We’ve had a couple of days to process the Phillies defeat in the NLDS. As with any playoff defeat, there are plenty of scapegoats for the loss. They’ve been discussed and will continue to be discussed over
the next few months. I don’t want to completely dismiss the Phillies’ shortcomings and how they contributed to the team’s defeat, but it feels like people are somewhat overlooking what might have been the biggest factor of all: The Los Angeles Dodgers are really good.
The Dodgers are easily the best team the Phillies have faced in the playoffs since the 2022 Astros, and they might be even better. Before the season, there were complaints that the Dodgers might have compiled an unfairly talented roster, and while the team didn’t always live up to that billing during the regular season, it certainly shone through in the NLDS.
For whatever reason, the Phillies have been able to neutralize Shohei Ohtani as well as any team in the majors, and that continued in the playoffs. Additionally, they prevented Mookie Betts from doing too much damage. And the Dodgers’ third MVP in their lineup, Freddie Freeman, was held to just three hits in the series.
The problem is, the Dodgers also boast talents like Teoscar Hernandez, Will Smith, Max Muncy, and Andy Pages. On many teams, that would be a decent heart of the order. On the Dodgers, they’re batting in the back half of the lineup. None of those guys went crazy in the series, but they contributed just enough.
The real advantage the Dodgers have is with their pitching staff. We can talk about how the Phillies’ best hitters only showed up in one of the games and could only manage a single run in the finale. But in that finale, the Dodgers got to use two high quality pitchers in Tyler Glasnow and Roki Sasaki for nine innings. (There will be more written about the Phillies’ struggles against quality pitchers in the days to come.)
The fact that the Phillies lost Zack Wheeler and the Dodgers gained Sasaki for the series might have been what swung things in the Dodgers’ favor. Just think if the Phillies had Wheeler healthy and were then able to deploy Jesus Luzardo in a multi-inning relief capability like the Dodgers were with Sasaki. The Dodgers’ bullpen struggles toward the end of the season were well publicized, but adding the guy rated as the top prospect before the season helped cover up that flaw.
I can’t help but think that if this year’s version of the Phillies took on the Mets in 2024, they would have won the series. But also, it ultimately doesn’t matter.
Nobody cares how tough your path to a title was, only if you won or lost. The Dodgers are loaded with talent, and will very likely win the World Series, but here’s the thing: They’re not going anywhere. That loaded roster will almost assuredly be back in next year’s playoff field. So, if the Phillies ever want to add another trophy to their display, they’re going to either need to improve the amount of talent on their own roster or figure out how to beat them.
