Braves vs. Dodgers: Setting the Stage for the Series

It's the start of the playoffs for the Dodgers, who will face the National League East's remaining team (the Braves) in the division series.

What can we expect from the Dodgers, who are regulars in the division series? And from the Braves, who are making their first appearance since 2023?

The Pitchers

Obviously, you know as well as I do that the Los Angeles Dodgers have no shortage of talent on the mound. Plus, they'll be well-rested.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tarik Skubal—in that order, or perhaps not—will be available for the first games of the series.

Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow (a hard-throwing pitcher who could be used out of the bullpen) are the other options at Dave Roberts' disposal.

Keep in mind that Shohei Ohtani won't be pitching. So we won't see a repeat of last year's crazy game against Milwaukee.

The Braves have three “starters” available, if you count Grant Holmes. However, Holmes pitched last night.

Tyler Mahle pitched on Wednesday. He's expected to start Game 3.

The other starter is Chris Sale. He threw a few pitches last night, but it was more like his bullpen session between starts.

He'll be ready for Game 2, he says. It remains to be seen how the Braves will handle Game 1, which will be a bullpen day.

In the bullpen, the Dodgers have options, but it's unclear who will be the go-to reliever in the ninth inning.

Will it be Roki Sasaki, like in 2025? Tanner Scott? Edwin Diaz?

Edgardo Henriquez, Alex Vesia, Evan Phillips, Kris Bubic, and starters like Justin Wrobleski and Emmet Sheehan will also have a say.

As usual, we expect the Dodgers to make adjustments on the fly, depending on how the players perform.

In Atlanta, Raisel Iglesias is the closer. Robert Suarez is a solid arm, and we've seen just how important Didier Fuentes is to that team.

Ray Keer, Dylan Lee, Dylan Dodd, Brent Suter, Victor Mederos, and others are also names to watch.

Position Players

Andy Pages had a great 2026 season. Max Muncy, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts (who finished the season strong), Tommy Edman, Teoscar, and Will Smith will be there to help.

But the three questions on everyone's mind are: Will Shohei be fit enough to make a difference? His hitting coach said he's at 100%.

Will Josue De Paula, who was excellent as a DH during his Major League debut while Ohtani was injured, play a big role?

And finally, will Kyle Tucker redeem himself after a tough season?

In Atlanta, the team is built around Ronald Acuña Jr. He had only one hit against the Phillies, but he made his presence felt in other ways—for better or for worse.

If he plays up to his potential, it's going to make things tough for the Dodgers.

Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris II, Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Drake Baldwin, and Mauricio Dubon are the names that stood out.

Ha-Seong Kim, Sean Murphy, Dominic Smith, and Mike Yastrzemski are the other players to keep an eye on.

The Managers

If Walt Weiss—who is a good manager—uses his bullpen against LA the way he did against Philly, it could come back to bite him.

Pulling his closer when the top of the lineup comes up to put a rookie on the mound is still a strange idea.

Dave Roberts, on the other hand, made his mistakes early in his career. He's not immune to a blunder, but in recent years, his experience has made all the difference.

It's hard not to give the Dodgers the edge.

The Unpredictables

The Dodgers are built for October. They'll be under a lot of pressure since they can't afford to lose so quickly.

Especially since this year, quite a few players are healthy. They aren't all at the top of their game, but they're available.

Created by humans, assisted by AI.