Additionally, this World Series is being contested between two players favored to win most valuable player (MVP) awards in their respective leagues: Aaron Judge of the Yankees and Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers.[5] Assuming that both players are so awarded, this will be the first World Series since 2012 (when (Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants faced Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers) to feature the two league MVPs from that season. Judge won the American League (AL) MVP Award in 2022, while Ohtani won two AL MVP awards unanimously with the Los Angeles Angels in 2021 and 2023. During the 2024 regular season, Judge hit 58 home runs while Ohtani hit 54 during his 50–50 season, meaning that this is the first time in Major League Baseball history that two batters who hit 50 home runs in the same regular season are playing against each other in the World Series.[6] Because of the renewal of the rivalry between the two storied franchises, and the World Series debuts of both Ohtani and Judge, many have regarded the matchup as a "dream" World Series in the lead-up to the event.[7][8][9]
This is the first World Series to feature the teams with the best record in each league since the 2020 World Series. Additionally, this was just the fifth time in the Wild Card era (1995–present) where both teams with the best record in each league faced each other in the World Series.[10] This had previously occurred in 1995, 1999, 2013, and 2020.
The Dodgers won a three-game series against the Yankees in June in New York, winning the first two games before dropping the finale, though Juan Soto did not appear in this series.[11]
After back-to-back upset losses to division rivals in the postseason in 2022 and 2023, the Dodgers looked to reshape their roster. In the off-season, they signed superstar two-way player Shohei Ohtani to a record $700million, 10 year contract.[12] Other big additions were signing outfielder Teoscar Hernández and pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (from Japan through the posting system) and trading for starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow. During the regular season, the Dodgers were not quite as dominant as previous years due to various pitching injuries and a two-month hand injury to Mookie Betts, failing to win 100 games for the first time in a full season since 2018. The acquisition of Ohtani proved to be a success during his first year with the team, despite him recovering from an elbow surgery as a pitcher. As a designated hitter all season, he became the first player in MLB history to break the 50 home runs, 50 stolen bases barrier in a single season. He also surpassed Shawn Green's Dodgers single-season home run record with 54 home runs. At the All-Star Game, the Dodgers sent 6 players—Ohtani, Betts, Hernández, Glasnow, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith.[13] At the trade deadline, the Dodgers added starting pitcher Jack Flaherty, set-up reliever Michael Kopech, and utility player Tommy Edman;[14] Edman won the NLCS MVP Award with 11 RBIs in the series.[15]
The Dodgers qualified for the postseason as the National League West division winner and the league's first seed. They qualified for the postseason for the 12th consecutive season, dating back to 2013, the third-longest streak in MLB history.[16] In the National League Division Series, they defeated their division rivalSan Diego Padres in five games. In the National League Championship Series, they defeated the New York Mets in six games to win their 25th pennant in franchise history and return to the World Series for the first time since their championship season in 2020, and the fourth time in eight years (2017–2018, 2020, and 2024).[17][18] The Dodgers are just the second team in MLB history to face the two New York baseball teams in a single postseason, following the 1999 Braves. The Dodgers are looking to win their eighth World Series championship title.[19]
This World Series will mark the debut of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto (in his MLB debut), Hernández (in his first year with the Dodgers), and Edman. Freeman, Clayton Kershaw (will not pitch in the World Series due to bone spur in his toe), Smith, and Max Muncy are returning to the World Series for the second time in their careers, and Betts is returning to the World Series for the third time in his career. Freeman, Kershaw, Smith, and Muncy are seeking their second World Series championships, with the former having won with the Braves in 2021 and the latter three having won with the Dodgers in 2020, while Betts is seeking his third World Series championship and the second with the Dodgers, having won with the Red Sox in 2018 and with the Dodgers in 2020. Dave Roberts, in his ninth year as a manager for the Dodgers, is seeking his second World Series championship as a manager, and third overall.[citation needed]
The Dodgers have also announced plans to use the World Series games at Dodger Stadium to pay tribute to former pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, who died shortly before the 2024 World Series and who was vital to the team's 1981 championship season.[20][21]
Giancarlo Stanton won the ALCS MVP award with four home runs and seven RBIs. This World Series will mark the debut of Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Gleyber Torres, while Gerrit Cole, Juan Soto, and Anthony Rizzo are returning to the World Series for the second time in their careers. Rizzo and Soto are seeking their second career World Series championship, having won with the Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals, respectively, while Cole is seeking his first championship after the Houston Astros lost in 2019.[28]Aaron Boone, in his seventh season as a manager for the Yankees, is seeking his first World Series win as a manager.[29] The Yankees are looking to win their league-leading 28th World Series championship title.[30]
Summary
Los Angeles leads the series, 2–0.
Game
Date
Score
Location
Time
Attendance
1
October 25
New York Yankees – 3, Los Angeles Dodgers – 6 (10)
The two starters, Flaherty and Cole, kept the game scoreless through the first four innings. After Enrique Hernández hit a triple in the bottom of the fifth inning, he scored the game's first run via a sacrifice fly by Will Smith. In the top of the sixth, Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run home run, giving the Yankees a 2–1 lead and knocking Flaherty out of the game. Cole was removed from the game after giving up a leadoff single to Teoscar Hernández in the seventh. In the bottom of the eighth, Shohei Ohtani hit a ball off the top of the outfield wall and reached second base, but Juan Soto's throw got away from second baseman Gleyber Torres, and Ohtani advanced to third base. The next batter, Mookie Betts, hit a sacrifice fly to score Ohtani and tie the game.[37]
In the top of the ninth, Michael Kopech was sent in by Roberts to close out the ninth inning. He got the first two batters he faced to ground out but then gave up a hit to Torres that was caught at the wall by a fan. He was awarded second base instead on a fan interference call, and the game remained tied at 2–2. After a review, the call was upheld. After intentionally walking Juan Soto, Kopech was removed from the game and replaced by Blake Treinen, who got Aaron Judge to pop out, ending the inning. Yankees closer Luke Weaver pitched a perfect inning in the bottom of the ninth, sending the game into extra innings. In the top of the tenth, Treinen gave up a one-out single to Jazz Chisholm Jr. who stole second base. Anthony Rizzo was intentionally walked, and Chisholm Jr. stole third. The next batter, Anthony Volpe, hit an RBI force-out that was bobbled by Tommy Edman, allowing Chisholm Jr. to score the go-ahead run, giving the Yankees a 3–2 lead.[37]
With the Yankees leading by a run, reliever Jake Cousins was sent in to pitch the last three outs. He got Smith to fly out, then walked Gavin Lux. Edman then singled to put runners on first and second with one out. Cousins was then removed from the game and replaced with Nestor Cortés Jr., who hadn't pitched since September 18. Cortés Jr. was sent in to face Ohtani, who hit a ball into foul territory that was caught by a leaping Alex Verdugo. Since Verdugo fell into the stands, the runners advanced to second and third. With the Dodgers down to their final out, the Yankees intentionally walked Betts, thus loading the bases and bringing Freddie Freeman to the plate. On the first pitch, he hit a walk-offgrand slam, winning Game 1 for Los Angeles.[38]
Freeman's homer was the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history as well as the third Series walk-off homer of any kind for a team that was trailing, following Joe Carter's World Series-winning home run for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993 and Kirk Gibson's Game 1-winning home run for the Dodgers in 1988.[39] Freeman's home run was widely compared to Gibson's in particular, as both players were playing through injuries at the time;[40]Fox broadcaster Joe Davis' call of "...she is gone!" echoed that of legendary Dodgers and then-NBC broadcaster Vin Scully for the Gibson homer.[41]
In the bottom of the second inning, Tommy Edman hit a solo home run off Rodón as the Dodgers took a 1–0 lead. Juan Soto hit a solo home run off Yamamoto in the top of the third inning to tie the game. In the bottom of the inning, Mookie Betts hit a single followed by a Teoscar Hernández two-run home run to break the tie. Freddie Freeman followed up on his historic performance in Game 1 by homering directly after Hernández, giving the Dodgers a 4-1 lead. Yamamoto allowed only one hit in 6+1⁄3 innings in his start. In the bottom of the seventh, Shohei Ohtani was injured while caught stealing by Anthony Volpe. With the Dodgers leading by three runs, Blake Treinen was sent in to close out the game in the top of the ninth. He gave up a lead single to Soto, who advanced to second on a wild pitch. After Aaron Judge struck out, Giancarlo Stanton hit a ground ball that bounced off third base and into the outfield, scoring Soto. The Yankees then loaded the bases with an Anthony Rizzo hit-by-pitch and Jazz Chisholm Jr. single, but Volpe struck out for the second out. After the Volpe at-bat, Treinen was replaced with Alex Vesia, who got Jose Trevino to fly out on the first pitch, ending the game and giving Los Angeles a 2-0 series lead.[45]
MLB International provides television coverage outside of the United States, using feeds remotely produced by MLB Network. Dave Flemming (play-by-play) and Ryan Spilborghs (color commentator) are the English-language commentators.
For the first time, Univision televised Game 1 of the World Series in Spanish after sister network UniMás televised both the American League Division Series and the American League Championship Series in Spanish.
The flagship radio stations for both teams also produce local broadcasts of each game. In Los Angeles, KLAC and KTNQ broadcast in English and Spanish respectively, while in New York, WFAN (in English) and WADO (in Spanish) air the games. The series marks the last broadcasts for longtime Yankees radio play-by-play announcer John Sterling of WFAN, as he announced his retirement in April 2024.[52][53]
Sponsorship
The 2024 World Series is sponsored by Capital One, as part of a multi-year agreement. This sponsorship included logo branding in-stadium and official digital properties on the field and commercial inventory during Fox's telecasts of the games.[54]
Notes
^World Series Game 7, if necessary, will be played November 2; the soonest the World Series could end is October 29, the date of Game 4.