2024 World Series Preview
Yankees. Dodgers. Judge. Ohtani. Soto. Betts. New York. LA…this is the matchup the world wanted. Two of the most storied franchises in the game, both top seeds in their league, both with MVPs and future Hall of Famers, going head to head in the title heavyweight fight of the ages. The 2024 Fall Classic is set up to be one of the best of all time and we cannot wait for the first pitch and the action to start. This will be the 12th World Series meeting between the Yankees and Dodgers, the most common matchup of all time. They met 6 times in 10 years from 1947-1956 and 3 times in 6 years from 1977-1981. The Yankees have won 8 of the 11 meetings but the Dodgers won the most “recent”, all the way back in 1981. It’s been over 4 decades since these two titans have met in the World Series but the wait is finally over. Let’s dive into how each team got here and how they can take home the Commissioner's Trophy.
New York Yankees
The Yankees are back in the World Series for the first time since 2009. It has been one of the longest droughts in their entire history but they look to win their 28th championship. New York has lost only two games so far this postseason, beating the Royals in 4 games in the ALDS and the Guardians in 5 games in the ALCS. That’s not to say it’s been an easy road, all 9 games they have played in October have been decided by 3 runs or less. The Yankees rely on good pitching, plate discipline, and big home runs to secure their victories. New York owns the best walk rate (13.9%) of any team this postseason. As a team, they have hit 13 home runs, 5 of them coming from ALCS MVP Giancarlo Stanton. On the mound, they have the reigning American League Cy Young, Gerrit Cole, who leads the team with 16.1 innings pitched with a 3.31 ERA. He will be a big piece in helping New York win this series. He has already been announced as the Game 1 starter. In the bullpen, they are anchored by their closer Luke Weaver, who has 4 saves in 5 opportunities this postseason. He will need to continue his recent dominance to shut the door in late innings. We can’t talk about the Yankees without talking about Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. These two superstars have led the offense all season long. Soto had the biggest home run of the season, a 3-run blast in the 10th inning to clinch the AL pennant. Soto is hitting .333 with 3 home runs, 8 RBI, and 7 walks this postseason. Aaron Judge has had less success so far this October, hitting .161 with 2 home runs and 6 RBI. However, he is still a formidable threat. He is the MLB home run leader and will take home another MVP this season. This will be his first World Series and everyone will be wanting to see him perform when the lights are the brightest. It only seems like a matter of time before he really starts to get hot, and when he does, it’s going to be a scary thing for the Dodgers to face.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers have returned to the World Series for the first time since they last won in 2020. The last 3 postseasons have ended with disappointing early exits but LA was able to defeat those demons in 2024. They won a dramatic, hard-fought series against their divisional rival Padres in 5 games and clinched their 4th National League Championship in 8 years against the comeback Mets in 6 games. They have done so with a pitching staff that has been plagued by injuries. 12 starting pitchers have hit the injured list this season. They have used the 3 healthy ones they have left - Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Walker Buehler, and Jack Flaherty - plus 3 bullpen games to make it this far. For the most part, it has worked beautifully. Dave Roberts has done a masterful job managing the pitching staff. However, the room for error on the mound is very small and the Dodgers will need their arms to continue to step up to tamper a very good Yankees offense. On the offensive side, the Dodgers have the best depth in the league. This postseason, they lead all teams with 70 runs scored, 20 home runs, and 11 stolen bases. They are second in batting average (.251) and walks (55) but leading the Yankees in both those categories. Tommy Edman, a trade deadline acquisition from the Cardinals in July, has been phenomenal this postseason, leading the team in hits and a .341 batting average, and taking home NLCS MVP honors. Mookie Betts has bounced back from a multi-year postseason slump and is hitting .295 with 4 home runs and 12 RBI this October. Kike Hernandez has 16 career postseason home runs and counting and his always a threat to diliver a big hit. The depth is rich with bats like Max Muncy, Teoscar Hernandez, Will Smith, and oh yeah Freddie Freeman (playing on an injured ankle). But like Judge in New York, you can’t talk about the Dodgers without talking about Shohei Ohtani. In his first ever postseason, he has hit .286 with 3 home runs, 10 RBI, and 11 walks. The expectations for the unicorn are enormous, so even those very impressive numbers seem a little disappointing. His ability to come through with runners in scoring position is unprecedented, having 18 hits in his last 22 at bats in those situations. I don’t think enough people really understand how incredible that is. The only thing he hasn’t done is have that late inning big hit that wins a game. But you gotta believe, he’s going to make it happen on the biggest stage.
My Prediction
I have waited my whole life for this World Series and I could not be more excited to see how it plays out. Both teams have big stars and are very evenly matched in a lot of ways. Both do a great job drawing walks and putting pressure on opposing pitchers and getting that big home run. I think this series will come down to which team can do that better. The 2024 postseason has been one of big bats and both teams have plenty of those so it should be a very entertaining series and I hope it delivers. Of course, I have my Dodgers winning in 7 games. I think they have more hitters that can deliver the big punch than the Yankees. If their depleted pitching staff can continue to step up, I think they can hold the powerful Yankee offense enough to get the wins they need to bring a championship back to Los Angeles. Game 1 starts Friday, October 25 at 5:08 PM ET at Dodger Stadium. LFG!