This Friday, Oct. 25, the nation will witness the twelfth edition of a tale as old as Major League Baseball, as the Los Angeles Dodgers will play the New York Yankees in the World Series. On its face, it would appear that this tale is getting old. The Dodgers have a record 25 National League pennants, the Yankees have a record 41 American League pennants, and the two teams have met in 11 previous World Series. In addition, the organizations have not changed at all since their last meeting in 1981. They’re both still inordinately rich, they have the best players, and they already have quite the collection of Commissioner’s Trophies.
But this series is special, and it will not disappoint. Shortly before the season began, the Dodgers claimed the Yankee’s classic “Evil Empire” moniker. So what better way to find out who the real empire is than to resurrect a rivalry that has been dormant for 43 years? What better game for the big stage than a contest that began in 1913 between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Highlanders?
The battle-tested Dodgers aim to win their second title under the management of former Dodger outfielder Dave Roberts. In the lead-up to the season, they signed two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani to a record 10-year, $700 million contract. Recovery from elbow surgery prevented him from pitching, but he was electrifying nonetheless. He became the only player in 149 years of Major League Baseball to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season.
In the National League playoffs, down five of their top pitchers, the Dodgers nonetheless rallied behind their bullpen. On the brink of elimination in the Divisional Series against their rival San Diego Padres, the Blue Crew pitched 24 consecutive scoreless innings to advance to the Championship Series, where their abundant star power at the plate took over. Mookie Betts, Kiké Hernández, Teoscar Hernández, and Freddie Freeman stepped up beside Ohtani and ended the New York Mets’ playoff run.
The dominant Yankees can win their first title under the management of former Yankee infielder Aaron Boone. Having made seven playoffs in nine years without a pennant to show for it, New York went for broke and added superstar Juan Soto to their heavy-hitting outfield of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. With the eleventh-hour acquisition of young standout Jazz Chisholm Jr., the Pinstripes coasted to a 94-68 record, with an impressive 3.74 earned run average as a team and an MLB-best 237 home runs.
The Yankees remained steady in the American League playoffs, dispatching the resurgent Kansas City Royals in the Divisional Series and silencing the upshot Cleveland Guardians in the Championship Series. Collected in the clutch, their bullpen completed five saves in their seven wins, and Juan Soto’s three-run blast in extra innings sealed their trip to the World Series.
It’s star power against star power, baseball’s version of Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do; the ancient rivalry sees a new installment decades in the making. This year’s World Series is the game’s biggest stars under the brightest lights, just as it should be. This matchup is anything but boring.
If you’re planning on watching, and even if you’re not, here’s one final piece of baseball wisdom: no matter what their fans tell you, you’re never wrong for rooting against the Yankees. But if it comes down to them or the Dodgers, the real Evil Empire owns this series. It’s Yankees in six.