The heavyweight title fight 43 years in the making is finally here, as the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers prepare to meet in the World Series for the first time since 1981, with Game 1 set for Friday night at Dodger Stadium.
The series features some of baseball’s biggest stars, with Yankees sluggers Aaron Judge and Juan Soto facing off against the Dodgers’ dynamic duo of Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts.
ESPN BET gives the Dodgers a slight edge at -125, translating to a 52.2% chance of victory.
“This is a coin flip of a matchup,” said Bradford Doolittle of ESPN. He said the Dodgers’ extra home game might not be an advantage given recent playoff trends.
The Yankees enter with a more stable pitching rotation, led by ace Gerrit Cole. In nine postseason games, New York’s starters have provided 44 innings compared to 40 innings in 11 games for Los Angeles. The Dodgers will need at least one bullpen game in the series, though their relievers have proven extremely effective this October.
At the plate, both teams feature powerful lineups — but are dealing with key issues. The Yankees’ best slugger, Judge, has struggled this postseason, while the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman is battling through an ankle injury. However, both teams have found unexpected heroes, with Max Muncy setting a postseason record by reaching base in 12 consecutive plate appearances for Los Angeles, and Yankees rookie Anthony Volpe delivering crucial at-bats.
“The Yankees are battle-tested after surviving a gauntlet of young, fast-rising AL Central contenders,” Doolittle noted, while the Dodgers showed resilience in overcoming both the San Diego Padres and New York Mets to reach the Fall Classic.
The series brings together baseball’s most storied franchises, with the Yankees seeking their 28th title and first since 2009, while the Dodgers aim for their eighth championship and first full-season title since 1988, having won the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
Game 1 begins at 8:08 p.m. ET Friday, with Cole facing Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty in what promises to be a historic matchup between baseball’s biggest behemoths.