The 2024 National League Championship Series matchup has been announced!

Starting Sunday, the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers will go head-to-head with a trip to the World Series on the line.

After the Mets clinched their first NLCS trip since 2015, when Francisco Lindor delivered a Game 4 grand slam to eliminate the Philadelphia Phillies, the Dodgers eliminated the San Diego Padres with a 2-0 NLDS Game 5 win in Los Angeles.

What have we learned about each of these teams so far? What does each party have to do to get a ticket for the Fall Classic? And who could be the NLCS difference makers? ESPN MLB experts Jorge Castillo, Alden Gonzalez and David Schoenfield explain it all.

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New York Mets

What’s the most impressive thing about the Mets this postseason?

Castillo: The Mets’ lineup is brutal. They may not match the star power of the Dodgers, but their lineup is as deep as any in baseball. They can beat you from 1 to 9. They execute smart at bats. They have a knack for huge hits in the clutch. And they pounce on bullpens. Look no further than Game 4 of the NLDS when, after leaving the bases loaded in each of the first two innings against Phillies starter Ranger Suarez, Francisco Lindor cracked the go-ahead grand slam off Carlos Estevez, Philadelphia’s top reliever, in the sixth . . One day it will be Lindor. Next up it’s Mark Vientos or Pete Alonso or Brandon Nimmo or Jose Iglesias. Or someone else. There are no holes in the lineup and that could be an NL pennant-winning recipe.

Schoenfield: The Mets actually have the most pitching depth of any team still in the playoffs, with six reasonable options if you include Kodai Senga (who started Game 1 against the Phillies but hasn’t been stretched out yet). Sean Manaea pitched a gem in NLDS Game 3 against the Phillies with seven scoreless innings, and the Mets just win when he pitches — they are 16-4 in his past 20 starts. Jose Quintana has allowed just one unearned run in eleven innings in two playoff starts, and Luis Severino, David Peterson and Tylor Megill round out the options, although Peterson has also proven to be a valuable relief option. With three days off before Game 1, the Mets can reset, get some much-needed rest and figure out which of the starters will pitch out of the pen.

Why will it (or won’t) work against the Dodgers in the NLCS?

Castillo: The Dodgers’ bullpen was impressive in the NLDS, but relying on bullpen play won’t be sustainable against the Mets. There’s a good chance New York will destroy the Dodgers’ relief corps if Los Angeles doesn’t get more innings from its starters. This means that Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Jack Flaherty in particular have to delve deeper into games. If not, the Mets will ultimately resolve the bullpen in the seven-game series.

Schoenfield: The other advantage the Mets have is three lefties in Manaea, Quintana and Peterson. Shohei Ohtani is actually human against lefties: 0.867 OPS compared to 1.128 against righties. Max Muncy hit .172 against lefties. Freddie Freeman, when his ankle allows him to play, was much worse against lefties (.250 average with less power vs. .300 against righties). Gavin Lux hit .152 against lefties. That’s why we may see Peterson back in the rotation after pitching in relief against the Brewers and Phillies. The more lefty innings the Mets can throw at the Dodgers, the better.

Who is the one player who needs to perform for the Mets to win the NL pennant?

Castillo: The Mets’ biggest weakness is the bullpen, making closer Edwin Diaz a crucial character in this series. Díaz is the best reliever the Mets have. He possesses a triple-digit fastball and a wipeout slider. But this year, after missing all of 2023 with a torn ACL, it’s been a rollercoaster. He briefly lost his job in June. He was suspended in June for using sticky stuff. He’s been bad, and he’s been great. He has been uneven lately due to heavy usage, taking a lead in Game 2 against the Phillies and walking two to start the ninth inning in Game 4 before getting back on track. The Mets need Díaz to dominate every time he is on the mound. That means being efficient and throwing shots. If he’s vintage Díaz, the Mets have a weapon to shrink games.

Schoenfield: Pete Alonso has to hold on. He didn’t have his best season and the strikeouts piled up in August and September, when he fanned 74 times in 54 games. However, after hitting just four opposite-field home runs in the regular season, all three of his playoff home runs have gone to right field, as he hit .273/.433/.727 — and you’ve got to love the seven. walks against a manageable eight strikeouts in seven games. If he stays in that kind of zone, it will give the Mets the strength they need in the middle of the lineup behind Francisco Lindor, Mark Vientos and Brandon Nimmo.

Los Angeles Dodgers

What’s the most impressive thing about the Dodgers this postseason?

Gonzalez: Their bullpen. Given the multitude of injuries their starting pitchers suffered, the Dodgers knew they would be relying heavily on their relievers in October. And so far, they’ve answered that, most notably by eliminating the Padres to save their season in Game 4. The Dodgers are navigating this postseason with what amounts to a three-man rotation, and all three of their starters – Yoshinobu Yamamoto , Jack Flaherty and Walker Buehler – have had their share of struggles. But the Dodgers also have as many as seven high-leverage relievers they can deploy in support of them.

Schoenfield: The Dodgers are showing… resilience? That hasn’t exactly been their strongest point in recent postseasons. Although the Dodgers won the NL West, most picked the Padres to win the series, especially after San Diego went up two games to one. But Dave Roberts and the relievers executed the bullpen play to perfection in Game 4 to reach Game 5. They didn’t let the Padres’ antics bother them. They won despite a limping Freddie Freeman. They showed that they can win matches where Ohtani doesn’t have to be Superman. Maybe this will be the year — in a postseason where few expected the Dodgers to win.

Why will it (or won’t it) work against the Mets in the NLCS?

Gonzalez: Just look at how the Mets got here: with Francisco Lindor’s sixth-inning grand slam off Carlos Estevez, who has mainly excelled as the Phillies’ closer since coming over before the trade deadline. It seems like the Mets have something special going on, and a lot of their magic has manifested late. The Mets have won six of nine games dating back to the Sept. 30 doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves, which served as their regular-season finale. Five of those wins came from behind, three of which came after the seventh inning.

Schoenfield: Okay, resilience is nice, but at some point they’re going to need better results from the starting pitching. Winning a five-game series with two days off while relying heavily on the bullpen is one thing, but it’s much harder to do that in a seven-game series (with the same two days off). The Mets have also shown their own resilience, with dramatic comebacks to beat the Braves to clinch a playoff berth, beat the Brewers to advance and then eliminate the Phillies – all against three of the closers in the game.

Who is the one player who needs to perform for the Dodgers to win the NL pennant?

Gonzalez: I’m going to mention a name you probably didn’t expect: Enrique Hernandez. The Dodgers picked him up specifically for these moments and he showed why with a huge home run in Friday’s Game 5 win. They believe he has the ability to seize the opportunity in October, and he should get significant playing time in this NLCS. His production at the bottom of the order will be crucial in giving Ohtani opportunities with runners on base – a situation Ohtani has become famous for as of late.

Schoenfield: Mookie Betts. We saw him break out of his postseason slump with the home runs against the Padres, and he should keep it up, especially given the left-handed starters the Mets will be able to roll out (and especially if Freeman’s availability and production picks up). be a concern).