Hall of Famer and FOX MLB analyst John Smoltz shares his insights on the NLCS between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets, discussing the challenges facing both teams and the key factors that could determine the outcome.
John Smoltz, a first-ballot Baseball Hall of Famer and FOX MLB lead game analyst, recently shared his thoughts on the highly anticipated National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets.
Through the first two games of the series, the Mets hold a slim 1-0 advantage, thanks in large part to the strong performances of their starting pitchers. Smoltz believes the Mets' ability to rely on their starting rotation gives them the upper hand in the series.
John Smoltz Breaks Down the Dodgers-Mets NLCS Matchup
"The advantage, for sure, goes to the Mets and the starting pitching," Smoltz said. "That's kind of an obvious, just because of what the Dodgers don't have."
The Dodgers have struggled to find consistency from their starting pitchers, opting for a bullpen game in Game 2 of the NLCS, which ultimately backfired. Smoltz believes the Dodgers' lack of reliable starting pitching could be their undoing.
John Smoltz Breaks Down the Dodgers-Mets NLCS Matchup
"I think the Dodgers are in a position now to really use leverage guys if they are up early, and they won't wait around to get anybody in trouble," Smoltz said. "Now, what happened in Game 2 was not the protocol they were hoping for."
In Game 3, the Dodgers will send Walker Buehler to the mound against the Mets' Luis Severino. Buehler has been battling injuries this season, while Severino has been one of the most dynamic arms in baseball when healthy.
John Smoltz Breaks Down the Dodgers-Mets NLCS Matchup
"What the Mets have been able to do is show that they were a pretty darn good starting staff in the second half," Smoltz said. "They stayed healthy; they got it done; they've got guys on a roll."
On the flip side, the Dodgers will rely on Buehler and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to come up big.
"I think the challenge is going to be, do they pitch him at a rest that's not typically the normal rest that he is used to?" Smoltz said of Yamamoto. "I think they have to, and I think that this last game gives them confidence in what he's able to do."
Another key matchup in the series will be the battle between the two teams' offenses. The Dodgers possess a potent lineup led by Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Trea Turner, while the Mets have been led by Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor.
Smoltz believes the Dodgers' offense has the potential to carry the team.
"If they do their thing, the Mets are going to have something to say about that with Luis Severino, Jose Quintana," Smoltz said. "They got their guys ready to go to battle a totally different strategic game than what the Dodgers are going to be playing."
Overall, Smoltz believes the NLCS is shaping up to be a fascinating series.
"There's a little bit of that attitude that I know Dave Roberts likes, and you match that with the unprecedented, unexplainable New York Mets' journey, where they're sitting there with their chest out going, "You know what, nothing's going to bother us. We've already been through the car washing,"" Smoltz said. "I'm interested in that mindset of how they come out in Game 3."
