MLB Postseason Preview - NLCS
Well, I’ll be damned. If you told me that at the start of the postseason, the National League Championship Series would be featuring the Phillies and Padres, the bottom two seeds, I would have laughed. Yet, that’s October baseball for you. Two Cinderella stories, who have collectively knocked out the top four NL teams out of the postseason, face off for a chance to play in the World Series. It’s the first time ever we have seen an LCS between two teams with less than 90 wins. San Diego has home field advantage in this best of 7 matchup. Let’s break down how each team got here and how they stack up against each other.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies have been building for this type of postseason run for a long time. After years of big free agent spending and trading to get key pieces, they finally made the postseason for the first time since 2011. MLB’s expanded postseason allowed them to get the third and final wild card spot and they have taken every advantage of it. They certainly are not playing like a team that started the season 21-29. They swept the Cardinals in the Wild Card Series and completely dominated the defending champion Atlanta Braves in the NLDS. Bryce Harper is locked in and that is never a good thing for opposing teams. Along with Harper, the Phillies have gotten huge hits from multiple players, a huge key to success in the postseason. The pitching has been incredible as well. Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola have looked sharp and the bullpen, that all season long has been shaky at best, has somehow found a way to lock down games late. Philadelphia is what October baseball is all about, playing hot at the right time, and there is no hotter city right now than Philly (go Eagles).
San Diego Padres
The Padres share a very similar storyline to their LCS counterpart. They have spent the money, made the trades, and have been building for this moment. After years of getting bullied by the Dodgers, they caught them sleeping and landed the knockout punch. San Diego fans have lost their minds but I can’t say I blame them. That upset was, objectively, one of the best postseason moments in recent memory. Manny Machcado isn’t the only batter you need to be worried about anymore. Guys like Juan Soto, Jake Cronenworth, and Trent Grisham have all landed huge hits to contribute to this team’s success. The pitching, especially the bullpen, has been incredible. Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove have looked nasty and Blake Snell is holding up his end as well. Josh Hader is literally unhittable in the 9th inning. Much like the Phillies, the Padres are playing hot at the right time. That along with the life-altering confidence boost of taking down two 100+ win teams so far, they are gonna be hard to beat.
Prediction
After a few days of being sad about the Dodgers being on the wrong end of one of the biggest postseason upsets in history, I’m actually very excited about this series. Both fan bases have waited a long, long time for something like this and that more than anything is what this game is all about. Philadelphia fans are insane but they bring the energy better than anyone. And for all that has been said about Padre fans not showing up, boy did they come out in full force in San Diego and they have been rewarded with their team in the NLCS for the first time since 1998. There are great storylines on both sides. Bryce Harper and Manny Machado were both first round picks in 2010. Both made their MLB debut in 2012. Both have their share of awards and All Star selections. Both have never been to a World Series. It’s a huge moment for two of the game's best players who are on track for Hall of Fame careers. There’s also a matchup of brothers, Aaron Nola of the Phillies and Austin Nola of the Padres. I never thought I would be picking between these two teams to move on to the World Series. This is going to be a high energy series and I can’t wait to see who can deliver the big moments. I’m gonna pick the Padres as your 2022 National League champs, in 7 games.