Dodgers vs. Cubs: Position by Position Matchup Breakdown

Ben Zobrist, Jon Jay, Jason Heyward vs. Curtis Granderson, Chris Taylor, Yasiel Puig

Ben Zobrist LF (5 starts): .235/.278/.353 (4-17), 2 Doubles,

Jon Jay CF (5 games): .273/.429/.455 (3-11), 2 Doubles, 1 RBI

Jason Heyward RF (5 starts): .167/.333/.167 (2-12), 3 strikeouts

Curtis Granderson LF (2 starts): .125/.125/.125 (1-8), 4 strikeouts

Chris Taylor CF (3 starts): .231/.333/.308 (3-13), 1 Double, 1 RBI

Yasiel Puig RF (3 starts): .455/.538/.727 (5-11), 1 Double, 1 Triple, 4 RBI

There isn’t a clean sweep for the Dodgers here in my eyes. Ben Zobrist brings a lot of stability to the Cubs outfield and Jay and Heyward can catch the ball with the best of them. Collectively they’re hitting .225 with 4 doubles and 1 RBI. That type of production isn’t going to get the job done against the Dodgers. Heyward is a guy that I feel has never amounted to his hype or potential. That being said, he does have a strong arm out in right. Jay is a pesky hitter that can make pitchers work and find his way on base (as evident with his solid OBP). He also sures up their defense in center field despite his below average arm.

For the Dodgers, it’s the same thing we’ve seen all season. Yasiel Puig leads the charge with 4 RBI on 2 extra base hits and is doing a fantastic job getting on-base. We all know about the arm he possesses, so there are not many right fielders that could beat him out this season. Chris Taylor had a modest NLDS. We’ve seen him start to slow down as the season wrapped up, but he’s still a threat to hit one out or steal a base when he’s on. Left Field is like it has been all season, a revolving door. Granderson was brought in with hopes of stabilizing that position but struggled badly. Dodger fans expected Granderson to come up big under the postseason lights, but at least after one series that has yet to happen.

Verdict:

The Dodgers win the outfield two positions to one with left field going to the Cubs.

Next: Key Players in the NLCS

Unintentionally the Dodgers walked away with winning six of the eight positions in this comparison. This has less to do with value in the long haul, instead of the way the season and postseason have been going up until this point. As I’ve noted quite a few times, both of these teams are talented. Last year the Cubs got the better of the Dodgers. But this year I expect a different result.