Updated MLB Playoff Bracket: Examining the Mets possible NLCS matchups

The New York Mets are heading to the National League Championship Series after taking care of the Philadelphia Phillies in four games. The Mets started the regular season 24-33. After having a flat start to the season, they took off after June 1st, going 65-39. Even though they may seem like the underdogs, Francisco Lindor and his teammates don’t feel like it.

Carlos Mendoza’s squad will have to sit back and watch the rest of the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers NLDS. Right now, Shohei Ohtani’s team is down. In Wednesday's Game 4 of the series, San Diego can advance to the NLCS. However, the Dodgers assembled a roster that can overcome the odds.

Going up against either team will be a tough battle for the Mets. They’ve done nothing but prove doubters wrong over the past few weeks, and they just topped it off by knocking off a dangerous Phillies team. Lindor is playing the best baseball of his career, and the rest of the lineup isn’t a joke. The pitching rotation for New York has been great in the postseason, so they will have a shot to win a pennant.

Let's go over the two potential NLCS opponents the Mets might face:

Mets' possible NLCS opponent: San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres have been one of the hottest teams in baseball alongside the Mets these past few months. If San Diego caps off a win tonight, they will be getting home-field advantage in a seven-game series. A Mets vs. Padres NLCS would for sure be intriguing. It would be a rematch of the 2022 Wild Card round, in which San Diego won the series in three games.

Since 2022, there are many similarities and differences between the two teams. Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, and Chris Bassit were the Mets' three starters in that series. The Padres had Blake Snell and Juan Soto still in the lineup.

The Padres have one of the best offenses in MLB. They led MLB in batting average this season and hits this season. San Diego was also in the top ten in home runs and OPS.

San Diego has a star-studded lineup with Machado as the big piece. Fernando Tatis, Jackson Merrill, and Jurickson Profar all hit 20-plus HRs in the regular season. The addition of Luis Arraez has also paid off, as he had another great season , and won the batting title for the third consecutive season.

Lindor had a ton of success when facing the Padres this season. In the seven games they played each other, the superstar shortstop posted a .286 BA and a 1.078 OPS with 3 HRs. Pete Alonso drove in seven runs on eight hits in the seven games against them.

The Mets faced the Padres seven times this season and won five. Sean Manaea faced the Padres this season and allowed one run and four hits across five innings. Luis Severino also succeeded against the Padres this season, as he delivered the team a win and only allowed one run in the outing. David Peterson had one of his best starts against San Diego this season. Across 7.1 innings, he let up just one run and five hits. If the Padres advance, Mets fans should be confident in the rotation.

Mets' possible NLCS opponent: Los Angeles Dodgers

The best team in the regular season, by no surprise, was the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ohtani had a historic season by creating the new 50 HR / 50 SB club. He joined a loaded Los Angeles roster, but they’re without one of their best players in Game 4. Freddie Freeman was scratched from the lineup as he’s dealing with an ankle injury, so that’s something to keep an eye on.

If the Dodgers overcome the Padres, Freeman would be the matchup to watch. Throughout the former MVP’s career, he has a .303 BA, with 31 HRs and 129 RBIs against the Mets. Ohtani is healthy though, and he loves playing New York. He’s posted a .361 BA with a 1.288 OPS against the Mets. Mookie Betts holds a .290 BA and .820 OPS against them in his career.

This season, Los Angeles and New York played each other six times. The Mets only won two of those games. The starting pitching did its job in those games, as David Peterson and Sean Manaea both had good outings against the Dodgers. Ohtani and his squad were able to capitalize on the shaky Mets bullpen to pull off their wins.

As great as a Padres vs. Mets NLCS might be, the Dodgers vs. Mets could be even better. Although Steve Cohen’s team has the highest payroll in baseball, many were writing them off. Outside of Lindor and Alonso, the Mets don’t have many All-Stars. The Dodgers almost have an All-Star team themselves. The Los Angeles vs. New York rivalry is also an interesting one.

No matter who New York will face in the NLCS, it will be a challenge to overcome. The Dodgers and Padres are hungry to get to the promised land, as they’ve had heartbreaks in the past few postseasons. However, the Mets have been the hottest team in MLB over the past few months, and it seems like no one can stop it.