The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies are two of the most complete teams in all of baseball. Both lineups have strong hitters with so much pop and intelligence on when not to fall for a bait. Moreover, their starting rotation also boasts high-quality pitchers, making the 2025 NLDS an interesting watch. As such, fans want to know some key areas where one has the edge over the other.
In the 2025 regular season, the Dodgers led the National League in runs scored, accumulating 825 runs. Meanwhile, the Phillies scored 778 runs, ranking them fifth. Most of those 825 runs received major contributions from Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernandez and Freddie Freeman. Meanwhile, from the Phillies, their best hitters were Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Trea Turner.
Ohtani and Schwarber have proven to be the most formidable hitters. Both play in the leadoff spot, which means the game could start with an early score.
In other statistical observations, the Dodgers have hit more home runs (244 vs. 212), have higher slugging (.441 vs. .431), and slightly higher OPS (.768 vs. .759). Meanwhile, the Phillies have a slightly higher batting average (.258 vs .253) and OBP (.328 vs .327), plus more hits, doubles, triples, and stolen bases.
To conclude, the Dodgers have an edge when it comes to power and run production, whereas the Phillies have the edge in contact hitting and baserunning.
Starting pitchers for Dodgers vs Phillies NLDS Game 1
Shohei Ohtani will not only play in the leadoff spot, but he's also the starting pitcher for the Dodgers in Game 1. This will mark his debut in the postseason as a pitcher. This also makes him the only player in MLB history to start a game as a starter and leadoff hitter. Ohtani has been dominant this season, posting a 2.87 ERA with 62 strikeouts over 47 innings. Moreover, he has allowed just one run in his last 19⅔ innings.
On the other end, the Phillies will hand the ball to Cristopher Sanchez, who has been a key contributor in 2025. He boasts a 13-5 record with an ERA of 2.50 and 212 strikeouts in 32 appearances this season.