Phillies’ expected NLDS strategy will make Mookie Betts more important than ever

The Dodgers and Phillies' NLDS will be a matchup of two titans, as well as their first time meeting in the postseason since 2009. Philadelphia has historically had the upper hand; they beat LA in back-to-back NLCS showdowns in 2008 and 2009, and the Phillies went on to win the World Series in 2008. They also have a 4-2 record over the Dodgers in this year's regular season.

Still, LA made their Wild Card sweep of the Reds look almost seamless (there were/are bullpen concerns, as expected) and will be feeling themselves going into the NLDS. They're still the odds-on favorite owing to their status as reigning World Champions.

It'll be up to the Phillies to figure out how to attack LA's lineup after they scored 18 runs on the Reds — by far the most of any Wild Card series — with five homers.

Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic expects that a big part of that game plan will be declining to challenge Shohei Ohtani, whether that means pitching around him or intentionally walking him in tough spots. That'll leave it up to Ardaya's X-factor Mookie Betts to come through when the Dodgers need him most.

Mookie Betts is Dodgers' NLDS X-factor as Phillies are expected to tread carefully with Shohei Ohtani

This would've been a massive issue for the Dodgers if Betts was still performing the way he did through July and a little into August, but he's since gone back to business as usual by putting up an outstanding September. He also went 6-for-9 in the Wild Card with three RBI and three doubles.

Betts has already been asked about the possibility of facing down higher-leverage situations if Ohtani gets free passes. He said, "I wouldn't let Shohei swing either. I expect the Phillies to do it, I expect the rest of the postseason for it to happen. I just got to be ready to do my thing."

Last postseason, Betts was the one who was getting the free passes — he was intentionally walked three times, more than any other Dodger, as Freddie Freeman looked like the weak link toward the top of LA's lineup (of course, the Yankees ended up paying for that massively in Game 1 of the World Series).

Of course, everyone knows that Betts won't be an easy out either, but hopefully that little extra edge of spite will propel him to into a Freeman-esque moment in the NLDS.