Will Freddie Freeman come up big or go down with a whiff? (Neon Tommy)

The NLDS pits a young banged-up Dodgers squad against an Atlanta Braves team led by a trio of talented young batters. What will happen when the young talent collides Thursday night? Here's the series breakdown:

Batting Order

Edge: Braves

The Dodgers were tearing it up in this category the past couple months, but have struggled mightily of late. The media is making a huge deal out of Matt Kemp's injury, but his production was less-than-essential to the Dodgers' success this season. As manager Don Mattingly pointed out in a press conference earlier this week, the Dodgers made it through the majority of the season without Kemp including most of their hot streak in July and August. Andre Ethier is also likely out with an injury, but could see action as a pinch hitter. This could set up great for a Kirk Gibson-esque moment, given Ethier's history as a clutch hitter, but as for the starting lineup, he'll be out as well.

This puts a lot of pressure on Yasiel Puig and Carl Crawford to carry the load in the outfield. Puig cooled down significantly over the past month, and the Dodgers won't be able to rely on him to put up the numbers he did this summer. In the infield, the most pressure will be on Hanley Ramirez. Ramirez hit a torrid .370 in September and proved over the summer that he could be the catalyst to a prolific Dodgers offense (though Yasiel Puig got much of the credit). The Dodgers have a chance to be really good, but there are a lot of "if's" in the equation. Someone will have to come up big.

The Braves' lineup boasts some of the best young talent in the game. Freddie Freeman, Justin Upton and Chris Johnson put up monster numbers this year, and are the biggest reasons why the Braves stand where they are right now. Freeman has been especially hot at home where he has hit 16 of his 23 home runs this season. Johnson has been a model of consistency posting a ridiculous .321 average this season. Upton however, has truly been the compass for the Braves. He's been up and down, but Atlanta always goes the way of Upton. His hot streak at the beginning of the season and his good play recently are not just coincidently related to the hot steaks Atlanta experienced during those periods. If Upton is hot in October, it will be difficult to stop the Braves.

Clayton Kershaw is not only a Cy Young candidate; he deserves an MVP. (SD Dirk/Creative Commons)

Pitching Rotation

Edge: Dodgers

These two teams boast the two lowest ERAs in all of baseball - they're the elite of the elite. Every starter is good and chances are if it comes down to five games, the ace will be back on the mound for a second bout. The Braves technically have a lower ERA by a few points, so why are the Dodgers better? What separates them? Two things:

The Ace, Clayton Kershaw:

Only 16-9 due to some poor run support at times, but an absolutely ridiculous 1.83 ERA. Toss in his 0.92 WHIP and just for kicks maybe his 232 strikeouts. He's not just a Cy Young candidate; he's an MVP candidate. Not many pitchers can be game changers the way Kershaw can. When he's in the zone, he takes control of the game. Atlanta ace Kris Medlen joked that Kershaw was lucky to have "missed" the Braves during the regular season - chances are that on Thursday the only thing missing will be the Braves' bats.

Strikeouts:

This comes in two parts. The Braves, led by standout swing-and-misser Dan Uggla, have among the highest strikeout rates of any team, at over 22 percent. The Dodgers staff, led by ace Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke and a surprising Hyun-Jin Ryu, own the best strikeout percentage in the National League. Count on a key strikeout in the right situation to swing a game's momentum.

Under the Radar Game Changer

Dodgers: Scott Van Slyke

The 6' 5" monster of an outfielder has incredible raw power. Though normally stuck behind Kemp, Ethier, Crawford, and Puig, he will likely get some shared playing time in this series with Skip Schumaker. Van Slyke has had a couple of clutch hits earlier this season and has a knack for the dramatic. If he's not in the field, he's a dangerous pinch hitter.

Braves: Jordan Schafer

Atlanta's speedster hasn't played a ton of games this season, but still leads the team in stolen bases. He has a solid bat and could come into games late as a defensive substitution in the outfield. Everyone remembers Dave Roberts' stolen base as a pinch runner for the Red Sox in 2004. Could this be Schafer's year to change a game with his speed?

Final Say

Dodgers in 4. The Dodgers' starters will pitch further into games, allowing them to not waste their bullpen. Kershaw will take Game One and allow the Dodgers to head back to Los Angeles with the series tied. The city of LA will come out in strength (to support a winning club) and the Dodgers will put away the series at home. 

Reach Staff Writer Matthew Tufts here.