Dodgers vs. Mets: Battle of titans in NLDS

Offense

No team in the NL gets on base more than the Dodgers or hits as many home runs, but the Mets have scored more runs than the Dodgers. Postseason baseball is the time for stars to shine and the series star could be New York outfielder Yoenis Cespedes . He’s had a huge season since coming to the Mets from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline (17 homers, 44 RBIs after trade). New York has a balanced lineup, but not a lot of speed. The Dodgers have a lineup full of familiar veterans. Adrian Gonzalez (28 home runs, 90 RBIs) has been the leader of the group for a team that has been prone to offensive funks. Advantage: Mets

Pitching

As amazing as the Mets’ turnaround has been this season, it could be a short-lived one because of the rotation the Dodgers will roll out. For the Mets to win, they’re going to have to find a way to beat lefty Clayton Kershaw or righty Zack Greinke. They’ll start at least three games of the series and combined for 34 wins, with Kershaw having a down year by his standards with only 16 wins and a 2.13 ERA. The Mets have a pretty dynamic duo in Jacob deGrom and Matt Harvey, but they’ve never pitched in the postseason. New York may have a slight edge in the bullpen, but both teams have dominant closers in the Mets’ Jeurys Familia (43 saves, 1.85 ERA) and the Dodgers’ Kenley Jansen (2.41 ERA, 36 saves). Advantage: Dodgers

Intangibles

Everyone expected the Dodgers to be in the postseason, but few expected the Mets, who were just .500 on July 4 and were supposed to play second fiddle to the Washington Nationals in the East. Instead they ended up running away in the division after going 36-19 in August and September. Advantage: Dodgers

Prediction: Dodgers in five. Having three of the five games in the series started by Greinke and Kershaw on regular rest makes this the series for the Dodgers.

This story was originally published October 8, 2015 at 3:50 PM with the headline "Dodgers vs. Mets: Battle of titans in NLDS."