Dodgers vs. Cubs: Position by Position Matchup Breakdown

The stage is set for the Dodgers to redeem themselves in an NLCS rematch against the Cubbies. This whole week the question surrounding the Dodgers was – who will they be facing in the NLCS? After the longest 9-inning game in postseason history, the Cubs answered the call and eliminated the Nationals for in the NLDS.

Whether the Dodgers wanted to face the Cubs or the Nationals didn’t matter. Both teams left it all on the field and the Cubs proved to be the better team, at least for that night. Now it’s time to move past the NLDS and look forward to yet another spectacular NLCS round.

The Cubs are the defending world champs, so there’s no reason to take them lightly. But the Dodgers have been the best team all season long. This series, again, will feature the two most talented young teams in the NL. The Cubs NLDS roster featured 12 players under 28 years old, while the Dodgers’ roster had 11 on their roster. Youth is certainly taking over the landscape of the MLB.

Not only are these players young, but obviously they’re talented. Six of the Dodgers eight starters are all under 28, and seven out of the eight for the Cubs. When you compare these two teams side by side, you see a lot of similarities. Both organizations have players who are homegrown and have massive upside. Let’s see how these teams stack up against each other position by position.

Catcher: Wilson Contreras vs. Yasmani Grandal/Austin Barnes

Wilson Contreras (5 starts): .214/.300/.333 (3-14), 1 Home Run, 1 RBI

Yasmani Grandal (1 start): .000/.000/.000 (0-4), 2 strikeouts

Austin Barnes (2 starts): .500/.556/1.000 (4-8), 1 Home Run, 1 Double, 3 RBI

By the numbers, the edge here goes to the Dodgers with Austin Barnes leading the others in hits, RBI, and total bases. The issue here is that Roberts hasn’t fully committed to Barnes as the starting catcher. Barnes closed out the series by starting the final two games, but it remains to be seen if Roberts continues to roll with the hot hand.

Grandal has been the Dodgers catcher for the last three seasons. He’s known as one of the better all-around catchers in the league but has failed to put it all together with the Dodgers. Grandal is a tale of two hitters. When he’s hot, he’s white hot, but when he’s cold, he’s ice cold. Right now he’s ice cold, collecting on 7 hits in his last 34 at-bats (.205). Roberts has no room to play favorites here. He needs to roll with Barnes’ hot hand and continue to do what’s best for the team.

Contreras is a big part of the Cubs’ lineup. He hits 4th behind Anthony Rizzo and is one of their main sources of power. His flaw is his high number of strikeouts, like many power hitters in today’s game. In a way, he’s very much like a younger Yasmani Grandal with his big bat upside but not a true .300 hitter. He always brings a powerful presence at the plate, so Dodger pitchers better not take him lightly.

Verdict:

Contreras is one of the best young catchers in the league right along Salvador Perez, so maybe this is just me being a homer, but I say the edge goes to the Dodgers here. I say Dodgers with the stipulation that Barnes is the everyday catcher in this series as Grandal has been far too inconsistent. I feel Barnes’ approaches at the plate are better suited for the Dodgers’ lineup than Contreras’ big swing variance.

Anthony Rizzo vs. Cody Bellinger

Anthony Rizzo (5 games): .200/.238/.400 (4-20), 1 Home Run, 6 RBI

Cody Bellinger (4 games): .214/.267/.429 (3-14), 1 Home Run, 2 RBI

Boy was this position a lot easier when the Dodgers had Adrian Gonzalez at first base. Now we’re choosing between two of the best first baseman in the game.

Both Anthony Rizzo and Cody Bellinger didn’t hit much for average in the first round. They each ended up with a homer and were held to a low .200 batting average. But don’t let those numbers fool you when these two can mash.

Bellinger was decent in his first playoff series. I thought he rose to the occasion reasonably well for being a rookie. We didn’t see him completely crush home runs, but we also didn’t see him set an MLB record in strikeouts like fellow ROY Aaron Judge. I expect Bellinger to rise to the occasion under the postseason lights, and he did in game 3. Bellinger had his best game of the postseason defensively and offensively when the Dodgers needed offense most. I’m interested to see how he carries that over to the next series. He’s an all-around player and anchors the Dodgers’ top of the lineup; timely hitting is more important than a high average for Cody.

Rizzo is the youngest “veteran” on this team at 28-years old. He didn’t come up with many hits in the NLDS, but when he did it was with runners in scoring position. Rizzo went 4-5 with 5 RBI in situational hitting. When runners weren’t in scoring position, he was on the complete opposite side of the spectrum going 0-15 with 6 strikeouts.

Verdict:

As much as it pains me not to pick Cody on this one, I have to go with the veteran who has been in this spot before. Rizzo is without a doubt the leader of this team, and he proves it by hitting in the clutch. Bellinger is still growing into his leadership role, and for now, that’s okay. For this season I have to take the guy with 117 postseason at-bats over the rookie with 14.

Javier Baez vs. Logan Forsythe/Chase Utley

Javier Baez (4 starts): .000/.067/.000 (0-14), 1 Run Scored

Logan Forsythe (2 starts): .444/.500/.444 (4-9), 1 RBI

Chase Utley (1 start): .000/.500/.00 (0-2), 2 Walks

This may very well be the platoon position for both teams. Baez has started 3 of the 4 games for the Cubs, while Forsythe and Utley split the time for the Dodgers.

Baez is a very polarizing player with his flashy style of play. At 6-0, 190lbs you don’t expect a lot of pop from his bat, but that’s not the case. Baez is an all or nothing hitter, and that leads to a lot of home runs and strikeouts. Baez earns his starts at second base with his glove. I’m sure we all remember Joe Buck drooling over his tagging skills and diving plays. Baez showed last year that he could be a thorn in the Dodgers side. He’s off to a very slow start this postseason.

Logan Forsythe was the biggest offensive surprise for the Dodgers in the NLDS. In his first career games in the postseason, he delivered big hit after big hit. Although his run-producing metrics may not show that, he was a big reason why the Dodgers were able to produce runs against the Dbacks. It’s encouraging to see Forsythe get off to a nice start in October after a forgettable regular season.

Does Chase Utley style of play ever get old? Uley is almost at 200 career at-bats in the postseason, and he rarely gets cheated. Although Utley doesn’t have a base hit to show for his plate appearances, his at-bats set the tone for the rest of the team. I think he’s one of the most critical players on this roster.

Verdict:

The Dodgers’ second basemen may not be as flashy or as young as Baez, but that doesn’t always get the job done in the postseason. Baez is an exciting young player, but the Dodgers win this position with their crafty veterans. If Forsythe can continue to produce as he produced in the NLDS this lineup, they will have virtually no holes. Utley is as good of a bench player you can have off the bench in the postseason. His experience and mental aspect of the game keeps this young core focused on the end goal.

Kris Bryant vs. Justin Turner

Kris Bryant (5 starts): .200/.238/.300 (4-20), 2 Doubles, 2RBI, 2 Runs Scored

Justin Turner (3 starts): .462/.533/.692 (6-13), 1 Home Run, 5RBI

Another position where we have to choose between two All-Starts. Shocking that these two clubs are in the NLCS again, right?

Kris Bryant is undoubtedly one of the best young stars in the game. Already a two-time All-Star and reigning MVP, Bryant is the best pure hitter for the Cubs. This guy has it all, power, speed, defense. He’s quickly accumulating his postseason at-bats with their recent postseason appearances. In 119 at-bats, Bryant is hitting .252 with 5 home runs and 15 RBI. He’s slowly building his postseason reputation, but this year he’s off to a slow start.

Turner was the Dodgers best hitter in the first half and then regressed quite a bit during the second half. He had an NLDS to remember with 9 total bases and 5 RBI. Turner now leads all players with a .372 batting average in the NLDS. His career postseason average is .377 with 3 home runs and 17 RBI. He’s proving that he’s not one to shy away from the pressure. Turner hits in a big spot for the Dodgers protecting Corey Seager and setting the table for Cody Bellinger. The Dodgers will need Turner to be on his A game to advance to the World Series.

Verdict:

I feel like I keep repeating myself when I say the Cubs’ players are one of the best young players in the league, but can’t edge out this veteran. Turner has the better postseason numbers. I’ll be it in a smaller sample size. But come October, he’s locked in and making pitchers work extra hard to get outs. There will undoubtedly be a time when Bryant surpasses Turner, but not this year with the season Turner just had.

Addison Russell vs. Corey Seager

Addison Russell (5 starts): .222/.300/.333 (4-18), 2 Doubles, 4 RBI

Corey Seager (3 starts): .273/.467/.455 (3-11), 1 Triple, 2 RBI

Addison Russell is the guy that often gets overlooked on this Cubs team. He’s a former All-Star but never gets the same attention that Bryant, Rizzo, or even Baez do. That being said, Russell is more than a viable shortstop. He holds down the Cubs’ middle infield and fits in nicely at the bottom of their lineup. The concern with him is that he won’t hit over .250. In an era with Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor, and Corey Seager, that’s just not good enough to be top of the league.

Corey Seager is just a stud. His first three seasons with the Dodgers have been mirror images of the previous year. Seager had, what I consider to be a down NLDS. Maybe my expectations are too high for him, but I’m not sure if he’s 100% healthy. But hey, it’s October nobody is 100% healthy.

Verdict:

It’s the Dodgers here, again, and it’s not that close. Seager just provides more quality at-bats than Russell and hits at a more critical part of the lineup. On defense, Russell may have the edge since Seager is dealing with arm troubles, but Seager has made the routine plays.