Nationals vs Dodgers: A position-by-position NLDS look

On paper, a Nationals-Dodgers NL Division Series is a fascinating matchup, because there’s certainly no shortage of name value. Clayton Kershaw! Bryce Harper! Max Scherzer! Game 1 is Friday at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT on FS1.

But if we’ve learned anything about how postseason baseball works, it’s about timing as much as it is anything else, and the timing is absolutely not working in Washington’s favor right now. Stephen Strasburg (flexor) and Wilson Ramos (knee) won’t be available, while it remains to be seen how much Daniel Murphy (buttocks) and Harper (thumb/shoulder, maybe) will be able to provide. Meanwhile, the Dodgers are finally getting healthy, with Kershaw and Rich Hill each taking regular turns. 

Still, it remains arguably the most interesting matchup of the first round, just because of how much star power there is on both sides. Let’s go through a position-by-position breakdown.

Game Date Time Matchup TV Gm 1 Oct. 7 5:30 p.m. LAD @ WSH FS1 Gm 2 Oct. 8 4 p.m. LAD @ WSH FS1 Gm 3 Oct. 10 TBD WAS @ LAD FS1 / MLBN *Gm 4 Oct. 11 TBD WAS @ LAD FS1 *Gm 5 Oct. 13 TBD LAD @ WSH FS1 *- If necessary | All times listed ETShop for postseason gear: Dodgers | Nationals • Complete Postseason coverage

Catcher This should have been a tough call, because of the 24 catchers with at least 300 plate appearances this year, the hitting rankings went like this: 1) Ramos, 124 wRC+ 2) Yasmani Grandal, 123 wRC+. (That’s Weighted Runs Created Plus, where 100 is league average.) But now the Nationals are forced to go with backups Jose Lobaton (career line of .226/.302/.331, 77 wRC+) and rookie Pedro Severino (38 career plate appearances), while the Dodgers not only get Grandal’s 27 home runs, they get what Baseball Prospectus refers to as baseball’s best pitch-framing catcher.Big advantage: Dodgers

First BaseAdrian Gonzalez, who turned 34 in May, put up his weakest full season (112 wRC+), and had his lowest slugging percentage (.435, well below his career average of .492). While he had a brief summer resurgence, as 10 of his 18 homers this year came in July and August, Gonzalez finished the year ice cold, hitting .239/.297/.348 (77 wRC+) after Sept. 1. Still, Ryan Zimmerman, who turned 32 in late September, put up a .218/.272 /370 (67 wRC+) line that wasn’t only his worst season, it was the sixth-weakest of 203 hitters with at least 400 plate appearances.Advantage: Dodgers

Second Base Murphy is very likely to gain Most Valuable Player support, for good reason — he was the second-best hitter in the league this year, and you might remember what he did last postseason. Unfortunately, Murphy’s sore backside has kept him from starting since Sept. 17, and while he’s expected to play in the NLDS, it’s fair to ask how much he’ll be affected. On the other hand, while Chase Utley has been essentially a league-average hitter this year (97 wRC+), much of that came during a hot start that he couldn’t maintain. Since June 1, Utley is hitting only .236/.292/.381 (83 wRC+).Big advantage: Nationals, if Murphy is healthy

Shortstop Though Danny Espinosa’s lack of ability to get on base (.306 OBP) led to poor overall offensive production (79 wRC+), a career-high 24 home runs and baseball’s strongest shortstop throwing arm (average of 91 …

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