The 2021 MLB playoffs are down to the final four.
The Boston Red Sox battle the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series, while the Atlanta Braves meet the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series.
So who has the edge?
Alden Gonzalez breaks down each team's strengths, weaknesses and keys to winning a pennant, while David Schoenfield takes a closer look at the storylines to watch with a trip to the World Series hanging in the balance.
LCS Power Rankings
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
Bradford Doolittle's updated World Series odds: 44.3%
How they got here: The Dodgers won the World Series during the shortened 2020 season, finally breaking through after nearly a decade's worth of dominance that had ended in disappointment. Trevor Bauer, their big offseason acquisition, has been away from the team since early July because of sexual assault allegations. But the Dodgers, already supremely talented in all facets, elevated themselves to another level by acquiring Max Scherzer and Trea Turner before the trade deadline. Turner joined a dynamic lineup featuring Mookie Betts, Corey Seager, Justin Turner and Will Smith. Scherzer joined Walker Buehler and Julio Urias at the top of the rotation. The Dodgers missed out on their ninth consecutive NL West title by one game, but they led the majors in run differential, walked off against the Cardinals in the NL Wild Card Game and got past the division rival Giants in the NLDS.
