Dodgers' Biggest Advantage Against the Braves (And the Biggest Concern)

This series should be a classic.

Jun 9, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) and first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) prepare in the dugout before the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The journey for a third-straight World Series title has officially begun for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Game 1 on Saturday afternoon sees the Dodgers take on the National League East foe Atlanta Braves. While the Braves beat the Dodgers five out of six games during the regular season, the outlook for this series appears to be favorable for the Dodgers.

Los Angeles is as healthy as it’s been in months. The full-strength lineup is in place with the recent returns of Shohei Ohtani and Will Smith. The pitching staff has also been bolstered by Edwin Diaz’s reemergence onto the roster.

While LA may be favorites to advance, the Braves are no pushover. We’ll look at one reason for optimism — and one cause for concern pertaining to the Dodgers’ quest for another ring.

Biggest Advantage: Left-Handed Pitching

All of the advanced metrics, and metrics in general, depict a story in which the Braves are among the worst teams in Major League Baseball against lefties.

Fortunately for the Dodgers, Dave Roberts has a host of left-handed arms he can trot out to handcuff stars Drake Baldwin, Michael Harris II and Matt Olson (among others).

Tarik Skubal and Blake Snell are two of the best left-handed starters in the sport. Skubal takes the bump in Game 1, and it’s very realistic Snell will pitch sometime in the next two games.

To make matters worse for Atlanta, the Dodgers have a fleet of lefties within their bullpen. Justin Wrobleski, Kris Bubic, Jack Dreyer and Alex Vesta are all above-average arms each offering something a bit unique from one another. At the back-end of the ‘pen, Tanner Scott looms with a return to his usual form after a rough 2025.

Biggest Concern: The Top of the Order

This may seem like a bit of a stretch — but hear me out.

While Mookie Betts has been performing at an excellent level over the last month, the same can’t be said for Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani. Freeman’s been battling a balky knee, whereas Ohtani has battled a plethora of physical issues.

The Dodgers will not win in October without those two playing at an above-average level. Even with the depth within the lineup, the thought of a slumping Ohtani/Freeman would be disastrous — particularly when Atlanta has Chris Sale ready to potentially feature two times in this series.

The rest may ultimately do the trick. Freeman is maniacal when it comes to perfecting his swing. Ohtani is… Ohtani after all. You’d be foolish to bet against them.

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