The Los Angeles Dodgers open a three-game series tonight against the New York Mets at Citi Field in a rematch of last season’s National League Championship Series — and a potential preview of this year’s.
Both teams have retained their cores while making some major offseason acquisitions — Juan Soto in the case of the Mets, and Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki in the case of the Dodgers.
And both teams are playoff contenders again in 2025. But they’ve taken different paths: the Dodgers bludgeon opponents with power, while the Mets dominate from the mound.
October Tensions in May
Last year’s NLCS went five games, with Los Angeles ultimately outlasting New York. This weekend’s series marks their first meeting since then and offers a clear view of what could be another collision course come October.
The Dodgers arrive in Queens with MLB’s best offense. They lead the league in runs scored, slugging percentage, and OPS. But their rotation is bruised and inconsistent.
Meanwhile, the Mets counter with the best pitching staff in the game and a Cy Young frontrunner headlining Sunday’s series finale.
Dodgers: Best Offense, Battered Rotation
Los Angeles remains dangerous at the plate.
Shohei Ohtani is on an MVP pace with 17 home runs, a .304 batting average, and a 1.053 OPS. Freddie Freeman is close behind, hitting .368 with an OPS over 1.080.
The Dodgers can strike quickly and often, and no lead is safe against their lineup.
Their rotation has, however, underwhelmed. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been stellar, with a 1.93 ERA in seven starts. But injuries to Sasaki, Snell, and Tyler Glasnow have thinned their depth.
Sasaki struggled early and is now on the IL with a shoulder issue. Clayton Kershaw, who makes his season debut Friday, will be counted on to help stabilize things.
Help may be on the way for the Dodgers’ rotation. Ohtani is making progress toward returning to the mound. He’s now mixing breaking pitches into his bullpen sessions and could rejoin the rotation after the All-Star break.
Mets: Pitching Carries the Weight
While the Mets’ offense has sputtered — particularly with runners in scoring position — their pitching has kept them firmly in contention.
New York leads MLB with a 2.82 ERA, and they’ve been elite at home. Griffin Canning (2.47 ERA) and David Peterson (2.86 ERA) have been consistent. And Clay Holmes is succeeding in his transition to the starting rotation. But the ace of the staff is clearly Kodai Senga.
Senga, who takes the mound Sunday, is in the middle of a Cy Young-caliber season. He enters the weekend with a 4–3 record, 1.43 ERA, and 47 strikeouts over just 50.1 innings. His ghost splitter continues to befuddle hitters, and he’s been particularly dominant at Citi Field — as have the Mets as a whole.
Game 3 on Sunday leans in the Mets’ favor, with Senga facing Dodgers rookie Landon Knack. New York will have a clear edge on the mound that night — and if their offense can give Senga even modest support, it could tilt the series.
Soto’s struggles remain a concern. He’s hitting just .182 over his last 7 games and hasn’t homered since May 9. His batting average with runners in scoring position is just .125. The Mets are counting on him to regain form if they’re to contend long-term.
Right now, they’re not even getting a tenth of the value they’re paying for.
Prediction: Expect the Mets to take two out of the three games in this series, winning on Friday and Sunday.
Schedule, Promotions, and Probable Pitchers
Friday, May 23 – 7:10 PM Eastern
Fireworks Night
Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw (LHP, 0–0, 11.25 ERA)
Mets: Griffin Canning (RHP, 5–1, 2.47 ERA)
Saturday, May 24 – 7:15 PM Eastern
Kodai Senga Replica Jersey Giveaway
Dodgers: Tony Gonsolin (RHP, 2–0, 4.05 ERA)
Mets: David Peterson (LHP, 2–2, 2.86 ERA)
Sunday, May 25 – 7:10 PM ET
Mark Vientos Bobblehead Night
Dodgers: Landon Knack (RHP, 1–1, 3.38 ERA)
Mets: Kodai Senga (RHP, 4–3, 1.43 ERA)
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