The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Philadelphia Inquirer have joined forces to preview this National League playoff series.
Prior to Game 1 between the Braves and Phillies, the AJC’s Justin Toscano and the Inquirer’s Alex Coffey discuss the rivalry between these two NL East foes, identify the players who could make the biggest impact, and offer up some predictions for this best-of-five series.
Here’s a highlight of their conversation, but be sure to check out the entire chat, especially the predictions, in the video above.
The biggest difference makers: Spencer Strider, Bryce Harper, and ... Orion Kerkering?
Alex Coffey: Who do you think is going to be the biggest difference maker on the Braves? Like which player, if you had to pick one, would be the the most pivotal player entering this NLDS.
Justin Toscano: To me, it’s got to be Strider because he’s 8-0 against the Phillies with a sub-two ERA. Obviously, he had that start last postseason that didn’t go so well at Citizens Bank Park, but he was coming off the oblique injury. I think one of the interesting parts of the series is that these teams kind of have the same paths to victory, like they’re both great offenses, but I think it’s going to be truly like Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola versus Spencer Strider and Max Fried, and whoever can really get the most out of their front-line guys probably has the advantage here. ...
But I’m curious I mean looking at the Phillies there’s so much star power over there, but kind of some X-factor guys too, at least as I look at them. Who do you think one or two of those guys that’s really going to decide the series is?
Coffey: So I think it’s two guys, and one is a star: Bryce Harper. He wasn’t hitting the way we’re used to seeing him hit over the two games in the National League wild-card series, so I think seeing a resurgence from him in the NLDS would be big for the Phillies.
But the one I’m more interested in is Orion Kerkering, who is a rookie. He jumped from low-A to the big leagues in the span of one year, this season, and he’s someone that the Braves aren’t familiar with. You know, as my beat partner, Scott Lauber, wrote recently, there aren’t many secrets between these two teams, they’ve seen each other a lot, they’ve played each other a lot. But Orion Kerkering is someone that the Braves haven’t seen.
He’s got this nasty slider with a ton of movement, and he pairs it with a fastball that hits 99-100 [mph]. So I’m curious to see whether or not that can neutralize some of the Braves right-handed power bats.
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