Unless you had a crystal ball or David Stearns had some special knowledge/belief in his team, it looked like the Mets were headed for a transition year with the potential to play .500 baseball in 2024. Then they started playing, and even that looked optimistic.

The Dodgers, meanwhile, were considered an unstoppable force after spending more than $1 billion last winter on international superstar Shohei Ohtani, sought-after young right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto and many others, adding to a crazy collection of holdover stars.

Still, they were dead in the water, even in the National League Championship Series, heading into Game 3 at Citi Field on Wednesday night. And guess what? At least in some ways, if not most, the Mets have the edge. For this reason, they should be preferred in the currently more interesting series (and if you doubt this, look at the reviews!):

1. The Dodgers rotation borders on non-existent.

There's a reason why Dodgers manager Dave Roberts called this his “most challenging season,” and that's probably reasons one through five. The Dodgers employ a veritable all-star team of starters, but most of them remain out (Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, Gavin Stone, Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, Emmet Sheehan and River Ryan, plus of course Ohtani, at least as a pitcher) . for now) or collapse to the point of being unusable (Bobby Miller).

That leaves a rotation of three people, and even with them come questions. Jack Flaherty shut down a struggling Mets team in Game 1, but he struggled with lower back problems for most of the year, to the point where the Yankees backed out of a trade for him. Flaherty is a pro and his location was clear, but the Mets were in a bad spot for the only time this October after a few days off and their cross-country flight. (The Dodgers people actually wondered why they didn't leave a day early and practice at Dodger Stadium.)

Yamamoto was one of the most heralded and popular free agents of all time, but he's currently a five-inning pitcher whose patented split finger hasn't been what it was since a shoulder problem in mid-summer. The Mets people have been very committed to him and still believe in his talent (and youth), but from here it doesn't appear he's a superstar – at least not yet. “Three hundred million isn't getting what they once had,” sniffed an old scout (in reality it was $325 million plus a $50.6 million publishing fee).

Then there's Game 3 starter Walker Buehler, a former October star who hasn't been the same since his second Tommy John surgery. He seems to start out of necessity rather than conviction. I mean, how many bullpen games can you throw?

2. The Dodgers' shutdown bullpen will be overwhelmed at some point.

Roberts saved the Dodgers' key trio of Evan Phillips, Michael Kopech and Blake Treinen as the Mets took a six-run lead in Game 2. And maybe they still have enough left to survive another series in which the relief corps throws the majority of the innings. But at some point you wonder when they will burn out.

Follow the Post's coverage of the Mets in the postseason:

With only three starters on the roster, they will have to host another bullpen game unless they can finish things off in five. This is nothing but good news for the Mets.

3. Ohtani hasn't been himself since Game 1 of the Division Series.

The big Ohtani had a great performance in LA's Game 1 win over the Padres, but hadn't done much since the start of Game 3. One oddity is that while he was 0-for-19 without a runner on base, he was still 6-0-8 with runners on. This would actually work better if he wasn't the leader, but in any case, they're not the stats you'd expect from the league's sure-fire MVP.

He didn't seem too worried on training day, saying: “If I'm feeling good and the results aren't there then I'm not too worried because luck plays a role.”

Well, the Mets are a little lucky so far, as he hasn't been there since Game 2 of the Division Series.

4. Freddie Freeman's legendary toughness is put to the test.

The Dodgers folks say he even hobbles on the way out of the parking lot and that it's a miracle he's still playing (most of the time) with his serious ankle injury. Honestly, it looks painful to watch him play these days.

5. Mark Vientos makes October his own.

Some people love the spotlight, and Vientos, who suffered two demotions to Triple-A Syracuse this year, seems to be one of those guys who plays better in the bright lights.

Vientos called what's going on with him “surreal” a week ago, and that was some big moments ago. He led the MLB in hits and RBIs this postseason, which began Wednesday, and feels like the biggest threat in a Mets lineup with three players making $20 million a year.

6. The Mets are at Citi Field for the next three games.

Home field isn't that big of a deal in baseball, but it's cold, which is a nice contrast to LA where it's perfect day in and day out. The crowd went crazy on Wednesday for the Mets' first NLCS game in nine years. The fans realize that they have a good chance, maybe even better.