It’s about as important as a series in April could be
Have you ever played a video game with a near impossible boss fight right at the beginning? It’s a fight you’re designed to lose but there’s just enough room for you to maybe get lucky before you get crushed. The point is that you get to witness the power of the final boss right at the beginning so that when you meet again at the end of the game after you’ve leveled up and gained more experience, you know what you’re in for and it’s all the more satisfying when you finally get your revenge.
That’s a little like what the Phillies will be doing this weekend.
The Los Angeles Dodgers come to town for a three-game set at Citizens Bank Park beginning tonight. They are looking every bit of the juggernaut that they were predicted to be, making quick work of the Cubs, Tigers, and Braves while jumping out to an 8-0 start for the first time since 1955. They are the first ever defending World Series champions to start the season 8-0. They’ve hit home runs, they’ve erased numerous deficits, and they’ve had strong pitching performances. LA is off to a blistering start and seem to be confirming beliefs that they could break the single season win record.
So, their early season trip to Philadelphia will serve as a bit of a measuring stick for the Phillies. Yes, it is still incredibly early in the season and it’s a fool’s errand to put too much stock into what happens in the first week of April. But, that doesn’t mean that it is totally meaningless. Last season, the Phillies went 5-1 against the Dodgers in their regular season series. That was the worst record for the Dodgers against any opponent. That record was almost extremely important, as the Phillies finished three games behind the Dodgers for the best record in MLB which grants home field advantage throughout the postseason, including the World Series.
It is admittedly way too early to be discussing home field advantage in the World Series, but these games against the Dodgers may be extremely meaningful down the line for tie breaker purposes. Besides that, it’s a great opportunity to see just how the Phillies matchup against the super team.
Despite their very different postseason results in 2024, the Phillies and Dodgers were very close in most regular season statistics.
Of course, both teams look a little different than they did last season. The Dodgers added the likes of Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, and Tanner Scott among others while the Phillies had less splashy acquisitions of Jesús Luzardo, Max Kepler, and Jordan Romano.
It is widely accepted that the road to the World Series in the National League will go through Los Angeles. No matter where the regular season records fall, every team in the NL, if not all of MLB as a whole, must assume that they will have to beat the Dodgers at some point if they want to win a championship. The Phillies handled the Dodgers better than anyone else last season, but neither team is the same as they were a year ago.
Therefore, there’s no better time than the present to see how you stack up. Maybe the Phillies end up tossed aside to begin their quest to gain more experience for round two. Or maybe they’re one of the lucky ones that get to bypass all of that and score a decisive blow in the first meeting. Regardless, no matter what happens this weekend, the Final Boss awaits.