There are many key players in the NLDS

Ah, the Mets and the Phillies. Division rivals with a strong dislike for each other that will now express strong feelings for the first time in the playoffs. It's a series that can go many different ways, but in which there is a clear and decided favorite. For the first time in recent October memory, the Phillies are expected to win a series against their opponent.

(What's up with an NLCS last year? I don't know anything about that. This week has faded from my memory)

To achieve victory over their northern opponents, several players must take a step forward and bask in the October light. It could be argued that many more players could be named, but here are three who could be key to a continued push towards the National League finals series.

Bryce Harper

I'll arrange to meet here. When I was growing up, there were many Sundays in the fall when my family would take a day trip to the village of Batsto. It was a bit torturous for a young man who wanted to play baseball outside, but what remains in my memory (faulty as it may be) is a large single-wheel mill outside, powered by the nearby stream. The sight of this large gear crank fascinated me. It brought the whole place to a standstill, the local historian explained, before we looked at the little engines and ate automatically peeled apples.

This reminds me of what Bryce Harper means by this offense. Whatever seasons the people around him are having – maybe a 100-RBI chase, maybe a march to 40 home runs in a season, maybe a steady recovery from a… laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Start of a season – Harper gets this offense going. His performance over the last two Octobers, particularly in the NLDS and NLCS rounds, has energized the Phillies.

Were the team results satisfactory? There is no need to remind you that this was not the case. Subjectively, the Phillies actually seem to perform better when their MVP is doing well. This must be the case again in this series. A team's offense consists of nine players, and one poor performance is usually not enough to defeat them. With a star failing to live up to his high standards in the playoffs, this fight is increasingly in the spotlight.

Harper must be good.

Zack Wheeler

When Zack Wheeler faced the Cardinals in the 2022 NLWC, the team's journey to the World Series began. His dominance against St. Louis made people realize that even a weak sixth seed has a chance in a playoff round if that team has an ace. As the 2023 wild-card round began, some were nervous enough against the Marlins to wonder whether the plucky upstarts from Miami would have enough to actually pull off an upset.

Wheeler came out and finished that thought.

His continued dominance against Atlanta and Arizona last year made his starts feel more inevitable than any other starter in the Phillies' recent playoff memory. They expect him to win. They expect him to win with dominance. It sets the tone for the series to come.

The Phillies need that tone that Wheeler sets once again.

The last thing anyone wants to see is the Mets feeling like they have a chance. With a possible bullpen game in the NLDS opener, New York must know they are at a disadvantage against Wheeler at full rest. Beating him and the Phillies in this game would make them feel almost invincible, and that their playoff run is one of dark magic and predestination.

It is imperative that Wheeler puts an end to this notion immediately. His starts, no matter how many he makes in the NLDS, are almost must-win games. Not that the Phillies don't have a chance in the rest of the series (more on that in a moment), but if Wheeler is his usual self in the first game, the team should have a good chance.

SanchOla

Everything that was said about Wheeler…

Cristopher Sanchez and Aaron Nola need to give this team a chance in games two and three, no matter what order they play.

Going back to the Wheeler discussion, we know that there are two outcomes: either a win or a loss. Think about the implications of each of these outcomes for the next two starters. If Wheeler (and the Phillies) win, the team will have its next two best assets ready to quickly end the series. If Wheeler (and the Phillies) lose, the gap from the team's ace to the next two starters would not be as large as other teams. Sanchez and Nola will have to play well for this team to win the series.

When they are in the game, the team has the luxury of having a bullpen ready and rested to help pitch in the game if needed. We know Rob Thomson likes to push his starters a little harder during the regular season, but he's known for his aggressiveness in the playoffs. After last season's fateful end, Thomson has made it clear his desire to be aggressive in these playoffs and to employ a bullpen that is truly a weapon when necessary. That could mean Nola and Sanchez finish their starts a little earlier than they normally would. Their main goal in their starts is to win their innings, no matter how many of those innings they are allowed to play. It is crucial to the team's chances of winning the series that these innings are quality innings.