The Los Angeles Dodgers won the NL West, but didn't have a better record than the Philadelphia Phillies or the Milwaukee Brewers, forcing Los Angeles to play the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card round.
After sweeping the Reds easily, they now set their sights on the Phillies, making for the matchup of the postseason so far. Los Angeles will get Shohei Ohtani on the mound for Game 1 and will look to get things started right in Philadelphia.
It's a huge series, but to what degree? Well, MLB insider for USA Today Bob Nightengale shared a very illuminating report, which indicates that the Dodgers view the Phillies' NLDS series as their "World Series" this postseason.
Is the Dodgers-Phillies series Los Angeles' World Series?
"The Dodgers won't say it - not wanting to disrespect the other 10 teams still in the dance - but they believe this very well could be their World Series," Nightengale writes.
This would be noteworthy, as if true, it'd mean that the Dodgers view the Phillies as their top competition in the postseason field, and beating them would mean their path to a World Series championship would feature "easier" matchups.
Being a team's "World Series" means that, in this case, the Phillies series will be the hardest and most important of the year for the Dodgers. If they win, they'd still have the NLCS and the actual World Series still to play. But, even then, the Dodgers, according to Nightengale, view the Phillies series as the most important one this October.
That's why this report from Nightengale is so interesting. The Dodgers won the World Series in 2024 and are the favorites to win it again this season. But, even though the Brewers finished with a better record than the Phillies, the Dodgers, according to Nightengale's report, see the Phillies as the better team.
Getting past Philadelphia would mean a World Series title is a lot more feasible, beyond being one series closer. Regardless of who they'd face in the NLCS or the World Series, the Dodgers reportedly believe this Phillies NLDS matchup is the most important of the postseason.
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Philadelphia is a tricky opponent, with its incredible offensive firepower, dominant trio of left-handed starters, and a new flame-throwing closer in the bullpen. The Dodgers have the tools to compete, but the Phillies-Dodgers matchup is the best one of the postseason.
While there's still a lot of time left, the winner of this Phillies-Dodgers series would likely be viewed as the top team for the 2025 World Series. Not just for moving to the NLCS, but also for their opponent, one of the best teams in baseball, was just eliminated.
This matchup might end up being the most highly contentious series of the postseason. Both teams have incredible talent, a highly priced payroll, and the fanbase to support them along the way.
Whether the Dodgers actually view the Phillies' NLDS series as their "World Series" or not, it's hard to ignore how much this series impacts the rest of the postseason field. These teams are two of the top contenders in baseball, and whoever loses will be ending their 2025 season too early for how talented they've been all year.
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