the two-seamers (sinkers) up in the zone.
The different looks that the Mets give hitters has worked thus far. Opposing batters have hit .219 off the Mets this postseason, second-best behind the Padres.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, got arguably the best outing from Yoshinobu Yamamoto — especially given the circumstances — this season in Game 5 against the Padres. Yamamoto only got four whiffs off 31 swings but he got plenty of weak contact, en route to seven ground balls and five scoreless frames. Evan Phillips, Alex Vesia, Michael Kopech, and Blake Treinen finished the job.
It marked the end of a tough NLDS for the Dodgers, pitching-wise. Walker Buehler gave up six runs against San Diego, although an error by Freddie Freeman in the second played a major role in that. Jack Flaherty, who will pitch Game 1, was not sharp in his lone start against the Padres.
The one major positive from the NLDS, besides the five-game series victory? Los Angeles (NL)’s bullpen was stout. Aside from their dominance in Game 5, their bullpen pitched nine scoreless frames in Game 4.
Between three of the four names — Alex Vesia will likely miss the NLCS with an intercostal injury — mentioned above, Ryan Brasier, and Anthony Banda, the Dodgers have the bullpen depth needed to win a seven-game series.
All stats in the tables above are regular season only.
Our Prediction
This will likely be a very close NLCS. The Dodgers have the advantage on paper, albeit a slight one. Freddie Freeman is hurting but the Dodgers have plenty of bats that can do damage. The Mets, meanwhile, have an offense en fuego, coupled with a deep pitching staff that now includes Kodai Senga. Senga hit 97 MPH in his brief Game 1 outing.
So, will depth or momentum win out in the NLCS? We’ll go with the momentum, as we take the Mets to win the National League pennant.