The Dodgers may be the favorites to come out of the National League but the Braves and Cardinals are just as capable of winning it all.
Atlanta may be young, but the Braves have a lot of talent.
The Cardinals have a solid pitching staff and possibly the best right-hander in the NL.
MLB playoffs 2019: One reason Dodgers, Braves, Cardinals could win World Series
Dodgers: Matchups
There is no reason to think what has carried the Dodgers to two straight NL pennants will not help them win again this year. Los Angeles matches up wonderfully with every NL team and honestly, also the American League.
The Dodgers one weakness is left-handed pitching. Joc Pederson will not hit against lefties and when he's out of the lineup, Los Angeles suffers. But, out of all the playoff teams, there are four left-handed pitchers of note in Dallas Keuchel, Patrick Corbin, James Paxton and Blake Snell. The Dodgers will likely only have to face one of those pitchers multiple times rather than a string of left-handers like they faced with the Red Sox last year.
Things set up well for Los Angeles this season and the Dodgers should be favored to win the pennant again. But if they do have to face Corbin twice in the NLDS, watch out. They could have an issue there.
Cardinals: Jack Flaherty
It's not 1967 anymore. Jim Lonborg isn't going to start three games and keep a team in a series on his own. But, Jack Flaherty could very well pitch in two games per series if the Cardinals make it to the World Series and the Cardinals have to like that proposition.
Flaherty had a 0.99 ERA in the second half this year and was as good as any pitcher in the game including Jacob deGrom, Justin Verlander, Stephen Strasburg and Gerrit Cole. He gives St. Louis a chance to win it all, but he will need some help along the way.
Braves: Middle of the order
Much like one pitcher can swing a series in a team's direction, the middle of the lineup can win one on its own as well. Heck, sometimes one hitter (see Carlos Beltran in 2004) can win a series almost single-handedly.
The Braves have four hitters who could take over a series in Ronald Acuna Jr., Freddie Freeman, Josh Donaldson and Ozzie Albies. If any one of those players gets smoking hot — which they are all capable of — they could swing a series in favor of the Braves.
If Atlanta wins the World Series, the middle of its lineup will likely be the No. 1 reason why.