Phillies Tabbed as NL's Team to Beat over Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers by MLB Insiders

As the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies continue to battle for the best record in Major League Baseball, one of the clubs has emerged as the favorite among players, scouts and executives around the league to represent the NL in the World Series.

In a survey conducted by ESPN's Jesse Rogers, the Phillies had a 9-4 advantage over the Dodgers as the team to beat in October among those who responded.

The primary concern raised by those who didn't vote for the Dodgers is the number of pitchers on their roster currently dealing with an injury.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon is a believer in the overall depth of Philadelphia's pitching staff as being a difference-maker.

"I would say the Phillies because of their starting pitching," Taillon told Rogers "They beefed up their pen, and they have the power to win in the playoffs. They're the team to beat in my opinion."

The Dodgers did get Yoshinobu Yamamoto back after a three-month absence due to a shoulder injury for Tuesday's game against the Cubs. He was on a limited pitch count, but looked terrific with eight strikeouts and one earned run in four innings.

Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw and Gavin Stone are currently on the 15-day injured list. Manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday that Glasnow had a successful bullpen session and could skip a rehab assignment prior to being activated off the IL.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times on Sept. 6 that Kershaw's toe issue is "not a common injury" and they are still trying to "figure out the best way to provide relief" for it before he can do anything else.

Stone went on the IL on Sept. 6 with shoulder inflammation. Jack Flaherty, who was acquired by the Dodgers at the trade deadline, has been terrific with a 2.61 ERA in seven starts.

The Phillies, on the other hand, have arguably the best rotation in MLB. Their top four starters—Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sánchez and Ranger Suárez—have combined to throw 654.1 innings. Nola has the highest ERA out of the group at 3.41.

Philadelphia's bullpen is tied for fourth in MLB in FanGraphs' wins above replacement (5.3). Setup men Jeff Hoffman, Orion Kerkering and Matt Strahm all have ERAs between 1.79 and 2.10, while averaging more than 10 strikeouts per nine innings.

The Phillies' lineup is losing depth late in the season. Alec Bohm is on the IL with a hand injury. J.T. Realmuto hasn't played since Friday when he fouled a ball off his knee against the Miami Marlins. Austin Hays was placed on the IL on Thursday due to a kidney infection.

Los Angeles has the best lineup trio in MLB with Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman at the top of the order. Will Smith, Teoscar Hernández and Max Muncy provide plenty of punch in the middle of the lineup.

These two teams are very close in talent, and that has played out with their spot in the standings. The Phillies (87-58) lead the Dodgers (86-59) by one game for the best mark in MLB.

If they were to meet in a playoff series, the Phillies would probably have the edge because of their postseason track record and health of their pitching staff. But it wouldn't be a surprise if the Dodgers' stars took over and carried them deep into October.