The Dodgers swept Arizona in the NLDS, while the Cubs emerged over Washington in five games. This year's NLCS is shaping up to be a great matchup between the winningest team in the NL this season and the defending World Series champs.
There are many familiar faces among each team's roster, along with newcomers who could make a huge difference. Here are the rosters for the Dodgers and Cubs in the NLCS.
Grandal is coming off another big offensive year for the Dodgers, hitting .247 with 22 home runs and 58 RBI during the regular season. He started to share playing time with Austin Barnes late in the year.
Contreras had a terrific first full season with the Cubs, hitting .276-21-74 in 117 games. He went 3-for-14 with one home run during the NLDS.
Bellinger is the likely NL Rookie of the Year and starred in Game 3 of the NLDS. Called up in late April, he hit .267-39-97 with a .933 OPS during the regular season.
Rizzo reached 30 home runs for the fourth consecutive season. He finished the year hitting .273-32-109. He's 4-for-20 with one home run during the playoffs this year.
Forsythe struggled for most of the season after being acquired from Tampa Bay for Jose De Leon last offseason, but he has hit lefties well. He had an excellent NLDS, going 4-for-9 with four runs scored.
The versatile Baez hit 23 home runs and finished with a .796 OPS in 145 games during the season. However, he was hitless during the NLDS.
Awarded a four-year contract last offseason, Turner had a great year hitting .322-21-71 with a .945 OPS. He continued to strengthen his playoff record in the NLDS, going 6-for-13 with one home run and five RBI.
The 2015 NL Rookie of the Year and 2016 NL MVP, Bryant hit .295-29-73 during the regular season. He was 4-for-20 during the NLDS.
The 2016 NL Rookie of the Year, Seager struggled through an elbow injury late in the season. However, he still hit .295-22-77 during the regular season.
Russell struggled during the regular season, hitting only .239-12-43 in 110 games. He did have four RBI during the NLDS.
Acquired from the Mets late in the season, the 36-year-old Granderson reached 20 home runs for the 10th time in his career. He's played 54 playoff games in his career, hitting .235-9-29.
Schwarber played only two games during the 2016 regular season due to a knee injury, but he returned this year to hit 30 home runs during the regular season. He saw only six plate appearances during the NLDS.
A breakout star for the Dodgers, Taylor is a converted shortstop who has flashed his athleticism in the outfield. He hit .288-21-72 with 17 stolen bases during the regular season.
Heyward struggled after signing a huge free agent contract with the Cubs in 2016, but he performed slightly better this year. A defensive whiz, Heyward has won four Gold Gloves during his career.
After a couple down years, Puig had one of his best seasons in 2017. The Cuban hit .263-28-74 with 15 stolen bases and went 5-for-11 during the NLDS.
Happ had an impressive rookie season, hitting .253-24-68 in 115 games. He saw only three at-bats during the NLDS.
Barnes has been an offensive machine as L.A.'s backup catcher this season, seeing more playing time late in the year as a result. He hit .289-8-38 with a .408 on-base percentage during the regular season and went 4-for-8 with a home run during the NLDS. The versatile Barnes can also play second base.
Avila was acquired from Detroit at the trade deadline and hit 14 home runs during the regular season. He didn't have a plate appearance during the NLDS.
The veteran Utley struggled offensive during the regular season at age 38, but he has extensive playoff experience with 61 career games.
The 2016 World Series MVP, Zobrist hit .232-12-50 in 128 games during the regular season. He was 4-for-17 during the NLDS.
Farmer has only 20 career regular-season plate appearances, but he's on the roster for his versatility. He's appeared at catcher, first and third base this season.
A valuable pinch-hitter for the Cubs, La Stella hit .288/.389/.472 in 151 plate appearances during the regular season.
Hernandez had a career-high 11 home runs during the regular season and is a key pinch-hitter against lefties.
Almora is an excellent defensive outfielder and also hit .298-8-46 in 299 at-bats during the regular season.
Ethier missed most of the regular season due to a back injury but showed up healthy in September. He got one pinch-hitting opportunity during the NLDS and has played 44 playoff games during his career.
Jay is a career .288 hitter and hit .296 during the regular season as the Cubs' primary center fielder against right-handed pitching. He was 3-for-11 during the NLDS.
The greatest pitcher of his era, Kershaw is in contention to win his fourth Cy Young Award this season after finishing 18-4 with a 2.31 ERA and 202 strikeouts. He won Game 1 of the NLDS for the Dodgers.
Martin saw limited time in the majors this season, but he's come on late in the year with the Cubs as a defensive sub and pinch runner.
Acquired from the Rangers at the trade deadline, Darvish posted a 3.44 ERA in nine starts in L.A. during the regular season. The former ace was terrific in Game 3 of the NLDS, allowing one run in five innings.
Lester went 13-8 with a 4.33 ERA in 32 starts during the regular season for the Cubs. The lefty had a strong NLDS, allowing two runs in 9.2 innings.
A late bloomer now at age 37, Hill had a 3.32 ERA in 25 regular-season starts. He started Game 2 of the NLDS for the Dodgers.
Arrieta went 14-10 with a 3.53 ERA in 30 starts during the regular season. The pending free agent threw four scoreless innings in his start during the NLDS.
Wood made a tremendous contribution for the Dodgers during the regular season, going 16-3 with a 2.72 ERA and making his first All-Star appearance. He didn't appear in L.A.'s three-game sweep of Arizona in the NLDS.
Acquired from the White Sox during the regular season, Quintana had a 3.74 ERA and seven wins in 14 starts during the regular season. He threw 6.1 scoreless innings during the NLDS.
Maeda had trouble keeping the ball in the park but was still effective during the second half. He went 13-6 with a 4.22 ERA in 134.1 innings. He made two relief appearances in the NLDS and is also a fallback option to start.
Hendricks had a good season for the Cubs with a 3.03 ERA in 24 starts. He made two starts during the NLDS, allowing four runs in 11 innings.
Jansen had a terrific year as the Dodgers' closer, going 5-0 with an NL-leading 41 saves. He finished with a 1.32 ERA and incredible 15.57 K/BB ratio.
A dominant closer, Davis converted 32 saves with a 2.30 ERA during the regular season. He was acquired from the Royals in the offseason, so he does have World Series experience.
The hard-throwing Baez had a 2.95 ERA with one strikeout per inning in 66 appearances during the regular season. He serves as one of the team's right-handed setup men.
Duensing had a terrific season in the Chicago bullpen with a 2.74 ERA in 68 appearances. He made two scoreless appearances in the NLDS.
Acquired from Cincinnati this season, Cingrani has gotten on track since joining the Dodgers. He had a 2.79 ERA in 22 appearances with L.A.
Edwards had a 2.98 ERA in 73 appearances as the Cubs' setup man during the regular season. The hard-throwing right-hander had a terrific 12.8 K/9.
Fields had problem keeping the ball in the park this season but still managed a 2.84 ERA in 57 appearances. He recorded one out during the NLDS.
Lackey had a 4.59 ERA in 170.2 innings in the Chicago rotation during the regular season. The 38-year-old is likely approaching the end of his career and didn't appear in the NLDS.
The oft-injured Morrow returned from injury to have a fantastic year as the Dodgers' setup man. He went 6-0 with a 2.06 ERA and two saves in 45 relief appearances during the regular season, showing consistent high-90s velocity.
Montgomery had a great year as a swingman for the Cubs with a 3.38 ERA in 130.2 innings. He made two appearances out of the bullpen during the NLDS.
Stripling is capable of pitching in a long relief role for the Dodgers and fared well during the regular season with a 3.75 ERA in 74.1 innings.
Strop had a strong year with a 2.83 ERA in 69 appearances for the Cubs. He made three appearances during the NLDS.
Watson began the season as Pittsburgh's closer before losing the role to Felipe Rivero. He was traded to L.A. at the trade deadline and posted a 2.70 ERA in 24 relief appearances.
Seth Trachtman is a fantasy sports expert and diehard Kansas City Chiefs fan. He doesn't often Tweet, but when he does, you can find him on Twitter @sethroto.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!