Atlanta Braves: Differences between the 2020 and 2021 NLCS
By Matt Melton
The Atlanta Braves are once again back in the NLCS for the second consecutive year. The opponent? The Los Angeles Dodgers, an opponent the Braves have struggled to get-past in the postseason in recent years.
Take your minds back to last-October. The Atlanta Braves were one win away from a trip to the World Series. As you obviously know by now however, the Dodgers went on to win the NLCS, as well as the World Series.
Falling to the Dodgers for the third consecutive meeting in the postseason dating back to 2013, the Braves were close to getting past Los Angeles in the postseason a year ago. You could’ve certainly made the argument that last seasons series between the two roster-wise was as even as it gets, but how does this seasons matchup between the two stack-up?
What are the differences between the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers from the 2020 to the 2021 NLCS?
This will take a look at the differences between both the Braves and Dodgers rosters from the 2020 NLCS to the 2021 NLCS, beginning with the starting rotation.
Starting Rotation
Braves: Max Fried, Charlie Morton, Ian Anderson
Dodgers: Walker Buehler, Max Scherzer, Julio Urias
Both teams starting rotation looks a little different from last seasons NLCS, with one glaring addition on both sides.
The Braves have added right-hander Charlie Morton to the mix who is one of the most-experienced postseason pitchers in the game today. Posting a career 3.44 ERA across 70.2 innings pitched in October, the right-hander joins Fried and Anderson, both of whom allowed a combined six earned runs across a combined 19.2 innings pitched against Los Angeles last postseason.
The Dodgers added three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer at the trade deadline, a pitcher the Braves are very-familiar with, but have never faced in October. Scherzer holds a combined 3.18 ERA in the postseason for his career across 25 appearances (20 starts), and joins Buehler and Urias, both of whom had success in last seasons NLCS.
The Dodgers are also without longtime ace Clayton Kershaw, who is currently out with an injury.