Joseph Rowdis ’25
Staff Writer
The stage for the World Series is now set. What once started as a field of 12 teams competing for the ultimate championship on October 1 made its way down to two on October 20. All eyes look ahead to the marquee 2024 World Series between the American League Champion New York Yankees and the National League Champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Given the long history between these two franchises, and the many headlines surrounding both #1 seeds in their respective leagues, this is going to be a World Series for the ages.
Los Angeles opened their postseason in the National League Division Series (NLDS) against their divisional rival, San Diego Padres. The Dodgers were at one point on the brink of elimination, down 2-1 in the series, but being the resilient team they’ve been all season long, they found a way to win the series 3-2 and move on to meet the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series (NLCS). As hard as the Mets fought, the Dodgers were overwhelming in all facets of the game. They eventually punched their ticket to the World Series in six games, with Tommy Edman winning MVP of the NLCS.
The Yankees began the playoffs in the American League Division Series (ALDS) against the Kansas City Royals. The Royals looked like they could challenge the Yankees when they tied the series at one game apiece, as the series shifted to Kansas City. But New York went into Kansas City and took care of business, winning the ALDS in four games. New York’s ALDS win set them up for a rematch of the 2022 ALDS against the Cleveland Guardians. Here, the Yankees started strong, winning the home games to go up 2-0. And then, Cleveland brought some intrigue, winning Game 3 in Cleveland in a thrilling 10 innings. However, the Yankees rebounded and finished off the Guardians. The Yankees won the series 4-1, and Giancarlo Stanton earned ALCS MVP after an outstanding performance in which he crushed four home runs across the five games.
Of course, the immediate focus of this year’s World Series goes towards the faces of these franchises, the battle between the presumed to be MVPs, the two home run leaders in the regular season, Aaron Judge of the Yankees, and Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers. Both players have been phenomenal all season long. How appropriate it is that the MLB’s two best players of this era are facing each other in the World Series, and hoping to win their first ring. Plus, Yankees versus Dodgers is a clash of two big cities with high expectations in the Big Apple (New York) versus Hollywood (Los Angeles) due to the acquisition of superstar players in the offseason (Yankees acquired Juan Soto and Dodgers acquired Ohtani). These two teams arguably have the largest fanbases, and odds are the atmosphere at both Yankee Stadium and Dodger Stadium will be super electric and rowdy.
It is amazing how the Yankees and Dodgers lead the league in World Series appearances (22nd for L.A. and 41st for N.Y.), and even more so, this will be the 12th meeting between the Dodgers and Yankees in the World Series (the first since 1981)! This year’s World Series features the biggest postseason rivalry in the MLB. Both of these clubs are really hungry for another World Series title. The Yankees are aiming to win their 28th championship, their first since 2009, and the Dodgers wish to win an Eighth World Series, their first since the reduced 60-game regular season in 2020.
Los Angeles is out to prove 2020 was not an easy path to winning, and New York is desperate to add a long-awaited championship to their endless list of accolades. The World Series even entails the rivalry between the colleges of the managers: Aaron Boone of the Yankees went to University of Southern California (USC), and Dave Roberts, one of the winningest and most respected managers in history, attended University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). There is a lot more to get hype about for another chapter in this great-rivaled World Series that awaits us.
Only time will tell who will be crowned the champion of the 2024 season. Might as well get the popcorn ready for what appears to be must-watch tv starting this evening. It will be nothing short of entertaining to watch the game’s best players shine bright in the biggest moments of their careers. We are in for a real treat, and a fantastic finish to the 2024 season!
Featured image courtesy of CBS News
Copy Edited by Lily Wasmund ’28
Web Edited by Zexuan Qu ’28
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