Followers of small-market groups is likely to be aggravated by the New York Yankees-Los Angeles Dodgers World Collection matchup, however you could be positive Main League Baseball as a enterprise is thrilled about it.
Not solely as a result of it options two of probably the most well-known franchises within the league and re-ignites a rivalry that dominated baseball’s glory days, but additionally as a result of it offers the annual fall basic the kind of big-game, big-event really feel that it has lacked in recent times.
The star energy and plethora of future Corridor of Famers solely provides to that enchantment.
For the higher a part of the previous decade, the World Collection matchups have not all the time been probably the most thrilling or charming relating to broad enchantment 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 surprising runs was compelling. The Houston Astros have been a fantastic group and probably the most constant winner in baseball for the previous eight years, however for nearly as good as their roster constantly is, they haven’t all the time had the family title megastars that can outline this sequence.
The 2024 World Collection has every thing that baseball has lacked in latest Octobers.
Two outstanding franchises. One of the best crew within the American League from the common season taking part in one of the best crew within the Nationwide League. Additionally, a number of the greatest names in baseball with not less than a handful of future Corridor of Famers.
There are 5 slam-dunk HOF gamers in Aaron Choose, 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 circumstances whereas injured Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw would probably make eight Corridor of Fame gamers concerned with these two groups.
Simply wanting by way of present-day accomplishments, Choose, Ohtani, Freeman and Betts are all MVP winners with Choose and Ohtani prone to win their league’s respective MVPs this season.
Ohtani is coming off the first-ever 50-50 season in MLB historical past, Choose is the American League’s single-season residence run chief.
Between Ohtani, Choose 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 intensive record of the sport’s finest gamers on the most important stage.
Whereas followers in smaller markets may hate what the Yankees and Dodgers symbolize by way of spending cash, typically it’s okay to take a seat again and watch two powerhouse groups filled with superstars battle it out for a championship. It’s what the World Collection was, and for the primary time in years, this 12 months’s matchup has that luster as soon as once more.
