Dodgers vs. Padres: Position by Position Breakdown

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The NLDS between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres is arguably the most anticipated series in the MLB playoffs. These teams have tons of familiarity with one another, and it’s expected to be a highly competitive display of baseball.

With that said, who has the edge in this series? We’ll go position-by-position to determine this question.

1st Base

Freddie Freeman (Dodgers) vs. Donovan Solano (Padres)

Both teams rely on veterans here. Neither player strikes out a whole lot, and the ability to put the ball in play is an immensely important skill during postseason play. Having said that, Freeman is clearly the better player here even with a sprained ankle. He’ll surely want to quiet the haters who were going after him for a subpar playoff performance in 2023.

Edge: Dodgers

2nd Base

Gavin Lux (Dodgers) vs. Jake Cronenworth (Padres)

This is a relatively even matchup. Cronenworth has more pop and also has a penchant for being a clutch hitter. Lux had a very good second half of the season. There was a stretch where he was one of the hottest hitters in the National League. We’ll give Cronenworth the slight edge here, though Lux and his speed may lead to him being a major X-Factor during this series.

Edge: Padres

Shortstop

Miguel Rojas (Dodgers) vs. Xander Bogaerts (Padres)

This one is closer than you’d think. Bogaerts is the player with the massive contract. He had some great years in Boston, and by all accounts is a leader on this team. His play on the field has been somewhat underwhelming. A career utility man, Rojas had arguably the best year of his career — hitting .283 with a 3.4 WAR (the highest of his career). He’s also an elite fielder defensively. What tilts this primarily in San Diego’s favor is the fact Rojas has been nursing a groin injury. He might not be 100 percent, and there’s a reality in which Tommy Edman mans the position at times.

Edge: Padres

3rd Base

Max Muncy (Dodgers) vs. Manny Machado (Padres)

Machado is the answer here. He’s got a cannon of an arm and is easily among the better defensive third basemen in the league. His bat also plays up in the postseason in the heart of the Padres’ lineup. Muncy is a masher in his own right. There have been several occasions in which the thumping lefty has come up with big hits. He also has a penchant for getting on base with impressive discipline at the plate.

Edge: Padres

Catcher

Will Smith (Dodgers) vs. Kyle Higashioka (Padres)

Higashioka is a veteran catcher with the ability to hit the ball out of the park on occasion. He calls a good game and is the type of guy who can make you pay should a cookie come floating down the middle of the plate. At the same time, he’s no Will Smith. Despite a slow second half, Smith is an elite catcher. He feasts on fastballs and has quickly turned into one of the best catchers in the league at throwing runners out. Smith might be the single biggest X-factor for this team in October.

Edge: Dodgers

DH

Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers) vs. Luis Arraez (Padres)

Arraez is a very good player — to the point he narrowly beat out Shohei Ohtani for the batting title. Still, he’s no Shohei Ohtani.

Edge: Dodgers

Right Field

Mookie Betts (Dodgers) vs. Fernando Tatis Jr. (Padres)

This is where things get interesting. Both are superstar players with their respective strengths. Betts is the better all-around player when factoring in contact, power, and defense. Tatis, however, is the lightning rod for this Padres team. He has a flair for the dramatics, and he can make things turn at the drop of a hat. Each has immense value for their respective clubs.

Edge: Even

Centerfield

Tommy Edman (Dodgers) vs. Jackson Merrill (Padres)

Edman is a perfect fit for the Dodgers, A multi-positional player, he has played the infield and in the outfield since coming over from St. Louis. He’s a contact hitter and has even shown some pop during his short tenure with the Dodgers. With that said, Merrill is a superstar in the making. A true impact bat, his emergence this year has helped raise the Padres’ ceiling considerably.

Edge: Padres

Left Field

Teoscar Hernandez (Dodgers) vs. Jurickson Profar (Padres)

Profar and Hernandez both had terrific years. Profar is entrenched in the three-spot for San Diego largely based on his ability to hit to all parts of the park. At the same time, it just feels as if Hernandez is going to have a monster postseason. He’s mentioned publicly that playoff baseball is why he came to LA. Hernandez is another guy who thrives on big moments. There will be plenty of opportunity for those in this series. His ability to slug and his fastballs will play very nicely in this setting.

Edge: Dodgers

Starting Rotation

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Jack Flaherty, Walker Buehler (Dodgers) vs. Dylan Cease, Michael King, Yu Darvish (Padres)

There’s a narrative going on that San Diego’s rotation is head and shoulders ahead of LA’s group. At this point, it’s looking relatively even. Joe Musgrave leaving injured in the win over Atlanta in the wild card round is not good news for the Padres. Wandy Peralta might end up being the fourth starter for the Padres in a longer series, though it’s uncertain who will be there beyond the three of King, Cease, and Darvish. King in particular looked fantastic in the Game 1 win over Atlanta.

As for the Dodgers, Jack Flaherty will start Game 1 versus Cease. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will get the ball in Game 2 versus a starter TBD. The Dodgers are hoping each can give them 5-6 innings before turning the game over to the bullpen. Yamamoto has electric stuff when healthy. IF he can revert back to the form he showed earlier in the season, he’s a true ace. Fortunately for the Dodgers, Buehler has been throwing the ball well of late. Additionally, when speaking to teammates, they’ll tell you that he thrives most when the game is on the biggest stage.

Edge: Padres

Relievers

The Dodgers and Padres each have electric bullpens. San Diego has a formidable group featuring flamethrowers in lefties Adrian Morejon and Tanner Scott, Jeremiah Estrada, Jason Adam, and closer Robert Suarez. Scott and Adam have been great since coming over during the deadline. Estrada throws straight gas, as does Suarez (though he’s been a bit volatile in recent weeks).

The Dodgers’ greatest strength is experience. Daniel Hudson, Evan Phillips, Joe Kelly, Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia, and Ryan Brasier have all pitched in huge games. Anthony Banda has given LA a different look with a power left-handed reliever in high-leverage situations, The two most intriguing guys could be Michael Kopech and Edgardo Henriquez. Henriquez started the year in Single-A — yet has flown up the system with his Dodgers debut coming during the last week of the year. He’s been clocked as high as 104 MPH with his fastball. Kopech came over from the White Sox and has turned into the team’s most dominant closer since the days of a prime Kenley Jansen.

Edge: Dodgers

Bench

Chris Taylor, Enrique Hernandez, Andy Pages, Austin Barnes, Kevin Kiermeier (Dodgers) vs. Tyler Wade, Nick Ahmed, Brandon Lockridge, David Peralta, Elias Diaz (Padres)

LA has a deeper and more versatile collection of bench players. Taylor and Hernandez can play in the infield and the outfield. Barnes is one of the most battle-tested players on this roster. Kiermeier is an elite fielder in center, and is an excellent bunter/baserunner. Pages has the highest upside of any bench player, and could very well start in center should Edman play at shortstop. He crushes left-handed pitching, and every bench player mentioned above was mashing the baseball as the regular season came to a close.

Edge: Dodgers

Manager

Dave Roberts (Dodgers) vs. Mike Shildt (Padres)

Roberts has the edge here. He’s been in every big situation you could think of. He has a pulse on this team, and the fact the Dodgers are considered ‘underdogs’ by the media despite finishing with the best record in baseball is something he’s hammered home with his club.

Edge: Dodgers

Verdict

This is the platform Ohtani has dreamt of. His first taste of postseason baseball will be electric for fans all across the game. The Dodgers are facing a hot ballclub, but one they know immensely well. As mentioned above, this should be a highly motivated team looking to prove naysayers wrong. At the very least, this heavyweight series will be a real treat for baseball fans. You could be looking at two of the top three teams in the entire sport.

Prediction: Dodgers in 5