The MLB postseason is getting closer and closer. With three teams qualified and three others vying for two Wild Card spots, the final games will be pretty intense. People always say that pitching and defense wins championships, though. The way each rotation is set up could be a difference maker in October.
Which NL rotation looks better with the playoffs set to start in a few more days?
Chicago Cubs: Is there any way anyone can stop the Cubs? Chicago has had the best rotation in baseball this year, and it seems manager Joe Maddon has his rotation set already. Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester have been three of the best 10 pitchers in the NL in 2016. John Lackey has plenty of playoff experience and should be fourth starter. And Jason Hammel can contribute on a pinch, too. And we haven’t even mentioned a bullpen that features Hector Rondon and Aroldis Chapman, among others. It seems as if the Cubs will be unstoppable on both sides of the ball.
Washington Nationals: Sure, they have Max Scherzer and Tanner Roark as a formidable 1-2 punch, but there are lots of question marks after that. Stephen Strasburg is likely to be out of the NLDS, Gio Gonzalez has been very inconsistent this year, and the rest of the rotation is unproven. The offense has had its fair share of injuries (Daniel Murphy, Bryce Harper and Wilson Ramos) so the Nats are one of the most complicated teams ahead of the playoffs.
Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers have already set their rotation for the NLDS. Clayton Kershaw will take the opener, Rich Hill will go second, and Kenta Maeda will go third. They had plenty of injuries throughout the regular season, but their top arms will be rested for the playoffs. They’re certainly a team to watch if their pitchers can perform as expected.
St. Louis Cardinals: One of the three NL teams with chances to reach the postseason, the Cardinals have had to rely on offense to get where they are thus far. Aside from Carlos Martinez they don’t have a lot of reliable arms for the playoffs. And Adam Wainwright hasn’t looked like himself all season long.
New York Mets: The Mets reached the 2015 World Series thanks to their pitching, but we’re sure that’s not going to be the case in 2016. Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz are all out for the season. Cy Young candidate Noah Syndergaard and veteran Bartolo Colon are locks, but the rest is either full of question marks or unproven. Just like in 2015, Yoenis Cespedes and company will have to carry the Mets come playoff time.
San Francisco Giants: It turns out you can’t count the Giants out on an even year. They remain in the Wild Card race despite their epic meltdown in the second half. San Francisco has Madison Bumgarner leading the rotation so they should be fine, and Jeff Samardzija is a capable n°2. But the status of Johnny Cueto remains in the air. The Giants will be quite weakened against top teams like the Cubs or the Dodgers without Cueto.