Dodgers vs. Yankees 2024 World Series Prediction
The World Series matchup of the Dodgers versus Yankees is a clash of the Titans as the two biggest powerhouses of the league collide for the first time since 1981.
The Stars Will Be Out
This series will have no shortness of star power as it features reigning CY Young winner Gerrit Cole along with five former regular season MVP winners. Both Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge are heavy favorites to win MVP in their respective leagues as Judge looks to win the award a second time whereas Ohtani will look to win his third in the past four years. Numerous superstar players are going to get their first crack at a World Series title this year including Yankees sluggers Judge and Giancarlo Stanton and Dodgers generational talent Ohtani.
How They Got Here
The Yankees finished as the number one seed in the American League this season giving them a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs. They first matched up against the Kansas City Royals in the American League Division Series, defeating them three games to one. The Yankees in this series were led by a stellar bullpen performance and clutch home runs. They then matched up in the American League Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians, in which they won the series four games to one. In this series, the Yankees were led by Juan Soto and ALCS MVP Giancarlo Stanton who combined to mash seven home runs over five total games.
The Dodgers finished the regular season with the best record in the entire MLB giving them a first-round bye as well as home-field advantage throughout the NL playoffs. The Dodgers first matched up with the San Diego Padres in the NLDS and after starting the best-of-five series down two games to one, it was the pitching that came up clutch for LA. They shutout San Diego over the last two games helping them advance to the NLCS. The Dodgers then squared off against the New York Mets in the NLCS in which they won the series four games to two. In the series, they were led by unsung hero Tommy Edman who was acquired by LA on July 29th via trade with the St Louis Cardinals. In the NLCS Edman had a batting average above .400 with a home run and 11 runs batted in.
The X-Factor for Each Team
The X-Factor of the series for the Yankees is starting pitcher Nestor Cortes. Cortes had an up-and-down regular season which ended in early September as he was placed on the 15-day IL with a left elbow flexor strain. Cortes is expected to be back for the World Series in a relief role as he is not ramped enough to start games. While Cortes is now a true starting pitcher for the Yankees, he does have much familiarity with coming out of the bullpen as he did so a total of 48 times over his first four seasons in the MLB. Cortes gives the Yankees much needed left-handed bullpen help as the Yankees have relied on just two lefty relievers (Tim Hill, Tim Mayza) in the playoffs so far.
The X-Factor of the series for the Dodgers is first baseman Freddie Freeman. Freeman is one of the premier hitters in the MLB while contributing solid defensively. Freeman has a lingering ankle injury that has kept him out of the Dodgers lineup three times in
their first eleven playoff games. Freeman has not been able to catch a groove so far in the postseason, batting just .214 with one RBI thus far. Hitting behind Ohtani and Mookie Betts, Freeman will have many opportunities for big hits, and his at-bats may be those that decide how the series unfolds.
World Series Winner
The World Series will come down to which team can string together clutch hits with runners on base, hit home runs and get quality length out of their starting pitching. With that being said, I believe that the winner of the World Series will be the New York Yankees in seven games. The Yankees finished the regular season seventh in the league in earned run average at 3.74 and led the majors with 237 home runs as a team. In a series like this that can last up to seven games, bullpens will play a huge factor. With the probable addition of Nestor Cortes to the World Series roster, the Yankees should have six starting pitchers available and will be able to mix and match however they like without wearing certain pitchers out. However, the Dodgers will be carrying only three starting pitchers on their World Series roster causing one of their games to be a full bullpen game. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts may have no choice but to throw out some of his same relievers game after game. The more the Yankees hitters see these relievers, the better at-bats they should have just like they were able to do to the best bullpen in baseball, the Cleveland Guardians. The Dodgers bullpen has been a strong point for them so far but it will be a struggle for them to remain this reliable while being overworked due to the lack of starting pitching depth.