Followers of small-market groups is likely to be aggravated by the New York Yankees-Los Angeles Dodgers World Sequence matchup, however you will be certain Main League Baseball as a enterprise is thrilled about it.
Not solely as a result of it options two of essentially the most well-known franchises within the league and re-ignites a rivalry that dominated baseball’s glory days, but in addition as a result of it provides the annual fall basic the kind of big-game, big-event really feel that it has lacked lately.
The star energy and plethora of future Corridor of Famers solely provides to that attraction.
For the higher a part of the previous decade, the World Sequence matchups have not all the time been essentially the most thrilling or fascinating in the case of broad attraction to informal followers. That isn’t to say there haven’t been good groups which have made it and gained, or that there haven’t been intriguing storylines. Groups just like the 2022 Philadelphia Phillies and 2023 Arizona Diamondbacks happening sudden runs was compelling. The Houston Astros have been an important group and essentially the most constant winner in baseball for the previous eight years, however for pretty much as good as their roster persistently is, they haven’t all the time had the family identify megastars that may outline this collection.
The 2024 World Sequence has every thing that baseball has lacked in current Octobers.
Two outstanding franchises. The very best crew within the American League from the common season enjoying the very best crew within the Nationwide League. Additionally, a few of the largest names in baseball with no less than a handful of future Corridor of Famers.
There are 5 slam-dunk HOF gamers in Aaron Decide, Juan Soto and Gerrit Cole from the Yankees in addition to Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts from the Dodgers.
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman and Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton even have robust instances whereas injured Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw would probably make eight Corridor of Fame gamers concerned with these two groups.
Simply wanting when it comes to present-day accomplishments, Decide, Ohtani, Freeman and Betts are all MVP winners with Decide and Ohtani more likely to win their league’s respective MVPs this season.
Ohtani is coming off the first-ever 50-50 season in MLB historical past, Decide is the American League’s single-season residence run chief.
Between Ohtani, Decide and Soto, the highest three gamers in OPS from the common season are going head-to-head. Add in Freeman, Betts and Teoscar Hernandez, and 6 of the top-20 gamers in OPS are concerned.
It’s an in depth checklist of the sport’s greatest gamers on the largest stage.
Whereas followers in smaller markets would possibly hate what the Yankees and Dodgers symbolize when it comes to spending cash, generally it’s okay to take a seat again and watch two powerhouse groups filled with superstars combat it out for a championship. It’s what the World Sequence was, and for the primary time in years, this 12 months’s matchup has that luster as soon as once more.