2024 NLDS Preview: New York Mets v. Philadelphia Phillies

2024 NLDS Preview: New York Mets v. Philadelphia Phillies

Nothing quite makes for playoff baseball like an inner division rivalry with two teams that don’t like each other. That’s precisely what you get with the New York Mets set to face off against the Philadelphia Phillies. Two cities/fanbases who don’t like each other, and it should make for a great series. Now, let’s see who has the edge going into the series.

New York Mets Overview:

The Mets were one of, if not the hottest, team going into the end of the 2024 season. What many people viewed as a rebuilding year for the team that sold quite hard at the deadline quickly turned into something much greater as the Mets continued to win games.

While it’s hard to pinpoint one thing as the cause for the Mets’ late-season success, the pitching sure did play a big role. It had really been an issue for them all year, but down the line, they saw some guys step up and give them some much-needed outings.

Guys like Luis Severino and Jose Quintana held down the top of the rotation while Sean Manea found a way to make himself useful with a 3.47 ERA across 181.2 innings. Guys like David Peterson and Tylor Megill also carved rolls for themselves and should be helpful throughout the series.

The Mets also have a talented offense, and they will surely need to score runs if they want to win. But over the course of a series, if you want to beat the Phillies, you need your pitching to keep their offense out of rhythm. The Phillies can get very streaky, and if you don’t allow them to get comfortable, you make it really hard for them to score.

So, if the Mets want to win this series, it’s going to have to be on the back of some good pitching. They have a deep bullpen as well, headlined by Edwin Diaz, who looks to get fully on track ahead of the series.

Philadelphia Phillies Overview:

At 95-67, the Phillies finished the regular season with the second-best record, only behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. While the second half of the year didn’t quite go how the Phillies would have wanted, they were still able to finish strong enough to earn the Second seed in the National League, and there is still plenty to like about this team.

You already know Red October is going to be out in full force, as these fans are hungry for a World Series they have been so close to winning in years past. This seems like it could be the year for the Phillies, though. Everyone has stayed relatively healthy, and expectations have shot through the roof over the course of the season.

Dave Dombrowski has spent some big, big money to see his team win big games and perform in clutch moments—something the Phillies have been able to do in years past. They are the better team on paper, but we know that means nothing when it gets to game time. It should be an exciting one, though.

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Keys to Winning

Mets: Pitching Pitching Pitching

I’ve mentioned it briefly, but the way to beat this Phillies team is to keep this offense off-balanced and not allow them to get into any rhythm. We have seen this Phillies team hit one home run and it spread like a plague across the entire team before you’re down six runs, just ask the Braves… But on the other hand, if you can keep them from getting into a rhythm, this offense starts to struggle, and it could do so enough to allow the Mets to steal this.

Phillies: Consistent Offense

If the Phillies want to win, they must stay consistent on offense. Of course, pitching does matter, but you’re in good hands when you have Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola slated for two of those games. But, for this team, it will be a matter of ensuring the bats stay consistent. When this offense is on, it’s one of the best in the MLB, but it can disappear at times, and if the Mets can make that happen, the Phillies could fall short of that World Series yet again.

Rivaling squads going at it in October? Thats what playoff baseball is all about baby! This should be a great one, but I’m going Phillies in 5.

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