NLDS preview: The Dodgers and Mets should provide plenty of storylines

The NLDS matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets will not be lacking for storylines.

The series will feature two teams from the biggest media markets in the country, ensuring there will be hot takes following every single game. Despite winning 278 games over the past three seasons, the Dodgers have been called “disappointing” after failing to reach the World Series despite a massive payroll.

The Mets, on the other hand, are a franchise synonymous with failure. People actually use the phrase “Mets it up” when talking about whether the club will crumble under the pressure. For example, “I’m glad the Mets are going to the playoffs, but let’s hope they don’t Mets the whole thing up.”

On top of that, the series features two pitchers who are sure to garner plenty of attention when they are on the mound. Clayton Kershaw has been the best pitcher on the planet over his five seasons, but after posting a 5.12 ERA over 11 playoff appearances, he already has a bit of a reputation as a choker in the playoffs.

Matt Harvey enters the postseason with plenty of questions as well. His regular season ended in controversy after there was some back-and-forth about whether he should be on an innings limit in his first season back from Tommy John surgery. He’s already gotten himself into hot water in October, missing one of the team’s first workouts.

Honestly, that’s just scratching the surface here. We haven’t even mentioned Yasiel Puig yet, and he has the capacity to inspire more opinions than anyone on either team.

No matter what happens, we will all definitely be entertained by this series.

SCHEDULE
Game 1: Friday in Los Angeles, 9:30 p.m. ET (TBS)
Game 2: Saturday in Los Angeles, 9:00 p.m. ET (TBS)
Game 3: Monday in New York, Time TBA (TBS)
Game 4*: Tuesday in New York, 8:00 p.m. ET (TBS)
Game 5*: Thursday in Los Angeles, 8:00 p.m. ET (TBS)
* if necessary

PREVIOUSLY
The Mets took the season series 4-3. It’s worth noting that none of those games were played after the team acquired Yoenis Cespedes at the trade deadline. Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw were tagged with losses in two of those three defeats.

PITCHING
Game 1: Jacob deGrom (14-8, 2.54) vs. Clayton Kershaw (16-7, 2.13)
Game 2: Noah Sydergaard (9-7, 3.24) vs. Zack Greinke (19-3, 1.66)
Game 3: Brett Anderson (10-9, 3.69) vs. Matt Harvey (13-8, 2.71)
Game 4: TBD vs. TBD
Game 5: TBD vs. TBD

On paper, it looks like pitching will dominate the matchup. While the Mets have a tremendous, young core, there’s no doubt the Dodgers’ one-two punch can put the fear into any playoff team. Kershaw and Greinke have the ability to take over every single game they pitch, meaning they can easily put the Mets in a 2-0 hole if things go right. Brett Anderson stayed healthy this season, and he’s no slouch when he’s on the mound.

The Mets will counter with the fantastic trio of deGrom, Syndergaard and Harvey. All three are capable of taking over games in the same way Kershaw and Greinke can, but they lack playoff experience. Does that even matter? We’re about to find out.

THREE KEYS FOR THE DODGERS
Pitch deep into games: The Dodgers early exits from the postseason the past few years can be blamed on having an iffy bullpen. It was one of the reasons manager Don Mattingly left Kershaw on the mound in Game 1 against St. Louis last year. Los Angeles’ bullpen ranked 19th in the league with a 3.91 ERA, but the club has strong peripherals. Kenley Jansen, Yimi Garcia and Pedro Baez have all had their moments, yet the ghosts of the past are still strong. Getting at least seven solid innings out of Kershaw and Greinke would do wonders for this team.

Yasiel Puig needs to do Yasiel Puig things: Injuries ruined the 24-year-old’s season in 2015, limiting him to a .255/.322/.436 slash line, but he’s (apparently) healthy now. After missing all of September with a hamstring injury, Puig was able to return for the final two games of the regular season. It’s unclear whether Puig is anywhere close to 100 percent, though. The young outfielder has put up insanely good numbers when healthy, and the Dodgers could certainly use some of that during this series. He remains a major question mark for this series.

Make the right decisions, Don: Mattingly will likely be put in the spotlight during this series. He’ll have to make a number of lineup choices that could either end in glory, or lead to intense criticism in defeat. Should Enrique Hernandez start over Joc Pederson in center? Which three outfielders should be in the starting lineup every day? Is it time Corey Seager took over for Jimmy Rollins? Howie Kendrick or Chase Utley at second? It’s not an enviable position for the skipper.

THREE KEYS FOR THE METS
Remember the second half: Cespedes gets a ton of credit for the team’s second-half turnaround. That’s certainly deserved, as the outfielder hit .287/.337/.604, with 17 home runs, since coming to New York. His outburst, however, overshadowed contributions by other guys on the team. Curtis Granderson hit .267/.390/.495 after the trade deadline. Travis d’Arnaud hit .262/.344/.476 over that same period. Michael Conforto was called up around the same time, and impressed at the plate. Cespedes will be a major key, sure, but the Mets have a few hot hitters coming into the series.

Don’t be overwhelmed: The Mets will start three young, inexperienced pitchers in the first three games of the series. While all three have shown veteran poise at different parts of the regular season, the postseason is a different animal. DeGrom and Harvey have spent just two full seasons in the majors, while Syndergaard is a rookie. If they can block out the intensity of the moment and pretend it’s a normal game, the Mets will be in great shape.

Harvey’s limits: No one really knows what to expect from Harvey during the postseason. Will he be on a pitch count each game? Is there an innings limit? What happens if he’s dominating? What happens if the team moves on? Harvey is a big-time unknown in the series. He could throw eight dominant innings and shock everyone, or put up good numbers over four innings and get pulled early. Only Harvey, the Mets and Terry Collins know the plan, and we have no idea if they even agree on it.

FIVE KEY NUMBERS

• 114: The Mets wRC+ over the second half of the season. wRC+ is an advanced start that measures a club’s offense. The team’s 114 figure ranked fourth in the league over the second half of the season. That was a huge upgrade over the club’s 85 wRC+ in the first half.

• 501: Number of strikeouts by Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke during the regular season. By comparison, the Mets’ big three combined for a mere 559 strikeouts this season.

• 4.33: The Dodgers’ bullpen ERA over the second half. The club enters the postseason again with concerns at the back end. Similar issues caused Mattingly to stick with his starters too long in the past. Will that happen again?

• .942: Cespedes’ OPS with the Mets. The average OPS this season was just .721, so that gives you an idea of how excellent Cespedes was after joining the club.

• 5.12: Kershaw’s ERA in 11 postseason games. His struggles in the playoffs have already become a major storyline for this series. In order to avoid the “choke artist” label, he’ll need to turn in a strong start in Game 1.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik

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